After anear-total abortion banwent into effect in Texas Wednesday, alarming abortion rights advocates who fear the Texas law foreshadows a U.S. Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade, Gov. Abortion Rights in New Jersey - New Jersey Office of Attorney The new law is a scaled-back version of a previous bill, the Reproductive Freedom Act, which stalled in the Legislature after it was introduced in 2020 and lost more support when Republicans flipped seven Democratic legislative seats last year.The law as signed does not require insurance companies to cover abortions outright. New Jersey Thats more than deaths from heart disease, more than deaths from cancer, more than deaths from COVID. New Jersey Monitor provides fair and tough reporting on the issues affecting New Jersey, from political corruption to education to criminal and social justice. According to the ACLU-NJ, the law will protect abortion rights by expanding existing state constitutional legal protections recognized by the New Jersey Supreme Court. However, since 2010, the U.S. abortion landscape has grown increasingly restrictive as more states adopt laws hostile to abortion rights. Together, we stand unwavering in our commitment to work towards reproductive freedom for all New Jerseyans.. Other states moved to try to take advantage of this political situation, including New Jersey where current Governor Phil Murphy related a statement that said, "New Jersey is open for business for any company that, given the assault on a woman's right to choose perpetrated by states like Alabama and Georgia, is seeking a home that recognizes basic constitutional rights. Governor Murphy also signed S413/A4698, which expands the contraception coverage required under private insurance and Medicaid from a 6-month supply to a 12-month supply. Murphy appeared at the Teaneck Public Library with a crowd of lawmakers, state officials, and advocates donning pink to signal support of Planned Parenthood, The United States Supreme Court is preparing to take a wrecking ball to its own precedent of Roe v. Wade, and that would also demolish our case law-based foundation here in New Jersey, Murphy said.. ", Planned Parenthood Action Fund of New Jersey applauds the strong declaration of reproductive rights in S49/A6260, as well as the expansion of birth control access through S413/A4698,saidKaitlyn Wojtowicz,Vice President of Public Affairs, Planned Parenthood Action Fund of New Jersey. [5], In January 2015, a Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act was discussed but was ultimately pulled because female Republican New Jersey House members expressed active opposition to the bill, with one major complaint being the only exception was in rape and only if the woman had reported the rape to the police. Nebraska Abortion Laws New Jersey Monitor maintains editorial independence. State employees and TESU students/staff can access the searchable Hein Online Session Laws Library with their library card. That year, 23% of women in the state aged 1544 lived in a county without an abortion clinic. Learn more about posting announcements or events to your local Patch site. But it doesnt go far enough, advocates say. [16] In March 2016, there were 26 Planned Parenthood clinics in the state. [1] Of patients who had an abortion in 2014, one-third had to travel more than 25 miles one way to reach a facility. Abortion ratios also decreased or did not change from 2010 to 2019 for all age groups, except adolescents aged <15 years. I have. New Jersey It will also require private insurance companies to cover birth control and abortion with no out-of-pocket costs. In addition, Murphy signed a separate law (S413) requiring medical professionals in New Jersey who prescribe contraceptives to write prescriptions for 12 months at a time, and for state-regulated insurers to cover the cost. Women from the state participated in marches supporting abortion rights as part of a #StoptheBans movement in May 2019. Our stories may be republished online or in print under Creative Commons licence CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. These laws would be addressed in Red flag warning issued for large portion of Florida. The impairment and per se DWIs set out in New Jersey laws are very common across the country, with most states having the same or similar laws. Legal challenges to the reproductive rights of Americans, which have steadily increased in recent years, threaten to limit access to family planning services. Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin said that these boycotts would likely mean two tech companies would not base themselves in the city. Onesfuture plansare put at risk, like going to college or building a career. Its no surprise that those who cannot access this time-sensitive care are more likely to live in poverty, raise children alone, and struggle to afford basic needs. We firmly believe everyone deserves the ability to make their own personal health choices when it comes to birth control, abortion and pregnancy-related care. [15][8] In 2014, 33% of the counties in the state did not have an abortion clinic. Follow him on Twitter at @johnsb01. Weinberg received a standing ovation at the event. All rights reserved (About Us). The 2020 abortion rate across the entire United States was 14.4. Murphy called on the Legislature to act to protect abortion rights in New Jersey. [32], Governor Chris Christie said in March 2015, "When I was preparing to run for Governor of New Jersey there were those who told me there was no way I would be elected as a pro-life candidate. This is a day of celebration in New Jersey. Phil Murphy, after signing legislation codifying abortion rights in NJ. The Reproductive Freedom Act will remove barriers to reproductive health, as well as expand access to contraception while reaffirming choice. The Catholic Bishops of New Jersey released a statement about the Freedom of Reproductive Choice Act on Wednesday. