...and here we go again!
Caption Above: State Assembly Swearing-In Ceremony, War Memorial, Trenton, NJ, Jan,13, 2026
This past Tuesday, January 13, I attended the swearing‑in ceremony for the State Assembly as the 222nd Legislative Session officially began. The chamber carried all the expected pomp and ceremony fitting for such an occasion. Twelve new freshman members took the oath for the first time, marking a significant moment in their public service. The Assembly Majority Leader, Louis Greenwald (D) urged these new legislators to identify their priorities and pursue them with focus and determination.
For the past two years, these so‑called “priorities” have been nothing short of warped and offensive. Nowhere has this been more evident than in the legislative attacks on parents and pregnancy resource centers.
Just recently, I spoke with a state senate chairman who has sponsored some of the most anti‑parent bills imaginable. I told him, “There are exceptions to the rule, but most parents are good and love their children. They want what’s best for them.” His reaction was telling. He groaned and rolled his eyes.
That moment said everything. This is how some of our elected officials view you — the parent, the taxpayer, the voter.
But despite the hostile climate of the past two years, and the likelihood of an even more intense environment in this new session, we should pause and be genuinely grateful for the victories we secured. We stopped their attempts to discredit pregnancy resource centers and to undermine the sacred bond between parents and their children.
Together, we stood firm. Together, we prevented several deeply troubling pieces of legislation from advancing.
Big Win # 1 – Governor Murphy’s nominee to the State Board of Education, radical activist Serena Rice. Although she cleared the committee stage, the full Senate never voted on her nomination. We rallied voices across the state and brought her public statements and social media posts into the light. Once the truth was exposed, her nomination collapsed.
Big Win # 2 – The bill that sought to lower the age of consent for mental health services — including for “so-called” gender affirming care — from 16 to 14 years old without a parent’s knowledge. It passed the State Senate, but the Assembly refused to even hold a committee hearing because of the overwhelming public outrage.
Big Win# 3 – The bill designed to cripple pregnancy resource centers by labeling their life‑affirming work as a violation of consumer law simply because they do not perform or refer for abortions. It passed the Assembly Committee, but the full Assembly never brought it to a vote, and the State Senate never took it up at all.
Friends, a new two-year legislative session is underway. If you want to stop more bad bills and have your voice be heard when these bills are being debated – we need your help! Please donate today so we can remain active on the frontline standing in the gap, confronting dangerous bills head‑on, and mobilizing partners statewide.
