hello and thanks for joining us tonight I'm Joanna Gagis in for Brianna vanosi it's been nearly a year since the historic Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v Wade guaranteeing a woman's right to an abortion in the U.S since then New Jersey has stepped up its efforts to make abortion accessible not only to New Jersey residents but to people in other states where abortions been restricted or banned U.S senators Bob Menendez and Cory Booker have also reintroduced a bicameral bill called the right to contraception act the legislation would codify and strengthen the right to contraception into federal law it's a right the U.S Supreme Court recognized more than 50 years ago but recent action in republican-led states is scaling back that access Senator Booker today joined with congresswoman Mikey Cheryl and members of Planned Parenthood to talk about New Jersey's role in improving access to reproductive Health Care in New Jersey senior correspondent Brenda Flanagan attended the event and has more what we're doing right now is we're essentially reversing the hands of time and not at the benefit of women not at saving more lives Dr Glenn Marie Matthews still struggles with the aftermath of the Supreme Court's decision to overturn abortion rights catapulting the nation into social chaos while anti-abortion activists celebrated about 14 states banned or severely restrictive procedures to terminate pregnancies over the past year reducing abortions by almost 5 400 a month on average once study showed Georgia's cut off his six weeks we're seeing lots of states that are put you know putting in bans constantly left right and Center gestational ages that makes no sense like at six weeks like do you know that you've missed your periods at six weeks we're also seeing a real increase in patients from around the country that are coming here to New Jersey because they can't receive care in their home state planned parenthood's Jackie Cornell says New Jersey is among the states that rush to enact stronger abortion protections after the court overturned Roe but Jersey is also so a sanctuary state that offers legal Shields against prosecution Cornell says one terrified abortion patient brought her boss from Texas and it was because the boss scheduled meetings the day before and the day after here in New Jersey to create an alibi about why this person was here in state with them the anti the coming at this from every angle imaginable and we really don't know what's around the corner but we will continue to operate to provide the services that we are committed to providing to whoever comes to Outdoors Roswell and Rogers Collins says her Planned Parenthood clinics have expanded hours and hired staff to cope with a rising number of patients from 19 000 last year to an expected 23 000 this year they come from at least 10 states and New York City they're taking the bridges and the tunnels leaving their home because they're such an influ influx of patients coming in from other states Colin and spoke at a Planned Parenthood action fund rally in Bloomfield where supporters warned that this attack on women's rights is just the beginning we have a fight ahead of us it will not be easy but I am passionate about this issue legal and legislative challenges continue most notably over miffapristone a drug that's commonly used in medication abortions mifa per Stones now ironically a so-called poison pill in the farm bill which would outlaw sending abortion medication in the mail Senator Cory Booker says that's DOA in the Senate you need 60 votes to do things and there's just no way it would Garner 60 votes that kind of effort to again restrict access to health care to women to endanger them meanwhile the Supreme Court let miffapristone continue to be sold by mail for abortions at up to 10 weeks of pregnancy as an appeals court hears a case to roll that back Bookers joined with Senator Bob Menendez to reintroduce a bill protecting access to contraceptives July 24th will Mark the one-year anniversary of Rose demise I'm Brenda Flanagan NJ Spotlight News