Women and girls are now at greater risk of harm
Photo credit above: New Jersey Assembly Democrats Facebook page
Yesterday marked the end of legislative voting sessions until after the summer recess for the State Senate—and likely until after the general election for Assembly members, all of whom are on the ballot this year. Keep that context in mind as you read on.
Several deeply troubling votes took place, sparking widespread public outrage. Chief among them was the approval of a $58.9 billion state budget—a staggering 45% increase from just five years ago.
But even more troubling were the votes that struck at the heart of our key policy priorities. One such moment came when Assembly Republicans introduced a motion to move the “Fairness in Women’s Sports” Act out of committee and bring it to the floor for a vote. This bill would protect girls’ sports by preventing male athletes from competing against female athletes.
Despite a growing national trend—where the majority of states have passed “Save Girls Sports” laws to protect the privacy, dignity, and safety of female athletes—legislative Democrats in the Assembly tabled the motion, effectively blocking a vote on the bill. Their refusal to allow a vote to move forward not only silences the voices of concerned families, but continues to place young girls at risk: risk of injury, risk of unfair defeat, and risk of losing hard-earned opportunities for scholarships and recognition in their sport.
One of the Bill sponsors, Assemblyman Greg McGuckin (R) delivered a passionate floor speech urging his Democratic colleagues to stand up for women’s rights. Despite his compelling appeal, the majority rejected his call—effectively relegating female athletes to second-class citizens in their own sports.
Assemblyman Greg McGuckin (R)
To add insult to genuine potential injury, Assembly Democrats instead passed Assembly bill 4915/Senate bill 3663 establishing a state-funded travel advisory website. Its purpose? To caution pregnant “people” (using language that reflects their worldview in which both men and women are considered capable of pregnancy) against visiting U.S. states that have enacted protections for unborn children. Rather than defending the safety and dignity of female athletes, their priority was to warn against pro-life laws—sending a clear message about where their values lie.
Bills like A4915/S3663 put women’s lives at risk by creating confusion and misrepresenting the options available to pregnant women facing medical emergencies. The criteria used to define each advisory level in this bill are rooted in misleading political narratives. Ironically, the “travel advisory” targets only U.S. states with pro-life laws—completely ignoring the fact that many European countries have similar or even more restrictive abortion regulations. This selective outrage reveals a glaring inconsistency and shows their true intentions.
Our Director of Advocacy Shawn Hyland strongly opposed this dishonest and unwarranted legislation when it was heard in the Assembly Community Development and Women’s Affairs Committee, and the Senate Health Committee.
Assemblywoman Dawn Fantasia (R) delivered a strong and principled statement on the Assembly floor opposing the travel advisory bill. Watch below!
“This bill is not about protecting pregnant women—it’s about promoting fear and misinformation to advance a political agenda. If we’re going to warn women about laws, let’s start with the truth.”
