Today, Texas’s draconian six-week abortion ban S.B. 8 goes into effect during the most hostile legislative year for reproductive health and rights since Roe v. Wade was decided nearly 50 years ago. Across the nation, nearly 600 abortion restrictions were introduced this year alone — 90 of which have been enacted. In response to today’s news and in anticipation of the Mississippi case before the U.S. Supreme Court, Thrive NJ releases the following statement.
Sheila Reynertson, Senior Policy Analyst at New Jersey Policy Perspective (NJPP) and member of Thrive NJ:
“The Thrive NJ coalition stands in solidarity with people seeking and providing abortion care in Texas today and every day. As we witness abortion access being decimated in the South, we know that for far too many people in New Jersey, access to abortion is a right in name only given the medically unnecessary obstacles that remain in place.
“Yet the State Legislature has not given the Reproductive Freedom Act (A4848/S3030) a single hearing, let alone a vote. Outdated barriers to abortion disproportionately harm people of color, people with low incomes, and those living in rural areas. The disparities in health care access have been laid bare by the COVID-19 pandemic, which has most impacted communities of color. Refusing to protect and expand access to abortion care is no different.
“Remaining silent on this issue is not what New Jerseyans want, nor is it something they’ll stand for. Nearly one in four women in this country will have an abortion in her lifetime — these are our friends, family members, neighbors, and community leaders. Politicians continue to ignore the remaining obstacles in defiance of New Jersey voters, who understand the urgency of protecting and expanding access to abortion: 72 percent want their state legislators to prioritize this issue.
“A patient’s health, not a politician’s beliefs, should drive important medical decisions. Everyone deserves the freedom to make these decisions with their families and their doctors, free of political interference. Holding up the Reproductive Freedom Act harms the health and rights of those struggling to get by just as much as states that enact harsh and extreme laws with the sole purpose of banning abortion.”