News and Alerts

Summary Statement On Special Prosecutor Bill

by UU FA Office Leave a comment

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.

Registration for Plenary April 21st

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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.

Read More “Registration for Plenary April 21st”

A Response to the 2/14/18 Stoneman Douglas HS Shooting

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UUs Attend NJ Gun Violence Prevention Rally after StoneMan Douglas shooting

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)

NJ Legislature considering rate hike for PSEG

by Nancy Griffeth Leave a comment

UU Faith Action NJ opposes Senate bill S-877, allowing PSEG to increase its rates in order to maintain the profitability of two nuclear plants. We have objected to the process, which excludes the Division of Rate Counsel from being involved in considering the necessity of the rate hike, and also to the willy-nilly addition of several environmental bills without adequate consideration of their provisions. The bill was scheduled for consideration on Monday, February 26, but was postponed. Here is a news story about it:

Nuclear Subsidy Bill Stalls in Senate 

Please call your legislator to oppose this very bad bill.

 

NJ’s Climate is Changing and the Consequences are Real

by Nancy Griffeth Leave a comment

Date: March 6, 2018
Time: 7-8 pm
Place: Iselin Branch Library, 1081 Green Street, Iselin, NJ 08830

New Jersey has been experiencing its wettest and warmest years over the past century. Extreme events like Sandy and increasingly hot summers point to major climate changes. And these weather changes affect all of us and will have even more severe consequences in the future. Join Dr. David Robinson, NJ state climatologist and leader of the Rutgers New Jersey Weather Network, as he discusses our changing climate, its impact and how you can join a network that monitors weather and climate conditions. Sponsored by the Raritan Valley Group of the NJ Sierra Club as part of our continuing Speaker Series. Admission is free and open to all. Please arrive early, since we will be starting promptly at 7 pm. The Raritan Valley Group serves Middlesex and Somerset counties. Attendees can RSVP at tinyurl.com/RVGSpeakerSeries.

NJ Gun Violence Walk-Out this FRIDAY

by UU FA Office Leave a comment

I hope many of you will take an hour out of your day THIS FRIDAY, Feb. 23rd from 11:30 to 12:30 (see details below) to join the National Strike called in protest of the latest round of school shootings and Congress’ betrayal of our children’s lives in favor of loose—and in many states, effectively no—gun safety regulations and the out-of-control gun lobby.

Below is one more gruesome list: the names of children and adults killed at Marjory Stoneman Douglas School in Parkland FL.  Each one of them could still be alive today…if we prioritized children over lax gun laws. (With thanks to Po Murray, mother of a child killed in the Newtown, CT school massacre and chair, Newtown Action Alliance & The Newtown Foundation)

Jaime Guttenberg, 14
Nicholas Dworet
Martin Duque, 14
Meadow Pollack, 18
Cara Loughran
Alaina Petty, 14
Joaquin Oliver, 17
Luke Hoyer, 15
Alyssa Alhadeff, 15
Gina Montalto, 14
Carmen Schentrup,
Alex Schachter, 14
Peter Wang, 15
Helena Ramsey, 17
Track coach Aaron Feis, 37
Teacher Scott Beigel, 35
Athletic Director Chris Hixon, 49
Fifteen others were injured.

Republicans in the US House and Senate have long held the key to effective, sane gun regulation…and up to now they have bowed to a vocal gun constituency and the well-financed, extremist gun lobby.  Enough.  Now even nonpartisan groups like UU FaithAction NJ must be unceasing in our pressure on NJ Republicans who have blood on their hands–those words are written consciously and with due consideration—because of years of inaction on effective and common sense gun/ammunition control.

What: National Walk Out of Parents, Students, and Concerned Residents to Protest at Republican Congressional District Offices

When: Friday, Feb. 23 from 11:30/12 to 1 p.m.

Where: A Republican Congressional office near you.  I and my 12 year old daughter will be joining many protesting outside Congressman Leonard Lance’s district offices in Westfield (425 North Avenue East, Westfield, NJ 07090) while others will be gathering in Flemington (361 Route 31, Unit 1400 Flemington, NJ 08822.)  Protests are also scheduled in Morristown at Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen’s office (30 Schuyler Pl #2, Morristown, NJ 07960) and the Cherry Hill area.

Who: Many parents will be taking their children out of school in protest of the latest round of school shootings.  I will be among them—but everyone needs to show up to ensure we in the majority on this issue are heard and change national gun regulation.

