The Supreme Court has voted to strike down Roe v. Wade, ending the constitutional right to abortion and allowing states to ban access to this time-sensitive care. In response to the decision, New Jersey Policy Perspective (NJPP) releases the following statement calling on lawmakers to set an example for other states to follow by removing barriers to abortion care.

Nicole Rodriguez, President, NJPP:

“Striking down Roe v. Wade will deny millions of people the freedom to control their own bodies and lives. At its core, abortion care is a health service that has profound consequences for both the health and economic stability of pregnant people and their families. When such a personal and monumental decision is taken away, it disproportionately harms those who have already been pushed behind by decades of exclusionary, racist, and discriminatory policies. Given our nation’s legacy of racism, abortion rights are not only a matter of reproductive health but of economic and racial justice.

“New Jersey may have secured the right to abortion care, but decades of indifference to breaking down barriers to access means that abortion care remains out of reach for young adults, people in low-paying jobs, Black and brown families, and immigrants without a path to health insurance. State legislators have an opportunity to meet the moment and take immediate action to make abortion care accessible for all, yet deeply entrenched stigma and misinformation are holding them back. With a radicalized Supreme Court that has no problem taking away our rights, New Jersey lawmakers need to step up to protect their constituents and set an example for other states to follow.”

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