Press Release: Assemblywoman Stender Vows To Continue Fight For Women's Healthcare

(TRENTON) – With the absence of funding for women’s health services for the second consecutive year, Assemblywoman Linda Stender (D-Middlesex/Somerset/Union) today pointed to Governor Christie’s proposed FY 2012 budget as a continued assault on the working-class women of New Jersey.

“Once again the Governor has turned his back on the women of this state.  By eliminating funning for family planning and women’s health care two years in a row, he has proven his ideological point that he doesn’t trust women to make their own health decisions.

“In fact, the Governor’s policy decisions continue to show a blatant disregard for women.  With 10 appointments recently up on the Highlands Commission, he chose to replace five men and five women with 10 men.  Surely, there are at least a handful of qualified women in this state that are well-suited to serve in this capacity. 

“Again, this is just a continuation of his misplaced priorities.  In the coming months we will continue to fight for the working-class people of this state by scouring the Governor’s budget proposal to help address these priorities,” said Stender.

Stender, one of the Assembly’s leading advocates for women’s health, was also one of the prime sponsors of legislation that would have restored the Governor’s $7.5 million cut last year to help provide thousands of low-income women with access to family planning services, preventative care and cancer screenings. 

Although the bill initially passed both houses with overwhelming support, the Governor vetoed the measure and Republicans in the legislature later flipped and sided with the Governor, failing to produce enough votes to help Democrats override his veto.