Unitarian Universalist FaithAction NJ
A Unitarian Universalist voice for justice, equity and compassion in NJ
We hope you will scan through the article titles and short descriptions, following the links to go deeper on a subject that catches your eye.
We hope you will scan through the article titles and short descriptions, following the links to go deeper on a subject that catches your eye.
Governor Phil Murphy signed a package of common-sense gun safety bills that make New Jersey among the states with the strongest and most stringent gun laws in the country. Annually, more than 2,000 shootings occur in New Jersey, resulting in approximately 500 deaths each year.
UU FaithAction NJ was one of the loudest and most persistent proponents for the passage of these bills. Executive Director Rev. Rob Gregson, UUFANJ Board president, Nick Lewis, GVP Task Force chair Jeannine Coyne, as well as Rev. Karen Johnston and Kathy Allen Roth, testified before the legislature.
The package of bills signed by Governor Murphy are listed below. You can log-into the provided link for a more in-depth detail of each bill.
The Bills: http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/bills/BillView.asp
A.1181/S.160 Mental Health Professional Warning- Firearm seizure
A.1217/S.2259 ERPO of 2018 (amended)
A.2759/S.2245 Prohibit use of armor piercing ammunition
A.2757/S.2374 Private gun sales – require background check
A.2758/S.2376 Justification for need to carry – conceal carry of handguns
A.2761/S.102 Reduce Ammunition magazines from 15 to 10 bullets (amended)
A.3129/S.2465 Restrict production of untraceable firearms
Thanks to everyone who attended the 7th annual UU FaithAction NJ Plenary on April 21st! For those who missed out–not to worry, we have pictures and all the pertinent information passed out to attendees.
STATEMENT ON RESTORATION OF VOTING RIGHTS (from NJ bill)
SENATE 2100/ASSEMBLY 3456
This bill removes the prohibition on voting by persons who are on parole, probation, or serving a sentence due to a conviction for an indictable offense under any federal or State laws.
Under Article II, Section I, paragraph 7, the New Jersey Constitution authorizes the Legislature to deny the right to vote to persons convicted of crimes designated by the Legislature. Under N.J.S.A.2C:51-3, a person who is convicted of a crime is disqualified from “voting in any primary, municipal, special or general election as determined by the provisions of R.S.19:4-1.” In relevant part, R.S.19:4-1 denies the right to vote to any person “who is serving a sentence or is on parole or probation as a result of a conviction of any indictable offense under the laws of this or another state or of the United States.” In New Jersey, indictable offenses are crimes of the fourth through first degree.
The bill provides that persons who are serving a sentence of incarceration for an indictable offense under the laws of this state or another state or the United States would be entitled to vote by mail-in ballot, pursuant to the provisions of “The Vote By Mail Law,” in the district in which they resided immediately prior to incarceration.
The bill, accordingly, also repeals statutory provisions that permit a person to challenge a voter’s right to vote in an election on grounds that the voter is disenfranchised due to a criminal conviction (N.J.S.A.19:15-19); require the commissioner of registration in each county to compare voter registration records with criminal conviction records to prevent disenfranchised persons from voting and registering to vote (N.J.S.A.19:31-17); and criminalize the act of voting while disenfranchised (N.J.S.A.19:34-4).
STATEMENT ON SPECIAL PROSECUTOR BILL (from NJ Bill)
SENATE 1036/ASSEMBLY 3115
This bill provides that when a person’s death occurred during an encounter with a police officer or other law enforcement officer acting in the officer’s official capacity or while the decedent was in custody, the Attorney General is to supersede the local county prosecutor, utilizing existing supersession authority, and conduct, personally or by a designated deputy or assistant attorney general, any investigation, criminal action or proceeding concerning the incident.
The bill provides for the Attorney General or designee to present evidence concerning the incident to a county grand jury or a State grand jury, either one regularly impaneled or one requested to be impaneled by the Attorney General or the Director of the Division of Criminal Justice pursuant to N.J.S.2B:22-1 for this specific purpose, to determine if the evidence supports the return of an indictment against any involved officer. Any further investigation, criminal action or proceeding, following an indictment, is to be conducted under the law as any other investigation, criminal action or proceeding resulting from a grand jury indictment; provided that the venue for any such criminal action or proceeding will occur in a court located in a county other than the county in which the incident, resulting in the officer’s indictment, occurred.
The bill also notes that, consistent with existing public records law, the identity of each investigating and arresting officer involved when the person’s death occurred during the encounter with a police officer or other law enforcement officer acting in the officer’s official capacity or while the decedent was in custody would remain subject to public disclosure. See P.L.1963, c.73 (C.47:1A-1 et seq.).
The bill takes effect immediately upon enactment and applies to deaths occurring on or after the effective date of the bill.
Our UU FaithAction NJ T-Shirts are available for sale online!
March for Our Lives New Jersey takes place in Newark on Saturday, March 24, at 10 a.m., in conjunction with the national March for Our Lives event in Washington and with sister events across the state and country.
Registration for April Plenary is now open! We hope you will join us for the annual UU FaithAction NJ business meeting and social justice advocacy sessions across our 6 Issues Areas: Environment, Economics, Immigration, Gun Violence Prevention, Criminal Justice Reform and Reproductive Justice.
On Wednesday, February 21, 2018, GVP activists and allies joined students, teachers and the NJ 3rd Congressional District Action Group for the United We Stand for Gun Safety Rally in Marlton, NJ. Below is the text of a speech I delivered that afternoon.
To all present today, thank you for coming. Never underestimate the power of standing up for a cause you believe in. To the students of Stoneman Douglas, I say “you are not alone”. We will stand with you today, next week and for as long as it takes to end the scourge of gun violence in America. Last week you sat huddled in a darkened classroom while the sound of gunshots signaled the injury or death of fellow students and educators. Yesterday, some of you traveled by bus to the Florida State House in Tallahassee, Florida, to implore legislators to discuss a ban on assault weapons. I ask you how many AR-15s do gun enthusiasts use for hunting or shooting at a range? Despite this reasonable request, lawmakers voted overwhelmingly to reject bringing the issue of assault weapons to the floor for discussion. To these lawmakers, we say “Shame on you.”
The mass shooting was carried out by a young man with a history of mental health problems. Mental health plays a significant role in mass shootings. Overall, it is a part but not the heart of the number of gun fatalities annually. President Trump recently said the US needs better mental health treatment to reduce gun violence. If the President sincerely believes this, he can dust off the Obama regulation he rolled back in early 2017, which restricted the access of a mentally unstable person to guns.
The CDC estimates there are in excess of 30 thousand gun deaths each year in America. Japan and Australia average less than 100. Do Americans suffer from mental illness 100X more than these countries? Or, are there too many guns on the streets and in the homes of America? Guns are the third leading cause of injury-related deaths in the US, after poisoning and car accidents. The cost of care to US ERs and the medical system is about 8.6 billion, according to Giffords Law Center. This is a public health epidemic. Listen to the story of a woman who survived the Columbine HS shooting in 1999. Amy Over, in TheDaily Beast, recalled the first day her daughter attended kindergarten. Amy said she thought she would experience joy. Instead Amy had a panic attack. She later realized she was afraid to leave her daughter. Gun shootings affect entire families and last many years.
So what can we do? We can give of our time, our talents and our treasure. There are several GVP groups here that would be happy to have you join their volunteer efforts, as well as donations. We have the power of the pen to write to our legislators about a particular bill or about gun safety, in general. The most important thing we can do is VOTE. Today, I have brought along a pink slip for a congress person who takes money from the NRA. I say to this legislator “your time is up”. Who will join me? (Others held up pink slips)