Meanwhile, reproductive rights has become a key issue for this election cycle.

And one Democratic lawmaker wants the state to create a warning system of sorts to let pregnant people know about abortion restrictions outside of New Jersey before traveling to other parts of the country.

Senator John Burzichelli this week introduced legislation that would task the New Jersey Department of State with creating a reproductive health travel advisory.

So color coding other states red, yellow or blue, depending on the severity of their abortion law restrictions.

But why do this here in a state that's already codified the right to reproductive care into law?

Senator John Burzichelli joins me in studio now to explain.

Senator, great to see you in person.

Thanks for making the trip from South Jersey.

So what kind of information would be included here?

Why do you feel this is needed?

Well, first of all, it's hard to imagine we're even talking about this in 2024 in America.

I mean, I'm logged in for travel advisories for overseas.

Not that I travel that often, but having to pass.

I stay locked into the federal government's warnings for American citizens and where they travel.

And to think that we have to think about even doing this just speaks volumes to where we are at the moment.

But if you're if you're an individual, a woman traveling across this country for business or if you're thinking about going to school in Mississippi, you know, it will help you to know what kind of medical services are available to you should you need emergency care of some kind, particularly when it's all about reproductive medical care.

Right now, there's no single place to go to say, okay, look, I have to travel.

I'm going to be in Texas and then I have to move over.

I've got to go over to Tennessee.

You don't have that information at your fingertips.

You can find it.

It's a hodgepodge.

A number of us feel very strongly that our Department of State, working with Department of Health, should establish an advisory system so New Jersey residents will know what they what to expect when they travel to other states.

So this mirrors very closely, as you mentioned, what the US State Department uses.

That's typically for countries that are experiencing war, you know, civil unrest, violence, terrorism, things like that.

Why does this type of system fit for something like reproductive health care when it's used for something so extreme, is traveling to, say, a war torn country?

The only it only comes into play of being similar in the fact that it is conveying information in a real time way that allows, in this case, a New Jersey resident or for that matter, anyone who wants to look at the New Jersey website to know what to expect when they go to a state that offers less than it could offer, less than where they live in New Jersey.

We have a full bank of rights, as should be when the Supreme Court made their decision and cut loose various states to establish different standards and rights.

You, as you as a female, you as an American female, do not have equal rights across all 50 states.

And it's important for you to know what rights you don't have when you go somewhere because something unexpected could happen.

This isn't just simply about abortion.

It's about reproductive health care associated with reproductive health care.

So that leads to my question of who do you see this helping?

Of course, you mentioned someone who's perhaps considering going to school in Mississippi or someone who is pregnant and traveling.

Are there constituents who came to you concerned about, hey, I'm taking this family trip and I don't know if something happens to me, if I'm going to be able to get the access that I need.

That's how it went down.

I have I have the good fortune to be surrounded by people that think out of the box.

And so this idea, this this this need was identified by staff in research that we should take this step.

And I thought immediately, I have nieces that are of a certain age that travel whether for business or considering a vacation to Florida, for example.

I mean, it's all those little pieces.

So now once this is in place, a New Jersey resident can go to one site.

And if they have a concern, if they have health issues, that they're maybe a little bit unsteady and may need to have a circumstance that has to be looked at in an emergency way.

They'll know heading into, say, the state of Georgia, what they can expect, if they can expect anything.

Some states have gone very draconian on taking rights away from people.

And our our citizens have a right to know what to expect when they travel.

State Senator John Burzichelli thanks so much for coming in.

Appreciate the talk.

My pleasure.

Thank you.