Democrat Governor Mikie Sherrill of New Jersey signed sweeping legislation that Christians are saying could punish them merely for praying for the unborn outside of abortion facilities. Sherill signed into law S2260 on Thursday, August 20th of 2026, a bill which prevents nearly all measure of protest at facilities providing “reproductive” care.
For context, New Jersey is already one of the most liberal states when it comes to abortion policy. Despite how Democrats and the media portrayed the overruling of the longstanding Roe V. Wade legal doctrine, abortion access in Democrat-controlled states has only expanded since the issues was returned to the states. Now, abortion is fully legal at any point in the pregnancy and for any reason, including a carve out that minors under the age of 18 do not even need parental consent.
Taking the state’s far-left position even further, Sherill’s signing codifies both criminal and civil penalties against acts of protest outside facilities that perform such procedures. Buried in pages of legalese and burdensome text, Democrats made clear attempts to prayer or dissuade will be met with a heavy hand of law enforcement.
“A person is guilty of the crime if the person purposely or knowingly, with the purpose to unlawfully restrict another’s access to or receipt or provision of reproductive or gender-affirming health care services or to intimidate the person from becoming or remaining a reproductive or gender-affirming health care services patient, provider, volunteer or assistant,” the law states in one part.
In a subsection of that same text, it broadens the concept of what it means to intimate. “obstructs any person seeking to enter into or exit from a reproductive or gender-affirming health care services facility; intimidates, threatens, or coerces, or attempts to intimidate, threaten, or coerce, any person or entity because that person or entity is a reproductive or gender-affirming health care services patient, provider, volunteer, or assistant,” it continues.
The penalties for those found guilty of violating this new law can include both heavy fines and lengthy prison sentences. “Interference with reproductive or gender-affirming health care services is a crime of the fourth degree, but is a crime of the second degree if the victim suffers significant or serious bodily injury. Further, interference with reproductive or gender-affirming health care services is a disorderly persons offense if the act would cause a reasonable person to suffer: (1) damage to the victim’s business or personal reputation; (2) financial harm; or (3) pain and suffering, mental anguish, or emotional harm,” the law declares.
“A crime of the fourth degree is punishable by up to 18 months imprisonment, a fine of up to $10,000, or both. A crime of the second degree is punishable by five to ten years imprisonment, a fine of up to $150,000, or both. A disorderly persons offense is a punishable by up to six months imprisonment, a fine of up to $1,000, or both,” it adds.
Reacting to the new law was Lila Rose, an outspoken Christian voice against abortion. In her view, the law amounted to a silencing of Christian voices who seek to prayer om behalf of the mothers and their unborn children as well as any attempt to offer an alternative to their decision. “BREAKING: New Jersey Governor Miki Sherrill signs a bill effectively preventing Christians from praying outside abortion facilities,” she wrote on X. “This is a violation of the First Amendment rights of pro-life Americans. No person should be punished for praying for the unborn.”
Watch Governor Sherrill sign the bill into law below:
Featured image: Screen shot from embedded video