Your advocacy exposed the truth and it forced lawmakers to pause – for now!
This week has been intense, fast‑moving, and at times deeply concerning. Many of you have been following the developments in Trenton, and I want to give you a clear, honest update on what unfolded.
On Monday, we testified on Assembly Bill 2218, which still included language that would have treated our public testimony about the harms of gender‑transitioning procedures as a criminal act punishable by prison.
By Tuesday, legislators removed the criminal penalties for most speech, but amended the bill in a way that opened the door to severe financial penalties that could have bankrupted you and organizations like ours for simply speaking publicly.
And by Wednesday, the bill was abruptly pulled from today’s voting session agenda due to serious constitutional concerns!
Today, all of us should feel vindicated. The free‑speech violations were real, and the threat of imprisonment or financial ruin was not exaggerated.
These rapid reversals happened because people like you refused to stay silent. Your engagement, your calls, your presence, and your prayers made a real difference. Thank you!
We have been fighting this bill at every step. We testified in the Senate Health Committee, signed up to testify in the Senate Judiciary Committee, only to have the Chairman refuse to hear any testimony before releasing the bill. We testified in the Assembly Health Committee, and then again in the Assembly Appropriations Committee.
Remember, this is not the end because this has been a long battle over the past few weeks. The Senate version of this bill, S2260, already passed that chamber with language that would send you to jail for your speech.
Thankfully, as reported in the media Wednesday afternoon, Governor Sherrill, and Senate and Assembly leadership came to a consensus yesterday that it is best to amend the bill. Hopefully, our free speech concerns will be fully addressed and resolved, but our opposition will remain.
Please keep checking future email updates and share this information with others. What a staggering moment in our history that, as America prepares to celebrate her 250th anniversary, we found ourselves just one voting session away from losing the freedom of speech our founding fathers fought and died to secure.
