Yet another petition Murphy has to deal with

New Jersey is one of several states around the country that make it particularly difficult to conduct some medical exams online, limiting some telehealth visits, like birth control consults.

A petition would urge Gov. Phil Murphy and some other governors to ease restrictions on telemedicine, in particular when it comes to reproductive health. According to a survey by the Guttmacher Institute, 29% of white women, 38% of black women and 45% of Latinas have had difficulty accessing birth control during the pandemic. Some consider trips to doctors' offices and the pharmacy more of a risk than they are willing to take and want to access care through telehealth visits.

Back in June the Governor of Idaho signed an executive order lifting restrictions on birth control visits online. Carrie SiuButt, CEO of SimpleHealth would like Murphy to do the same here in New Jersey.

There have been numerous petitions aimed at changing Murphy's mind or behavior on several fronts, but to no avail so far. But since this has to do with women's health and it seems more women of color are affected, he might be convinced to take some action. After all, pandering to people who don't look like him seems to be his one dominant skill, so this may be a winner.

You can read all about how this has affected women's reproductive health choices from the Guttmacher Institute here. You can sign the petition and we'll watch to see if Governor Murphy takes any action on this. My bet is that if enough people sign this one, he will.