Please note: there are other major gun violence protests happening around the country within the next month or two.  This includes the highly publicized March 24 “March For Our Lives” on Washington DC called for by surviving students from Marjory Stoneman Douglas H.S. in Parkland, FL.  We hope to have a NJ UU presence at that march and will be getting back in touch with you shortly.  You can learn more about that march here www.marchforourlives.com/

Two additional pieces of potentially hopeful news (with thanks from Kathy Allen Roth, UU Beacon/Summit for passing on):

How Banks Could Control Gun Sales if Washington Won’t by Andrew Sorkin (NYT Feb. 21) https://nyti.ms/2BDLBE7

GOP Chairman May Rethink CDC Ban on Gun Violence Research

http://thehill.com/homenews/house/374149-gop-chairman-congress-should-rethink-cdc-ban-on-gun-violence-research 

Finally, I wanted to let you know that UU FaithAction NJ (though under our old name) is signatory to this open letter from the Campaign Against Assault Weapons.  We will keep the pressure on until the American cult worship of weapons of mass murder is exposed and safely curtailed.

In faith, with love, for justice,

Rob

AN OPEN LETTER TO GOVERNOR RICK SCOTT, SENATE PRESIDENT JOE NEGRON, HOUSE SPEAKER RICHARD CORCORAN, AND SENATE JUDICIARY CHAIRMAN GREG STEUBE

February 20, 2018

Dear Governor Rick Scott, Senate President Joe Negron, House Speaker Richard Corcoran, and Senate Judiciary Chairman Greg Steube:

We send you our thoughts and prayers for the loss of your constituents to another heartbreaking mass shooting incident in the State of Florida. Your state is now the home of the two deadliest mass shooting incidents in modern U.S. history.

After the deadly Orlando shooting, you took no action to keep your citizens safe from gun violence and now 17 families from Parkland have been devastated by another senseless and preventable act of gun violence.

The 19-year-old Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooter was able to legally purchase Smith & Wesson M&P15 assault rifle in your state to turn a place of learning into a bloody warzone. The same assault rifle was used to kill 12 people and wounded 70 others in a movie theater in Aurora, Colorado in 2012 and to kill 14 people in a community center in San Bernardino, California in 2015.

Military-style semi-automatic assault weapons are designed to efficiently kill as many people as possible in the shortest amount of time available. There is absolutely no reason for assault rifles, assault pistols, and assault shotguns to be sold to civilians.

Governor Dannell Malloy and the Democratic and Republican members of the Connecticut State Legislature passed the second strongest gun laws in the nation -including a ban on assault weapons and high capacity magazines – after 20 children and six educators were senselessly gunned down in Sandy Hook Elementary School. Now, Connecticut is ranked 46th for gun death rate – one of the lowest in the nation. Conversely, Florida is ranked 26th for gun laws and 25th for gun death rate.

For the past two legislative sessions, the Florida Coalition to Prevent Gun Violence and the League of Women Voters of Florida have implored you to ban the sale of military-style assault weapons and large-capacity magazines in your state. Rep. Carlos Guillermo Smith and Sen. Linda Stewart have introduced bills calling for these bans, but neither have been placed on their legislative committees’ agenda to be heard.

We, the 168 organizations from the Campaign Against Assault Weapons, implore you to immediately put SB 196 and HB 219 on the legislative committee agenda, hold a hearing and work to pass these life-saving measures to keep your constituents safe in Florida. If you fail to take action to honor the lives lost in Parkland and Orlando then we will implore your constituents to hold you accountable on Election Day.

