Abortion rights activists called on state lawmakers to pass a stalled bill Thursday that would expand access for people seeking to end a pregnancy in New Jersey.
“Even if they think this is over, it isn’t over for us,” said Jackie Cornell, Planned Parenthood Action Fund of New Jersey’s executive director, at the rally outside the Statehouse in Trenton.
The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to end constitutional protections for abortion in June didn’t change New Jerseyans’ access to abortion due to a state law enacted in January.
Gov. Phil Murphy has sought to expand access to abortion even further. He pushed for the Reproductive Equity Act, A4350, a bill that would appropriate $20 million to reproductive health care access.
State Senate President Nicholas Scutari, D-Union, said in June the measure is unlikely to pass. It has stalled in both the Senate and state Assembly since it was introduced in June.
Activists on Thursday said the state Legislature’s lack of action won’t stop them from fighting to pass the bill.
“We are outraged and ready to fight like hell,” said Jasmine Winters, coordinator for the Thrive New Jersey Coalition, a group of more than 40 organizations seeking to expand reproductive health access.
The abortion rights activists demanded the state to expand abortion access to people of any immigration status, income status or gender identity.
Jesse Burns from the League of Women Voters of New Jersey, a nonpartisan organization that encourages participation in government, also called for the Legislature to pass the bill.
“We hear this argument that we have done enough, that our policies are good enough. And we’re hearing it in our fight for reproductive justice,” Burns said. “We demand better than ‘good enough,’ and we refuse to leave anybody behind.”
Charles Loflin, executive director of Unitarian Universalist FaithAction New Jersey, said expanded abortion access would be for the good of all people.
“The state of New Jersey has more work to do. It needs to make reproductive equity an actuality in this state,” Loflin said. “The dignity of sacred bodies and the moral agency of all people deserve respect.”
Scutari said Thursday he doesn’t expect lawmakers to pass new legislation expanding abortion in New Jersey “any time soon.”
“There may be more to what we need to do to ensure women have a right to choose, but that’s still under discussion,” the Senate president said.
Cornell said she’s recently seen a greater influx of people come into New Jersey-based Planned Parenthood clinics seeking services.
“We are seeing really high numbers across the board,” Cornell said.
Some of that increase may be due to people coming to New Jersey for abortions from other states. Planned Parenthood clinics in New Jersey will see anyone regardless of their state of residence, immigration status, gender identity or income status, Cornell added.
NJ Advance Media staff writer Brent Johnson contributed to the report.
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Camille Furst may be reached at cfurst@njadvancemedia.com. Find her on Twitter @CamilleFurst.