Murphy to the GOP: ‘Go Ahead, Make My Day’

GLEN ROCK – Republicans are emboldened this year, convinced they have the issues on their side.

Go to any GOP campaign event and in rather rapid-fire order, you hear them all – parents’ rights, dead whales on the beach, affordability.

One man not convinced is Phil Murphy.

The governor, the first lady, the lieutenant governor and many other elected officials crowded into borough hall Tuesday morning to talk about an issue Republicans just about never bring up.

You guessed it, abortion.

This has been a winning issue for Dems all over the country since the Dobbs decision last June, so a gala event highlighting the party’s support for women’s reproductive rights is understandable.

The official reason for the gathering was for Murphy to sign a bill establishing a new website – nj.gov/reproductivehealth – offering information on reproductive rights and access throughout the state.

That, of course, was a splendid opportunity for the governor to highlight differences on this issue between Democrats and Republicans.

Referring to recent comments made by Republican leaders in the Legislature, Murphy said that if the GOP had its way, it would cut funding for family planning – just like was done during the eight years of the Christie Administration.

He said the Republicans’ approach amounts to “government regulated pregnancy,” which he called “shameful.”

As stated, this is a great campaign issue and Democrats hope it will generate turnout in what figures to be a low turnout election. As the governor admitted himself afterwards,  generating voter enthusiasm in an election like the one upcoming on Nov. 7 is always a challenge.

As for the substance of Murphy’s argument, it is true that most Republicans are, broadly speaking, anti-abortion. However, those rights have been codified into state law. Changing them is not possible as long as Murphy is governor, which will be the case until January, 2026.

However, if Republicans gain control of just one House of the Legislature, they can block the family planning funding Murphy was speaking about.

The location of Tuesday’s event did not seem coincidental.

For one thing, the borough council in Glen Rock is made up of all women – the only such governing body in the state.

Additionally, the borough is in LD-38, which is a district Republicans are hoping to pull an upset. So, what better place to rev up Democratic enthusiasm than Glen Rock?

Murphy himself was quite upbeat, proclaiming that. “The Republican anti-choice agenda is dead on arrival in New Jersey.”

As for some of the other GOP campaign points, Murphy didn’t think much of the parents’ rights argument.

“With all due respect, parents have always mattered, they do matter, they always will matter,” he said.

The governor also strongly supported wind energy, which he said is essential in congested New Jersey.

He added that the wind industry would create thousands of good union jobs. As for the GOP critics:

“If they want to be on the other side of that, good luck.”

(Visited 1,530 times, 1,530 visits today)