New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy’s 2026 budget proposal includes a $52 million initiative focused on abortion services, reproductive health, and family planning.
A significant portion of the budget, $2 million, is earmarked for an incentive program designed to attract abortion providers to New Jersey, specifically targeting those from pro-life states.
Governor Murphy explained that the goal of this program is to recruit reproductive healthcare professionals who are being “targeted by politicians elsewhere.”
In addition to this initiative, he reiterated his commitment to stockpiling abortion pills, a move he previously outlined during his January State of the State address.
Planned Parenthood Action Fund of New Jersey has praised the governor’s continued funding of reproductive health services, emphasizing that such support is crucial for empowering individuals to make informed choices about their bodies and futures.
However, New Jersey Right to Life Executive Director, Marie Tasy, condemned the funding, pointing to the high number of abortions carried out in the state and the significant loss of life.
Iowa Legislators Push for Informed Consent on Abortion Pill Reversal
In Iowa, lawmakers have introduced a bill requiring abortion clinics to inform women about the potential for abortion pill reversal.
The bill mandates that women be provided with information that chemical abortions can be reversed if acted upon shortly after taking the first pill, mifepristone.
The bill also outlines the need for written consent before administering medical abortions, except in emergencies.
Chemical abortions, which are performed using a two-pill regimen, involve the first pill, mifepristone, which blocks progesterone, leading to the termination of the pregnancy.
The second pill, misoprostol, induces contractions to expel the fetus.
However, research has shown that progesterone can reverse the effects of mifepristone if given soon after the first pill.
Supporters of the bill argue that women should be informed of the risks and the possibility of reversing the abortion, while opponents maintain that medication abortions are safe and have low rates of complications.
Alongside this, Iowa legislators have also introduced a separate bill that would make it illegal to manufacture or dispense abortion pills.
Chemical abortions account for nearly 75% of abortions in Iowa.
Delaware Bishop Leads March Against Physician-Assisted Suicide Bill
In Delaware, Bishop William Koenig of the Diocese of Wilmington is leading opposition to a new physician-assisted suicide bill introduced in the state’s legislature.
The bill would allow terminally ill adults with a prognosis of six months or less to live to request and self-administer medication to end their life, provided they are deemed to have decision-making capacity.
Bishop Koenig, who has been vocal against assisted suicide, has invited Catholics to participate in a march against the bill on March 11.
The march will begin with a Mass at the Church of the Holy Cross in Dover and proceed to the Legislative Hall in the state capital.
The bishop has urged Catholics to contact their legislators to vote against the bill, warning that assisted suicide could target vulnerable populations, including the elderly and disabled.
This bill marks the fourth time Delaware’s General Assembly has considered such legislation since 2019.
While former Governor John Carney vetoed a similar bill last September, newly elected Governor Matt Meyer has expressed support for signing a physician-assisted suicide law if it reaches his desk.
The Diocese of Wilmington has called the bill a “slippery slope” that could lead to greater harm for vulnerable individuals.
In line with Catholic teaching, which views euthanasia as a grave violation of human dignity, Bishop Koenig’s stance is backed by the broader Church’s opposition to assisted suicide.
Pope Francis and the Vatican have consistently affirmed the importance of palliative care over euthanasia or assisted suicide.