With Democrats making reproductive healthcare a top issue this cycle, Gov. Phil Murphy today celebrated his administration’s efforts to expand access to contraceptives.
“Today, we are here with a simple message: New Jersey is and always will be a safe haven for reproductive health care. Period,” Murphy said. “We’re going to ensure that our daughters do not inherit a world in which they have fewer rights than their parents did.”
The Murphy Administration is hoping to expand reproductive freedoms in the state. Earlier this year, Murphy signed legislation (S275) that allows pharmacists to provide New Jersey residents and visitors contraception – oral, transdermal, and vaginal – without needing a prescription.
This bill was signed into law back in January, but it has not yet gone into effect because it needed regulatory approval from both the State Board of Medical Examiners (BME) and the Board of Pharmacy (BOP) – a process that can take time.
As of today, both boards had signed off, which clears the way for the legislation to go into effect; however, the policy still needs some finalization.
Still, the leaders gathered today marked the legislation as evidence of the Murphy Administration’s commitment to securing reproductive healthcare in the state.
“While other states are taking away rights, making it harder to access reproductive health care, we are doing everything in our power to make reproductive care more accessible, and more affordable, for every family,” said Lt. Governor Tahesha Way.
In addition to Way, Murphy was joined today by First Lady Tammy Murphy, Attorney General Matt Platkin, Acting Health Commissioner Dr. Kaitlan Baston, State Sen. Shirley Turner (D-Lawrence), Assemblywoman Verlina Reynolds-Jackson (D-Trenton), Assemblywoman Angela McKnight (D-Jersey City), as well as the executive director of Planned Parenthood Action Fund of New Jersey, Jackie Cornell.
Tammy Murphy, who has particularly championed infant and maternal healthcare, was also in attendance today and praised the developments.
“Today is the latest in that long line of actions to expand reproductive freedom,” she said. “Next year, any woman will be able to walk into a pharmacy and take control of her future by getting birth control. And she will not have to depend on a doctor to get a prescription.”
The legislation started with Turner when she originally introduced it in 2018. She depicted today’s progress as key to “freeing the pill.”
Senate Health Committee Chairman Joseph Vitale (D-Woodbridge) was also a co-prime sponsor of the bill.
“The implementation of this groundbreaking legislation reaffirms New Jersey’s unwavering commitment to women’s reproductive health and autonomy,” Turner noted.
In the Assembly, Reynolds-Jackson spearheaded the bill along with McKnight and Assemblyman Raj Mukherji (D-Jersey City).
“Not only will this safeguard a woman’s ability to access the contraception of her own choosing, but it also reinforces New Jersey’s commitment to reproductive care,” McKnight noted. “Self-autonomy over a woman’s body is sacrosanct, and I am proud to stand with Governor Murphy, my fellow legislators, and reproductive rights advocates on such an important issue.”
Advocates for protecting abortion access and expanding reproductive health care also noted today’s developments.
“Increasing access to birth control is especially important in light of the overturning of Roe v Wade,” said Cornell.
While many see protecting and expanding contraceptive care as a crucial next step in strengthening reproductive health care, today also underscored the Murphy Administration’s broader commitment to protecting abortion access, especially after Roe v. Wade was overturned last year.
The Administration has taken significant actions to uplift reproductive healthcare throughout the state.
In the immediate aftermath of Roe being overturned, the state codified abortion access into state law. Since then, there have been significant efforts at the agency level to expand care, including at the Department of Banking and Insurance (DOBI), which recently announced that they are mandating abortion care in all healthcare plans they regulate.
The state has also created a Reproductive Rights Strike Force to enforce and protect reproductive healthcare. And, in the budget for Fiscal Year 2024 (FY2024), there is dedicated funding for reproductive healthcare providers to expand their services and to protect against any threats.