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"Chris Christie" Governor of NJ, by Marissa Babin on flickr
Written by Martha Kempner for RH Reality Check. This diary is cross-posted; commenters wishing to engage directly with the author should do so at the original post.
In March, the New Jersey State Senate overwhelmingly passed a bill to prevent sexual assault survivors from being charged for the rape kits used to collect forensic evidence. The Assembly passed the measure in June. Months later, however, the bill remains “under review” on Governor Chris Christie’s desk prompting many advocates to ask what is taking him so long and some to start a petition demanding he take action.
Under federal law, health care providers must be reimbursed for the cost of these exams and the collection of evidence. They are supposed to look to government agencies for that coverage but bills are often sent to the assault survivor “due to administrative errors or attempts to get payment from a victim’s insurance company.”
The legislation that passed in New Jersey would prevent direct billing for any “routine medical screening, medications to prevent sexually transmitted infections, pregnancy tests and emergency contraception, as well as supplies, equipment, and use of space.”
Though it’s clear from his record (which includes “using a line-item veto to block funding in the state budget for clinics that provide family-planning services”) that woman’s rights and reproductive health are not a high priority for the Governor, it really is hard to understand why he’s dragging his feet on this bill.
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I don’t normally rant and bash Republicans (thus implying that Democrats are somehow better or much different). But once in a while….
Why would you expect any different from a Republican when no less than 30 Republicans Senators in the fall of 2009 voted to support a corporations’ right to force employees to sign away their constitutional rights to a trial–even those who had been gang raped by a corporation’s employees? See the case of Jamie Leigh Jones for more detail.
Fortunately for women 100% of the Democratic Senators stood behind Al Franken on his amendment and fortunately so did 5 male Republican Senators and all the Female Senators.
And look at Sarah Palin’s callous treatment of rape victims. When Sarah Palin was mayor of Wasilla, the city billed sexual assault victims and their insurance companies for the cost of rape kits and forensic examinations.
Christie is really the Sta -Puff dough boy’s evil twin folks. Remember the scene in Ghostbusters that was where he made his political debut, now its NJ’s turn to be crushed under foot by this fat fascist.