New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy signed a bill Thursday guaranteeing abortion rights in the state. Murphy also signed legislation to expand contraception coverage under private insurance and Medicaid.
The new legislation comes amid concerns that the US Supreme Court may overturn Roe v. Wade, leaving it up to individual states to regulate abortion. The court heard arguments last month in a case involving a Mississippi law banning all abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy, and many analysts predict the court will uphold the law, possibly overturning Roe in the process.
Upon signing the legislation Thursday, Murphy said:
In New Jersey, we trust each individual person to make their reproductive choices for themselves. With Roe v. Wade under attack, today’s historic legislation makes clear that New Jersey’s position in supporting the right to reproductive choice remains protected. Together, with expanding contraception coverage, these two pieces of legislation serve to meaningfully and tangibly increase access to reproductive health care, and ensure that New Jersey residents are now, and will remain, in control of their reproductive choices.
New Jersey joins 14 other states, as well as the District of Columbia, in explicitly protecting abortion rights under state law. More than 20 other states have laws in place to restrict or outright ban abortion should Roe be overturned.