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NOW-NJ And Organizations: Rights are Not Enough — We Must Advance Equity by Removing Barriers to Rep

November 8, 2021


As the New Jersey State legislature goes back into session this morning, more than 75 New Jersey based organizations have signed on to a statement declaring their support for the Reproductive Freedom Act urging lawmakers to take action and pass the bill in its entirety before the close of the current legislative session. Introduced in October 2020, the Reproductive Freedom Act (S3030/A4848) is a proactive bill that both ensures the right to abortion in New Jersey and removes barriers to access, especially for our most vulnerable and marginalized populations.


Rights are Not Enough — We Must Advance Equity by Removing Barriers to Reproductive Health Care

Pass the FULL Reproductive Freedom Act NOW


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 8, 2021


We, the undersigned, stand together to demand that New Jersey do more than codify existing abortion rights. A rights declaration, without addressing barriers, fails to ensure that everyone — no matter their income, zip code, or immigration status — can get an abortion in our state.


Nearly 50,000 New Jerseyans will decide to have an abortion this year. Some will be forced to travel long distances or struggle to raise the funds needed to pay for their time-sensitive abortion care. Some individuals in need of care later in pregnancy will need to travel out of state to access services that could have been provided safely and compassionately in New Jersey. For some, these obstacles will prove to be insurmountable, pushing care completely out of reach.


At its core, the Reproductive Freedom Act (S3030/A4848) was designed to eliminate these unnecessary barriers to care. Choosing instead to simply “codify” rights for those with adequate resources is not enough. And it certainly doesn’t advance health equity. We will not leave any community behind; that includes our young people, people who earn low wages, people living in rural areas, undocumented immigrants, LGBTQIA+ folks, and communities of color disproportionately impacted by systemic racism and reproductive oppression.


As lawmakers return to Trenton, we urge them to stand for reproductive rights, equity, and access. One in four women will have an abortion in their lifetime, and that includes many of their constituents, their colleagues, their friends and family, as well as those sitting with them in their places of worship. We urge lawmakers to respect patients and providers whose lived experiences demonstrate the need for abortion care throughout pregnancy. We urge them to reject abortion stigma and the demonization of those seeking and providing abortion care.


At this critical moment in history, New Jersey needs legislation that both protects and expands access to reproductive health care. This means declaring the right to reproductive health care for ALL New Jerseyans, but more importantly, removing remaining barriers so that they can better access and receive medical care and qualified clinicians can provide that care without political interference.


A bill that continues to perpetuate health care access inequities is unacceptable. Now we are asking our elected representatives — are you with us?


SIGNED BY:

  1. ACLU of New Jersey

  2. Action Together New Jersey

  3. All of Us or None – South Jersey

  4. American Friends and Service Committee Prison Watch Program

  5. BlueWaveNJ

  6. Catholics for Choice

  7. Cherry Hill Women’s Center

  8. Democratic Women of Ocean County

  9. Garden State Equality

  10. Gloucester County NAACP #2345

  11. HiTOPS

  12. If/When/How: Lawyering for Reproductive Justice

  13. If/When/How: Lawyering for Reproductive Justice, Rutgers Law School – Camden chapter

  14. Immigrant Rights Collective – Rutgers Newark

  15. Indivisible Lambertville New Hope

  16. La Casa Dominicana NJ

  17. Latino Action Network Foundation

  18. Lazos America unida

  19. League of Women Voters of New Jersey

  20. LGBTQ+ Caucus: Rutgers Law School

  21. Livingston High School National Organization of Women Campus Action Network

  22. Make the Road New Jersey’s Youth Power Project

  23. Medical Students For Choice (MSFC)

  24. Melinated Moms

  25. MomsRising

  26. National Association of Social Workers – NJ Chapter

  27. National Council of Jewish Women, Bergen County Section

  28. National Council of Jewish Women, Essex County Section

  29. National Council of Jewish Women, Jersey Hills Section

  30. National Council of Jewish Women, West Morris Section

  31. National Organization for Women of New Jersey

  32. New Jersey Affiliate of the American College of Nurse Midwives

  33. New Jersey Black Women Physicians Association

  34. New Jersey Citizen Action

  35. New Jersey Coalition to End Domestic Violence

  36. New Jersey Harm Reduction Coalition

  37. New Jersey Health Care Quality Institute

  38. New Jersey Institute for Social Justice

  39. New Jersey Policy Perspective

  40. New Jersey Tenants Organization

  41. NJ 11th For Change

  42. NJ LGBTQ Democrats

  43. NJ State Industrial Union Council

  44. NJ5 Coalition

  45. North Jersey Sierra Group

  46. Northern NJ NOW

  47. Occupy Bergen County

  48. Ocean County NOW

  49. Ocean County Young Democrats

  50. People’s Organization for Progress

  51. Planned Parenthood Action Fund of New Jersey

  52. RAC-NJ (New Jersey Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism)

  53. Reproductive Health Access Project- New Jersey Chapter

  54. Reproductive Justice Team of The Unitarian Society of Ridgewood

  55. Rutgers Camden Muslim Law Student Association

  56. Rutgers Cannabis Law Association

  57. Rutgers Law Camden Immigration Law Society

  58. Rutgers Law School Camden’s Disability Law Student Association

  59. Rutgers Parity Project

  60. Seton Hall Law Family Law Society

  61. Social Action Committee of Temple Emeth, Teaneck NJ

  62. SOMA Action

  63. South Jersey NOW Alice Paul Chapter

  64. SPAN Parent Advocacy Network (SPAN)

  65. Speaking of Birth

  66. Stanton Strong Inc.

  67. Start Out Fresh Intervention Advocates

  68. Temple Avodat Shalom

  69. Temple Emeth Social Action Committee

  70. The Children’s Home Society of New Jersey

  71. Transformative Justice Initiative

  72. UU Faith Action NJ

  73. Women Empowered Democratic Organization (WE DO) of Bergen County

  74. Women for Progress

  75. Women’s Rights Information Center

  76. YWCA Northern New Jersey


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