New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy announced legislation on Wednesday that would expand access to abortion while also protecting women's rights and preventing them from being punished by other states. The governor vowed his administration won't cooperate with any attempts made in Congress or elsewhere within the United States Government “to restrict reproductive freedom," by trying to prosecute abortion providers or women who seek abortions in the state.
According to AP News, Murphy's announcement came four months after he signed a bill into law guaranteeing abortion rights, in anticipation of potential landmark Supreme Court decisions that could Overturn Roe v Wade.
The new proposed law would mandate all insurance providers over terminations without cost-sharing or out-of-pocket expenses.
At a press conference earlier, the Governor said “We remain steadfast to our commitment that all New Jerseyans have access to reproductive health care, including abortion.”
The leaked draft opinion from the Supreme Court has caused a lot of controversy and it is unclear what will happen next. Governor Phil Murphy says women shouldn't be prosecuted if they choose to have an abortion in another state as long as it's legal there, and New Jersey won’t cooperate with any states who do.
“We will not be cooperating with any out-of-state investigations into our health care providers that seeks to punish anyone — patient, provider, counselor, friend, Uber driver, you name it — for providing abortion care,” he said.
The decision by the governor has drawn criticism from some quarters, with Steven Oroho calling his plan “reckless and unsafe for women.”
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