South Jersey officials split over potential high court ruling on abortion

South Jersey's elected officials have sharply divided along party lines over a possible Supreme Court ruling that would limit access to abortion.

The region's two Democratic congressmen assailed the possible demise of a ruling that has allowed abortions in the United States since 1973.

The draft Supreme Court ruling "is a direct assault on women's reproductive freedom," said Rep. Donald Norcross, a Camden Democrat.

"If this draft opinion stands, it will cause immeasurable harm to countless women, particularly poor and working-class women, by restricting their fundamental right to make their own health care decisions," said the 1st District congressman.

"Many are feeling deep anxiety and fear," U.S. Rep. Andy Kim, Democrat of Moorestown, tweeted after the leak of a draft opinion on Monday night.

"This is a draft doc, but it’s still a stark reminder that we cannot take anything for granted," said Kim, who represents the 3rd Congressional District.

"It’s on all of us to fight for fairness and equality," he added.

Republicans praised the draft opinion, and directed their criticism at the leak of the majority opinion, a disclosure without precedent in recent decades.

The person who leaked the draft opinion "must be held accountable to the extent the law allows," said Rep. Jeff Van Drew, a Republican from Ventnor.

The 2nd District congressman did not directly address the abortion issue, but described the draft opinion as having "independent and detailed reasoning."

He called the leak "a clear effort to inflict public backlash … to intimidate the justices to reverse their position."

South Jersey legislators split along similar lines.

State Sen. Ed Durr, R-Logan, said the draft opinion would correct a "50-year mistake" and "reaffirm states' rights when it comes to abortion."

"It'll be a major victory for the pro-life community and for all those who kept faith that change would one day come," said Durr.

In contrast, Rep. Louis Greenwald, a Voorhees Democrat and the Assembly's Majority Leader, said he was "deeply saddened" by the draft opinion.

He said the opinion, were it to become final, "will be one of the worst decisions the U.S. Supreme Court has made in our history on individual rights."

Camden County Commissioner Melinda Kane said overturning Roe v Wade "would not end abortion, it would only end safe abortions and access to healthcare for millions of women and in turn, create a full-fledged public health crisis in this country."

Any decision over abortion "should be made solely between the person who is pregnant and their healthcare provider," added the Cherry Hill Democrat, who said the county board "stands firmly on the side of women."

Jim Walsh covers public safety, economic development and other beats for the Courier-Post, Burlington County Times and The Daily Journal.

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This article originally appeared on Cherry Hill Courier-Post: Democrats see threat to rights; GOP senator praises abortion opinion