N.J. Democrats to revive effort to restore $7.5 million Christie cut for women's health

nj.com ^ | 06.22.15 | Susan K. Livio

[Coleus]

Democratic leaders will introduce a budget that once again includes $7.5 million Gov. Chris Christie eliminated five years ago for women's health services and led to the closure of six family planning centers, state Senate Majority Leader Loretta Weinberg said.

Christie said in 2010 he eliminated the funds as part of a wide array of cuts to close a budget gap. But in speeches to conservative groups in February and again last week, the Republican governor, who is mulling a bid for president, boasted he had "vetoed Planned Parenthood funding five times out of the New Jersey budget."

Now that his true motives are revealed, Weinberg said she intends to give Republican legislators a chance to vote yes after refusing to override his veto when he said it was for fiscal reasons.  "Whatever happens in his future, he is a lame-duck governor. Maybe (his comments) will help give them some new backbone," she said Sunday. "I am going to continue to keep this on the forefront."

Weinberg, (D-Bergen) and state Assemblywomen Pamela R. Lampitt (D-Camden) and Gabriela Mosquera (D-Burlington) plan to gather with Planned Parenthood leaders Monday morning outside the Statehouse to call for restoring the funds. They will also discuss Planned Parenthood Action Fund of New Jersey's report, Women's Health at Risk, which found that in 2013 more than 1.1 million New Jersey women were in need of contraceptive supplies and services.

[Coleus]

More women are getting Health Care in NJ now than in 2009, thank you Gov. Christie for cutting Planned Parenthood Funding.