TRENTON, N.J. (AP) 鈥� New Jersey is going to build up a supply of medication used in abortions, Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy announced Tuesday during his state of the state address as he both pledged to work with President-elect Donald Trump and warned that the state is ready to push back against the incoming administration.
Murphy is one of a who criticized Trump on the campaign trail yet now say they are open to cooperation. But Murphy said he will not back down in the face of 鈥渁nti-choice鈥� policies supported by the Republican majorities in Congress. He said the state will stockpile mifepristone 鈥渟o every woman can access this crucial form of reproductive care.鈥�
鈥淚 will never back away from partnering with the Trump Administration where our priorities align,鈥� Murphy said during his address before a joint meeting of the Democrat-led Legislature. 鈥淏ut just as importantly, I will never back down from defending our New Jersey values 鈥� if and when they are tested.鈥�
New Jersey joins other , including Massachusetts and California, in stockpiling mifepristone, one of two drugs used in combination to end pregnancies.
During an interview with NBC News last month, Trump said he doesn鈥檛 plan to restrict medication abortion, but he also seemed to leave the door open, saying 鈥渢hings change.鈥� Abortion rights groups are particularly concerned that Trump鈥檚 , Pam Bondi, may revive the , an anti-vice law passed by Congress in 1873 that, among other things, bans the mailing of medication or instruments used in abortion.
Tuesday鈥檚 speech was Murphy鈥檚 second-to-last, and he emphasized his reluctance to become a lame-duck governor in the final stretch of his second term. Among the other proposals he unveiled, Murphy said he would direct schools to ban cellphones in grades K-12.
鈥淥ur children are inundated with screens,鈥� he said. 鈥淎nd they are making it incredibly difficult for our kids, not only to learn, but to retain the substance of what they learn.鈥�
Republicans, who are in the minority, panned the speech, saying the governor is on the verge of overspending the state's means
鈥淭hese progressive policies you heard about today are choking our families,鈥� said Republican Senate leader Anthony Bucco. 鈥淚f we don't get this affordability crisis under control, we're gonna be in real trouble.鈥�
Murphy is entering the final 12 months of his second term, coinciding with the dawn of a second Trump administration, just as the beginning of his governorship overlapped with Trump鈥檚 first term.
Murphy has defined himself as progressive and ran for reelection that way. than many expected, and his party鈥檚 losses in the Legislature saw the Democrats refocus on affordability issues like property tax relief.
鈥淒uring this final chapter of our journey, our absolute top priority 鈥� as it has been since Day One 鈥� is delivering economic security and opportunity to every New Jerseyan,鈥� Murphy said.
Now Murphy鈥檚 legacy 鈥� which includes a lengthy list of legislation thanks to the Democrat-led Legislature like tightening gun laws, legalizing recreational marijuana, taxing the wealthy and boosting education funding 鈥� is set against the backdrop of a pitched Democratic primary.
Term-limited from seeking another four years in office, Murphy will be turning the reins of the party over to the eventual winner of a six-person field running for governor in this year鈥檚 contest. New Jersey and Virginia are the only two states regularly scheduled with gubernatorial races this year.
Murphy鈥檚 vision for the state also coincides with a Democratic Party angling for a way forward and a vote-getting national message after last year鈥檚 loss to Trump and the GOP victories, narrow as they are, in Congress.
The speech, analogous to the presidential state of the union address but at the state level, amounts to a blueprint for how the governor wants the year to unfold.
Legislation to bar debt collectors from divulging patients鈥� medical debts to consumer credit reporting agencies, for instance, was enacted. He also succeeded in getting legislation overhauling how affordable housing requirements are managed in the state.
But the speech can also underscore how limited the governor鈥檚 power can be. Last year, he called for legislation to permit 16-year-olds to vote in school board elections. The measure hasn鈥檛 advanced in the Legislature, though he reiterated his call for the bill on Tuesday. He also called for an 鈥渁rtificial intelligence moonshot.鈥� So far, a task force the governor established has calling for the state to embrace generative AI.
The in June to mifepristone, which is used in of abortions. The case before the court threatened to cut back access to the drug, including in states where abortion is legal. Abortion is banned at all stages of pregnancy in 14 states, and after about six weeks of pregnancy in three others, often before women realize they are pregnant.
Mike Catalini, The Associated Press
