Areas of State and Federal Legislation We Are Engaged With (revised 12/1/24)
Here we paraphrase –and embrace—the stance that Brooke Lewis, Legal Advocacy Fellow at the NJ Institute for Social Justice, articulated at a hearing of the NJ Senate Law & Public Safety Committee on July 15, 2020:
“We are an advocacy organization that works to ensure that all people live in a society that respects their dignity and humanity, provides equality of economic opportunity, empowers them to use their voice in the political process, and aims to dispense fair and appropriate justice.”
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Federal
- Encourage our U.S. Senators and Representatives to resist the appointment of extremist, or unqualified individuals to federal offices or administrative positions.
- Encourage our U.S. Senators and Representatives to resist tax cuts that benefit only the very few at the top, and resist cuts to programs like Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, SNAP, and the Earned Income Tax Credit that benefit lower-income persons and families.
- Encourage our U.S. Senators and Representatives to work toward genuinely bipartisan reforms to the U.S. immigration and asylum systems and a path for citizenship for DACA recipients.
NJ State Level – While Democrats still have the majorities in both the state Senate and Assembly and hold the Governorship, there are worthwhile legislative actions to accomplish.
The State Budget and Tax Code Reform
We embrace the NJ Policy Perspective’s analysis showing that the NJ tax code needs to be adjusted to require wealthier individuals (families with incomes above $500,000) to pay a higher tax rate. This is needed for the state to meet its state pension obligations, adequately fund NJ Transit, and fully meet the school funding formula. See: https://www.njpp.org/publications/report/fair-and-square-changing-new-jerseys-tax-code-to-promote-equity-and-fiscal-responsibility/
In addition, their “For the Many” Coalition argues for changes in the real estate transfer fee, bringing b ack an estate tax, eliminating loopholes in the sales tax (i.e on skilled services), and expand the child tax credit.
We also ask the state legislature to support Governor Murphy’s proposal for a corporate tax surcharge to be earmarked for support of NJ Transit.
Socio-Economic and Social Welfare Issues
Expand the existing free school lunch program: A3123 or A5573/S3956. Expand the eligibility of the NJ earned income tax credit to include those with Individual Taxpayer Identification Numbers to qualify: S2173.
Healthcare Issues
Insurance coverage for over-the-counter contraceptives: S3434. Require health insurance and Medicaid coverage for reproductive health care services; prohibits adverse actions by medical malpractice insurers: A4601/S3452. Protect access to assisted reproductive technology (I.e. IVF): A4191/S3157.
Voting Rights and Democracy Issues
Permit same-day voter registration: A925/S1193.
Ensure that the state legislature chooses to authorize “office block ballots” for NJ primary elections.
Pass the “John L. Lewis Voting Rights Act” to ensure that all statutes, rules, and regulations—at state and local levels—protect the rights of voters, encourage registering to vote, and prevent discrimination against racial, ethnic, or linguistic minorities: A904/S2352.
Policing and Criminal Justice Reforms
Pass the Immigration Trust Act – A4987/S3672 – to protect immigrants utilizing NJ public services from having their names released to ICE and ensure that sensitive information about immigrants is not collected or shared at public schools, healthcare facilities, public libraries, shelters, etc. unless absolutely necessary.
Pass legislation to make police disciplinary records public records: bill A845. Pass legislation to eliminate qualified immunity defense against claims brought under the NJ Civil Rights Act.
Create statewide standards that will safeguard citizens’ right to criticize and record police conduct (i.e. record w/out fear of retaliation) including civilian complaint review boards with subpoena power: A3441/S2943.
Reform the state’s use-of-force policies, especially banning of chokeholds: bill A870/S1494.
Redirect law enforcement funding toward developing a non-law-enforcement first-responder system to address mental health issues (i.e. mentally-ill comprise ¼ of all fatal police-civilian interactions). Crisis intervention training isn’t enough. See Oregon’s CAHOOTS program (24/7 crisis intervention w. an emergency response team w/medic and crisis worker). See bill A854.
Invest in restorative justice practices, including restorative justice centers. Close existing juvenile prisons sooner than 2028.
Environmental Issues
Pass the Climate Superfund Act which Imposes liability on major fossil-fuel companies for their share of damages caused by climate change and collects compensatory payments to fund climate change adaptation and resilience: A4696/3545.