Sincerely,

A New Routine for America
AIDS CT
All Saints Church Pasadena Gun Violence Prevention Task Force
All Souls Unitarian Universalist Church
American Federation of Teachers
Anna’s Place: A Franciscan Hospitality Center
Arizonans for Gun Safety
Art = Ammo, Artists Against Gun Violence
Avaaz
Battle Born Progress
Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence united with Million Mom March
Brave New Films
Bridgeport Child Advocacy Coalition
Broader Representation Advocacy Team- Political Action Committee (BRAT-PAC)
Californians For Gun Safety
Campaign to Unload
Ceasefire Oregon
CeaseFire Pennsylvania
Cedar Lane Unitarian Universalist Church
Central Lutheran Church
Chicago’s Citizens for Change, Inc.
Children’s Firearm Safety Alliance
Coalition Against Gun Violence, a Santa Barbara County Coalition
Coalition for Peace Action
Coalition of Nebraskans Against Gun Violence
Coalition to Stop Gun Violence
CODEPINK Women for Peace
Colorado Ceasefire
Colorado Faith Communities United to End Gun Violence
Concert Across America to End Gun Violence
Congregation Kol Ami
Connecticut Against Gun Violence
Delaware Coalition Against Gun Violence
Democracy for America
Disarm Hate
Doctors for America
Dominican Sisters of Blauvelt, NY
Dominican Sisters of Peace
End the Madness
Episcopal Peace Fellowship
Equality California
Every Child Matters
Faiths United to Prevent Gun Violence
Families4peace
Felician Sisters of Livonia
First Church
FIVE AWAKE
Florida Coalition to Prevent Gun Violence
Franciscan Peace Center
Franciscan Sisters
Franciscan Sisters of St. Joseph
Franciscan Sisters of the Poor
Friends Against Violence Everywhere (FAVE)
GAYS against GUNS
Gays Not Guns
Georgetown Against Gun Violence
Georgia Alliance for Social Justice
Georgians for Gun Safety
Global Exchange
Grandmothers Against Gun Violence – Cape Cod
Grandparents Against Gun Violence (MO)
Greenwich Council Against Gun Violence
Grey Nuns of the Sacred Heart
Gun Violence Prevention Center of Utah
GunControlToday
GunsDown
Gunsense Vermont
Hands Up for Gun Safety (HUGS)
Hawaii Coalition to Prevent Gun Violence
Healing 4 Our Families & Our Nation
Heeding God’s Call
Herndon-Reston Alliance To End Gun Violence
Holman United Methodist Church
Hoosiers Concerned About Gun Violence
Illinois Council Against Handgun Violence
International Health & Epidemiology Research Center
Iowans for Gun Safety
Jessi’s Message
Jewish Women International (JWI)
Joint Action Committee
JPIC Office of the Wheaton Franciscans
Justice, peace and integrity for creation committee
Latin America Working Group Education Fund
League of Women Voters of Florida
LGBT4GVP
Louisiana Violence Reduction Coalition
LPAC
MA Coalition to Prevent Gun Violence
March For Racial Justice #M4RJ
Marylanders to Prevent Gun Violence
Michigan Coalition to Prevent Gun Violence
Michigan Gun Violence Prevention Caucus
Mike the Gun Guy
MomsRising
Monmouth Center for World Religions and Ethical Thought
MoveOn.org Civic Action
Mt. Vernon Unitarian Church
National Coalition Against Domestic Violence
National Council of Jewish Women
National Domestic Violence Hotline
National Education Association
National LGBTQ Task Force Action Fund
National Medical Council on Gun Violence
National Physicians Alliance
National Women’s Law Center
New Castle Promise
New Mexicans to Prevent Gun Violence
New Yorkers Against Gun Violence
Newtown Action Alliance
North Carolina Council of Churches
North Carolinians Against Gun Violence Education Fund
Northwest Corner Committee for Gun Violence Prevention
Ohio Coalition Against Gun Violence
Oklahoma Gun Sense
One Pulse for America
Pacem in Terris-Delaware
Physicians for the Prevention of Gun Violence
Pride Fund to End Gun Violence
Progressive Congress Action Fund
Project End Gun Violence
Protect Minnesota
Protest Easy Guns
Rabbis Against Gun Violence
Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association
Rhode Island Coalition Against Gun Violence
Safe Campus Colorado
San Diegans for Gun Violence Prevention
Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia
Sisters of St. Joseph
Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet
Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, Albany Province
Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, LA Province
Sravasti Abbey
St. Mark’s Episcopal Church Capitol Hill DC
St. Sabina’s Church
States United to Prevent Gun Violence
Step Up, Step Out: End the Culture of Violence, a ministry of Asylum Hill Congregational Church
Stop Handgun Violence
Stop Killing Innocent People (SKIP)
Stop the Violence Coalition, Buffalo, NY
Stop the Violence Prayer Chain, Wilm. DE
Survivors Empowered
Team 26
Temple Micah Gun Violence Prevention Group
The Campaign to Keep Guns Off Campus
The Connecticut Effect
The ENOUGH Campaign
The Greater Phoenix Million Mom March
The Safe Tennessee Project
The Washington office on Latin America
Theodore Parker Church UU Social Action Committee
Union for Reform Judaism
Unitarian Universalist Legislative Ministry of New Jersey
Violence Policy Center
Violence Prevention Coalition of Greater Los Angeles
Virginia Center for Public Safety
Virginia Gun Violence Prevention Coalition
Vision Quilt
Washing Ceasefire Foundation
Washington Ceasefire
Washington National Cathedral Gun Violence Prevention Group
We The People For Sensible Gun Laws
Wheaton Franciscans
Wisconsin Anti-Violence Effort Ed Fund
Women Against Gun Violence
Women Against the Violence Epidemic (WAVE)
Women’s March
Women’s Voices Raised for Social Justice, St. Louis, MO

Po Murray
Chairman, Newtown Action Alliance & The Newtown Foundation

NewtownAction.org 

P.O. Box 3325, Newtown CT 06470

203-512-1778