"This bill has been my life for nearly 26 years," said Pam Hasegawa, spokeswoman for the New Jersey Coalition for Adoption Reform and Education. "I eat it, I sleep it, my family and friends are tired of hearing about it. I think everyone agrees it's been a very, very long road, and this is the closest we've ever come. It's very satisfying to see the secrecy of adoption finally erode."

New Jersey adoption reform advocates have been fighting long and hard to open records in their state. Pam Hasegawa has worked tirelessly towards this goal. Is victory in this long battle finally in sight for Pam and her cohorts?

For birth/first mothers, it is extremely discouraging to read newspapers articles quoting men who keep on repeating that records need to remain closed to protect birth mothers' privacy. I do not know any birth mothers who want or need protection from their own children.

I found this article "Let Adopted Children Find Their Sense of Self" a few weeks ago, and it articulately expresses how many birth moms that I know feel about this subject.

Some dieheart adoption reformers hope that the New Jersey effort fails. They believe passionately that no compromise bills are acceptable. Full access with no restrictions is their goal. I understand their purist views.

However, I also understand that changing laws is no easy feat, and that sometimes compromises are necessary. Last year I had a chance to meet Pam Hasegawa and spent a hour or so with her. She is an extremely warm and energetic lady, and I liked her a great deal.

If this bill passes, it will be a well deserved victory for Pam and other tireless reformers in New Jersey. Open records efforts are in progress in many states. Some states have tried many times and failed. I wish the open records advocates in New Jersey the best, and hope that the end of their long, hard fought battle is near!