NJ Lawmakers Mull Pro-Abortion Bill

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TRENTON, N.J. (ChurchMilitant.com) - Hard-line pro-abortion policy could be coming soon to New Jersey.

Lawmakers in the Democrat-controlled state are considering the so-called Reproductive Freedom Act (RFA) — a radical pro-abortion bill that claims, "Abortion is one of the safest medical procedures performed in the United States."

Introduced to the state Senate on Oct. 8, the bill would:

• enshrine the so-called right to abortion
• use taxpayer dollars to pay for birth control and abortion
• allow abortion through all nine months of pregnancy, as well as partial-birth abortion
• remove the requirement for parental consent for minors seeking to obtain abortions

Nicole Dundon, founder of Call to Act NJ, told Church Militant, "We currently have an issue of human sex trafficking in the state of New Jersey, but the mandated funding provisions that the bill provides will now attract MORE human traffickers."

Dundon is also a Catholic liaison for the Center for Garden State Families, a Christian pro-life nonprofit.

A laywoman in the diocese of Metuchen who uses the name Maria for sake of anonymity also told Church Militant on Tuesday, "The bill is horrific. New Jersey will become the abortion Mecca of the world! No value for life and the innocent."

Bishops 'Checking a Box'?

The Catholic bishops of New Jersey put out a statement Oct. 5 expressing opposition to the RFA, saying, "As the Catholic bishops of New Jersey, we urge all Catholics and people of goodwill to reject this proposed legislative initiative in our state and to contact your state legislators to vigorously express opposition to its passage."

Dundon opines Catholic clergy should do more to oppose the pro-abortion RFA:

And while there are many holy and courageous priests in our state, most of the bishops in New Jersey seem to lack those qualities in that they have not provided any guidance for the faithful. Did they talk to their pastors? In my researched experience many priests were, and I'm sure still are, not aware of the bill, which makes sense, because we have come across alarming numbers of Catholics who were also not informed about it until we told them, or another pro-life organization educated them on it.

Maria made a similar point, saying, "Our bishops make a statement and think that checks off the box of doing something about it. That is not enough! We are betrayed by our politicians and our bishops."

Precaution If Roe v. Wade Is Overturned

When the bill was introduced last month, it came less than a month after the death of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

Ginsburg, known as one of the reliable liberals on the court, was seen as a strong supporter of abortion and homosexuality — among other left-wing policy points.

After Ginsburg's death, many Democratic lawmakers — at both the state and federal level — looked for ways to solidify so-called abortion rights in case Roe v. Wade gets overturned.

In New Jersey, the Democratic Party has control of both chambers of the state government, as well as the governor's office.

Governor Phil Murphy, alongside his wife Tammy, spoke in a video Oct. 2 about the plans for the bill.

"Justice Ginsburg's life's work," the governor remarked, "gives us the courage to do more than sit idly by as New Jerseyans wonder aloud whether the Supreme Court will overturn Roe v. Wade."

He spoke about the pro-life movement as "anti-woman," adding, "We are seizing the moment to codify everyone's full reproductive rights into law."

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