TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — New Jersey will increase its supply of drugs used in abortions, Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy said Tuesday in his State of the State address, working with President-elect Donald Trump. He promised and warned that This means that the state is prepared to push back against the incoming administration.
Murphy is one of a handful of Democratic governors who criticized Trump during the campaign but now say they are willing to cooperate. But Murphy said he won't back down in the face of “anti-choice” policies supported by the Republican majority in Congress. He said the state would stockpile mifepristone “so all women have access to this important reproductive health care.”
“We will never back down from working with the Trump administration, where our priorities are aligned,” Murphy said in a speech before a joint session of the Democratic-led Congress. “But just as importantly, I will never back down from defending New Jersey's values, even when they are tested.”
New Jersey, along with other Democratic-led states including Massachusetts and California, is stockpiling mifepristone, one of two drugs used in combination to terminate pregnancies. .
In an interview with NBC News last month, President Trump said he had no intention of restricting medical abortion, but seemed to leave the door open that “things will change.” Abortion rights groups are especially concerned that Mr. Trump's choice of Pam Bondi as attorney general has raised concerns about the Vicious Practices Act, passed by Congress in 1873, including banning the mailing of drugs and equipment used in abortions. There are concerns that certain Comstock laws could be reinstated.
Tuesday's speech was Murphy's penultimate, emphasizing his reluctance to become a lame duck governor in the final term of his second term. Among other proposals Murphy announced, he said he would direct schools to ban cell phone use in kindergarten through 12th grade.
“Our kids are inundated with screens,” he said. “And they make it incredibly difficult for our children not only to learn, but to retain what they learn.”
Mr. Murphy's appointment as governor coincides with Mr. Trump's first term, and he is entering the final 12 months of his second term, coinciding with the start of the second term of the Trump administration.
Murphy defined himself as progressive and ran for re-election as such. But his 2021 victory was much narrower than most expected, and his party's losses in Congress prompted Democrats to refocus on affordability issues such as property tax relief. It became.
“In this final chapter of our journey, our absolute top priority, as it has been since day one, is to provide economic security and opportunity for all New Jerseyans,” Murphy said. said.
Murphy's legacy currently includes a long list of bills thanks to a Democratic-led Congress, including tightening gun laws, legalizing recreational marijuana, taxing the wealthy and increasing education funding. It is set against the backdrop of a fierce election battle.
Murphy is seeking another four-year term and will hand over the reins of the party to the eventual winner of this year's gubernatorial race, which has six candidates. New Jersey and Virginia are the only two states with regular gubernatorial elections scheduled this year.
Murphy's vision for the state also comes as Democrats are searching for a direction and a national message to win votes after losing to Trump last year and narrowly winning Republicans in Congress. Match.
The address is similar to the president's State of the Union address, but at the state level, and serves as a blueprint for how governors want this year to unfold.
For example, last year he passed legislation that would prohibit debt collectors from divulging patients' medical debts to consumer credit reporting agencies. He also successfully passed legislation to overhaul affordable housing requirements administered within the state.
But the speech could also highlight how limited the governor's power can be. Last year, he pushed for legislation that would allow 16-year-olds to vote in school board elections. He reiterated his call for the bill on Tuesday, but the bill has not been debated in parliament. He also called for an “artificial intelligence moonshot.” So far, a task force set up by the governor has released a report urging states to adopt generative AI.
In June, the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously upheld access to mifepristone, which is used in nearly two-thirds of abortions. The court action threatened to potentially curtail access to the drug, including in states where abortion is legal. Fourteen states ban abortions at all stages of pregnancy, and three others ban abortions after about six weeks of pregnancy, often before the woman knows she is pregnant.
