TRENTON, N.J. (KYW Newsradio) — New Jersey abortion rights activists have asked Democrats in Trenton to hold off on potential legislation or ballot measures that would further enshrine abortion rights in the state. Groups like Planned Parenthood say the money and time are better spent in states with more urgent needs.
Democrats had been considering a ballot question for next year’s general election that, if approved, would have embedded the right to an abortion in the state Constitution. However, after reaching out to Planned Parenthood and the ACLU for guidance, they backed off when the groups said there’s little benefit to be had.
Simply put, abortion rights are not at risk in New Jersey, and the state has some of the strongest protections in the country already, with none of the major restrictions found in many other states, such as mandated waiting periods, parental involvement for minors, or limits on public funding.
The right to reproductive health care was codified in New Jersey law when the Freedom of Reproductive Choice Act was passed earlier this year and Gov. Phil Murphy signed it into law.
“Additionally, our state benefits from nearly 40 years of state Supreme Court precedent protecting abortion rights,” said Planned Parenthood of New Jersey Executive Director Jackie Cornell.
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“Ballot measures are a step we should only take if we need to — and right now, we don’t,” Cornell said. Their top priority in New Jersey, she said, is ensuring that patients receive the full range of reproductive health care services they need.
“We will continue to advocate for strengthening access to reproductive health care, including abortion, by breaking down barriers to getting care and making meaningful financial investments into providing care,” she said. “This is what will truly move our state forward.”
She also said making abortion rights into a ballot question could cost the organization tens of millions of dollars and it has the potential to go backwards if the question isn’t precisely worded.
A campaign of a different sort, however, is underway to protect people from other parties using data about their reproductive health choices against them.
New Jersey Attorney General Matt Platkin is leading a group of attorneys general from several states in asking Apple to strengthen security in its mobile devices to protect women seeking an abortion.
In the letter, they asked Apple CEO Tim Cook to ensure location and search data are deleted so that information cannot be used against a woman for her reproductive health choices. They said this is the first line of defense for people who often unknowingly leave a digital trail of their real-life activity.
They say it’s not enough that Apple protects user data, and the company must force third-party companies in its App Store to do the same and should conduct audits to ensure compliance.