commissioner president wayne l. richardson issues statement on reports of the supreme court overturning roe v. wade

The Essex County Board of County Commissioners – Pictured are (from left to right, front row) District 2 Commissioner President Wayne L. Richardson, Commissioner At-Large Romaine Graham, District 3 Commissioner Tyshammie L. Cooper, Commissioner At-Large Patricia Sebold, and Commissioner At-Large Brendan W. Gill. (From left to right, back row) District 5 Commissioner Vice President Carlos M. Pomares, District 4 Commissioner Leonard M. Luciano, Commissioner At-Large Rufus I. Johnson, and District 1 Commissioner Robert Mercado. PHOTO BY GLEN FRIESON”

On behalf of the Essex County Board of Commissioners, I am compelled to express our collective dismay regarding the reports of the Supreme Court’s impending decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. We believe the removal of Federal protections with respect to reproductive rights is a mistake. Any health decisions women choose to make – with respect to reproductive rights – should not be usurped by policies that infringe upon the privacy of women and their doctors.

If the reports are true, and the Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade, we pledge to our constituents that our Board as constituted will continue to support a woman’s right to choose. We are fully behind Governor Murphy – and the majority of our representatives in the New Jersey State Legislature – and applaud their efforts in passing and signing into law the Freedom of Reproductive Choice Act, which ensures New Jersey will remain a state where the reproductive rights of women are protected.