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. Published: Oct. 02, 2020, 8:51 p.m. and abortion access in America. They cited the anticipated cost to taxpayers, although a fiscal analysis of the bills impact was never circulated. WebNow, New Jersey state lawmakers are pledging to introduce legislation that would enshrine the right to abortion and other reproductive health care for Garden State residents. Ensuring coverage of these prescriptions for up to 12 months will allow more New Jerseyans to prepare ahead. [10][11]), In 1858, the New Jersey Supreme Court said of a woman, "Her guilt or innocence remains a common law. This law departs from the fundamental Catholic teaching that all life is sacred from conception to natural death. More meaningful reform is needed, though, so that everyone has access to this time-sensitive care, regardless of their income or immigration status, Reynertson added. We ask that you edit only for style or to shorten, provide proper attribution and link to our web site. Self-determination is one of the founding principles of this state and this nation. In January, he signed a billforcing taxpayers to pay an additional $9.5 million to the Planned Parenthood abortion chainin their state. And, no matter the obstacles, we will only move forward, the First Lady said. The New Jersey Supreme Court has found that the right to 19 reproductive choice includes the right to determine whether and when 20 to bear children. Now, New Jersey state lawmakers are pledging to introduce legislation that would enshrine the right to abortion and other reproductive health care for Garden State residents. Reproductive rights are under attack. The state Senate and Assembly both introduced versions of it over 330 days ago, but it still hasnt been heard in committee. Perhaps the legislators who rushed through this Act in the waning moments of their terms did not want citizens to understand fully its inhuman and lethal consequences. It is a strong statement guaranteeing the full range of reproductive rights, including abortion, passed at a time when other states are eliminating or threatening these rights. Phil Murphy, surrounded by supporters, signs the Freedom of Reproductive Choice Act in Teaneck on January 13, 2022. Everyone has the right to reproductive choice, yet there have been far too many attempts throughout our country to control the decisions a person can make in that regard. New Jersey will remain a beacon of freedom for every American woman, said Murphy. "[4], By the end of the 1800s, all states in the Union except Louisiana had therapeutic exceptions in their legislative bans on abortions. Womens rights are human rights and will always be respected and protected in New Jersey., Today is a historic day for reproductive health in the Garden State,said Alexis McGill Johnson, president of Planned Parenthood Action Fund. On Friday, Gov. The law makes no exceptions for pregnancies resulting from rape Justice for babies outside the womb also is at risk. Please see our republishing guidelines for use of photos and graphics. On Thursday, Alexis McGill Johnson, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Action Fund, said this was a historic day for New Jersey. We urge our states leaders, through legislation and regulatory action, to not only affirm reproductive freedom, but make it truly accessible by lifting financial barriers to ensure we do not leave any communities behind. The reality is that, ever since Roe v. Wade was decided, abortion care has been out of reach for far too many people in New Jersey. Unfortunately, for too many New Jerseyans, those legal rights do not translate into access, especially for young people, communities of color, low-income communities, the LGBTQIA community and undocumented individuals. ACTION ALERT: Contact New Jersey senators and assembly members. Phil Murphy (D) signed two bills into law that protect patients and providers from out-of-state prosecution. It is rooted in the State Constitution, consistent with decisions by the New Jersey Supreme Court and written to safeguard the fundamental right of women to make their own decisions on reproductive care. Further, expanding access to and affordability of reproductive health care, including contraception, is an essential part of our efforts to solve our states maternal health crisis. Abortion Laws All qualified health care professionals are allowed to carry out abortions, including advanced practice nurses, physician assistants and certified midwives, who were cleared to perform early aspiration terminations of pregnancy under new state regulations issued in December. So if the foundation of that series of case laws is impacted, impaired, taken away, the entire reality in our state falls like a house of cards, which is why we need to, as soon as possible, put this protection into statute.. Lawmakers in New Jersey have, on the last day of their legislative session, voted to pass a bill which expands abortion access in the As we have said throughout our advocacy, to exercise ones right to abortion, contraceptives and carrying a pregnancy to term, one must be able to actually access the full range of health care.. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops wrote to lawmakers Thursday warning that the amendment would become a powerful tool against pro-life abortion laws.. Abortion Incidence and Service Availability in the United States, 2017, International Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health (19752020), Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health (19692020). We have failed as a society when a response to any pregnancy is fear rather than joy. Speaking in Teneack Thursday, Weinberg recalled the first bill Murphy signed when he came into office four years ago, one that allocated $7.5 million to womens access to health care.. Currently, there are no required waiting times and parental consent is not necessary. The law makes no exceptions for pregnancies resulting from rape or incest and allows citizens to sue abortion providers and anyone who helps a woman get an abortion, including anyone who helps pay for it or drives a woman to a clinic. If Roe falls, individual states will decide whether to make abortion legal or not, or whether to impose restrictions. [10][11], Between 1982 and 1992, the number of abortion clinics in the state decreased by twelve, going from 100 in 1982 to 88 in 1992. Meanwhile, several Assembly Republicans criticized the bill after its passage in the Legislature on Monday. Sixty percent of all abortions were provided at abortion clinics, 35% at nonspecialized clinics, 3% at hospitals and 1% at physicians' offices. In 2022, New Jersey showed its commitment to abortion rights by passing a law that ensures it remains legal in the state. Abortion Laws by State: Where Has Abortion Been Banned? WebIn addition to guaranteeing the right to an abortion in state law, a spokesman for Murphy says the New Jersey proposal would remove some restrictions on abortion that In fact, its more than deaths due to heart disease and cancer combined. It was signed by Cardinal Joseph Tobin, archbishop of the Archdiocese of Newark, and bishops from Paterson, Trenton, Metuchen, Camden and Bayonne.