By Ryan Foley, Christian Post Reporter
New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill has signed a law making it illegal to blockade abortion clinics. Pro-life leaders have condemned the action as the state’s latest effort to become a “haven” for abortion providers.
In a statement Thursday, Sherrill announced that she signed Senate Bill 2260 into law. The bill, which passed the Democrat-controlled New Jersey State Assembly in a 55-23 vote and the Democrat-controlled New Jersey Senate in a 25-15 vote, criminalizes “interference with reproductive health care services.”
The legislation defines “interference” with abortion as any action that “inflicts or attempts to inflict bodily injury on another person” while seeking to “unlawfully restrict” their access to abortion or “physically obstructs any person seeking to enter into or exit” an abortion facility.
Additional actions criminalized by the legislation include efforts to “intimidate, threaten, or coerce” those seeking to obtain or provide “reproductive health care services.”
People found guilty of breaking this law could face 18 months up to 10 years in prison.
In addition to criminal penalties, violators of the new law could face civil action and fines of $1,000 per violation.
The legislation also authorizes New Jersey Atty. Gen. Jennifer Davenport to bring civil actions against violators, which could result in fines of $10,000 for a first violation and up to $25,000 for a second violation.
While the term “reproductive health care services” is traditionally understood as a euphemism for abortion, the definition included in the bill also applies to irreversible trans procedures, including puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones.
Additional provisions of the measure prohibit cooperation with criminal investigations in other states seeking to enforce violations of state laws prohibiting abortion and the performance of body-deforming gender transition procedures on minors. In other words, the legislation works to shield abortion providers and those who maim youth exhibiting confusion about their sex.
“We have seen attacks from the Trump Administration and other states on access to reproductive and gender affirming healthcare, and attempts to impose restrictions across state borders. Here in New Jersey, we are standing firm in defense of reproductive freedoms — including the right to choose and the right to receive gender-affirming care,” Sherrill said after signing the bill.
Sherrill added, “No one should fear intimidation or violence for seeking healthcare, and no healthcare professional should fear punishment from another state for providing care that is legal in New Jersey. With this legislation, we are making clear that New Jersey will protect patients, providers, and the fundamental freedom to make personal healthcare decisions.”
National Right to Life President Carol Tobias said in a statement provided to The Christian Post that the law “places the power of New Jersey’s government behind the abortion industry and against the lives of unborn children.”
“Governor Sherrill and the lawmakers who supported this legislation have chosen to make New Jersey a haven for those who end the lives of unborn children — even when those children and their mothers are located in states whose laws protect them,” Tobias added. “S2260 attempts to prevent other states from enforcing their laws while shielding abortion providers who reach across state lines.”
The enactment of Senate Bill 2260 comes as pro-life advocates are working to make “peaceful civil disobedience” a major pillar of their activism.
In an interviewwith The Christian Post last year, pro-life activist Randall Terry detailed how the Rescue Resurrection movement hopes to bring back the “abortion rescue movement” of the 1980s and ’90s, where abortion clinic blockades targeted under Senate Bill 2260 were commonplace.
The enactment of Senate Bill 2260 isn’t the first time New Jersey has received national attention for its posture toward the pro-life movement. Earlier this year, the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously ruled against the state’s attempt to force a network of pro-life pregnancy centers in the state to disclose information about its donors.
Ryan Foley is a reporter for The Christian Post. He can be reached at: ryan.foley@christianpost.com
