New Jersey Legislators Promote Bill to Expand Late-Term Abortions

State   |   Steven Ertelt   |   Apr 15, 2021   |   6:06PM   |   Trenton, New Jersey

The push by Planned Parenthood in New Jersey to have legislators use taxpayer funds to pay for late-term abortions for anyone, resident or not, has pro-life advocates planning additional demonstrations this weekend (Apr. 17-18). Concerned citizens are invited to support.

Protestors believe passage of the “Reproduction Freedom Act” (S3030/A4848) would set New Jersey up to attract human traffickers, according to the Working Together for New Jersey coalition. Demonstrations are planned by coalition partners for Saturday, April 17, 10 AM, in Woodbridge at the offices of Senator Joe Vitale and Assemblyman Craig Coughlin, 569 Rahway Ave., and for co-sponsor Assemblyman Vince Mazzeo on Sunday in Northfield, 1-3 PM, 601 New Rd.

At issue is a proposal to further expand what are already the nation’s most liberal abortion laws. New Jersey has the highest abortion rate in the country (28.0 abortions per 1000 women age 15-44). The proposed legislation would increase that distinction profoundly.

Gwen Schwarzwalder of the South Jersey Pro-Life Coalition noted that four months ago, two days of protests were held. They drew public attention to the The Reproductive Freedom Act – that it does not reflect the values of the citizens. “At that time, Asm. Mazzeo, a co-sponsor of the measure, agreed to have a conversation with concerned citizens,” she said. “We are still waiting.”

Ethel Hermenau, president of LifeNet South Jersey, commented, “The longer I am in this fight for the defenseless, I realize we have a Governor and many legislators that do not care about the outcry for the innocent. Many pro-Life Organizations are uniting to fight this ‘Goliath of Abortion’, Gov. Murphy, and his legislators. They have forgotten they work for us and we are tired of them trying to push under our noses horrible bills like the Reproductive Freedom Act.”

“We call on Speaker Coughlin and Senate Health Chairman Vitale to refrain from posting the pro-abortion Freedom-to-Kill Act. This legislation epitomizes the core mindset of abortion extremism,” New Jersey Right To Life Executive Director Marie Tasey said.

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“To stop human trafficking, don’t pass The Reproductive Freedom Act!,” said Rev. Gregory Quinlan of the Center For Garden State Families. “This would be a human traffickers’ best friend. Taxpayers will pay for the abortions of sex slaves, as well as forced sterilizations.”

Studies done by legislators and independent organizations in the past have found no justification for expansion of abortion services in New Jersey. Working Together For New Jersey, a coalition of pro-life organizations, reports that all surveys show that a strong majority of the American people reject late term abortions. Doing abortions late in pregnancy can keep the baby’s body more intact, so that the harvesting of body parts will be easier. This bill eliminates autopsies and investigations of late term deaths of infants, which encourages the abortionist to abandon children born alive after a botched abortion – allowing them to die without legal risk. In contrast, Congress presented legislation April 14 called “The Born Alive Abortion Survivors Bill” to protect such children. But the Reproductive Freedom Act would oppose such protections for children of abortion born alive.

Dr. Kathleen T. Ruddy, a retired surgeon, has studied the RFA legislation. She stated, “The Reproductive Freedom Act” invokes changes to state medical regulations that amount to nothing less than a ‘Fetal Tissue Harvesting Plan’ funded at taxpayers’ expense. It’s purpose appears to be to enrich a small (elitist) interest group that hides behind a ‘women’s right to choose’.”

Breitbart News has reported that surgical abortions account for 61% of all deaths in the African American community. A disproportionate 36% of all abortions are performed on African American women, even though they make up only 12.4 percent of the population. Of all African American pregnancies, 52 percent end in abortion.

“My local newspaper’s editor can’t believe the draconian measures of this Bill,” stated Rev. Clenard Childress Jr, Director of LEARN NorthEast – the Largest African American Pro-Life group in New Jersey. “The Montclair Times can’t bring themselves to print the actual facts of the bill. As an African American clergyman and activist, I am reminded of the stealth of the Tuskegee experiments that were performed on Black soldiers. I doubt the public knows of the sadistic measures passed in legislation recently concerning our children, born and unborn.

Christine Flaherty, commented,”If enacted, the RFA would greatly increase the number of abortions – including late term abortions – in New Jersey, and expose women to greater risk by having non-doctors perform abortions in non-credentialed facilities. Shame on Gov. Murphy, Sen. Weinberg and Asw. Vanierie Huttle for pushing for more abortion. Chris Flaherty is the president of LifeNet in NJ.

“The Big Abortion Industry, led by Planned Parenthood, is not giving up demands to legalize abortion up to birth and force medical professionals to perform abortions against their own conscience – with taxpayer funding. Their proposal to legalize abortion at any time, for any reason, without any restrictions, is rejected by the overwhelming majority of New Jersey residents, who support common sense regulations,” added Shawn Hyland of the New Jersey Family Policy Alliance.