TRENTON – A bill sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Loretta Weinberg, Senate Health Committee Chairman Joseph F. Vitale, and Senator Linda Greenstein which would restore nearly $7.5 million in funds for family planning services and women’s health programs was approved by the Senate today by a vote of 27-10.
“Two years ago, when the Governor defunded women’s health care programs, he made it harder for women in New Jersey to access basic health services such as cancer screening, AIDS and STD testing, and birth control,” said Senator Weinberg, D-Bergen. “At the time that the Governor defunded these programs, he claimed fiscal concerns, but every attempt we’ve made to restore funds using responsible budgetary alternatives has been dismissed. Hopefully, the Governor will recognize that this issue isn’t going away quietly, and he’ll work with us to restore funding for these vital programs.”