Gun Violence Prevention – Unitarian Universalist FaithAction NJ

Legislative and Advocacy Priorities, UU FaithAction NJ 2020-2021

by Rev. Rob GregsonNovember 20, 2020 1 Comment

Legislative and Advocacy Priorities, UU FaithAction NJ 2020-2021

Criminal Justice Task Force

Youth Justice Transformation. Stopping the school to prison pipeline is essential to reducing the number of individuals, especially people of color, out of our state corrections facilities. Restorative justice pilot projects called for in one of our priority bills, will work to keep young people, especially youth of color in urban areas, out of the criminal justice system and provide them with support they need in their own communities.
Expanding Post-Prison Reentry Services. With continued corrections and parole reform, as well as Public Health Emergency Credits, more and more individuals will be released and need to reintegrate into their communities of origins. Services are critical to ensure as smooth a transition as possible. Reentry services will assist those being released in reintegrating into their home communities, becoming active citizens who can participate in the important work to be done in rebuilding their communities– often urban, and minority.
Dismantling Racism. Three different bills address different aspects of racism within the criminal justice system: the need for an amendment to the Constitution, a bill to form a Reparations Task Force, and a bill to restrict the use of deadly force by the police. Advocacy will focus attention on how institutional racism feeds the criminal/corrections system– through our failures to protect all lives in the Constitution, to failures to protect individuals during interactions with police, and failures to correct for our history of slavery which has left African Americans — as individuals, families and as a people– robbed of their labor, their wealth and their influence in the larger society and economy.

Environmental Justice Task Force

Reduce Fossil Fuel Emissions, especially in EJ Neighborhoods with Focus on Transportation. Follow lead of Environmental Justice partners including NJEJA, Ironbound Corp., Clean Water Action. This will have direct impact on health of residents in EJ neighborhoods.
Reduce lead in households, both in drinking water and lead paint. Following lead of EJ partners including NJEJA, Ironbound Corp. and Clean Water Action, help promote outreach to residents about avoiding or reducing lead in drinking water and lead paint in their households
Promote the Green Amendment. Conduct outreach, especially through UU congregations, to build understanding and support for the Green Amendment Bill in NJ promoting the right to clean air, clean water and a healthy environment. Follow the lead of “Green Amendments for the Future”. The Green Amendment is supported by our EJ partners.

Gun Violence Prevention Task Force

The GVP task under the leadership of its chair, Liandra Pires, has been active in renewing their focus and vision. Additionally, the task force continues to advocate for the Safe Storage Bill which is in the process of being updated to centers an anti-racist/anti-oppression lens around this important legislation concerning firearm and ammunition storage. The task force will continue in the process of identifying specific legislative and educational priorities in their monthly meetings.

Immigrant Justice Task Force

Legislative Priorities
- Enact Covid-related relief legislation to include undocumented persons, starting with S2480/A4171.
- Enact the Immigrant Trust Directive into Statutory Law with few carve-outs for criminal offenses.
- Enact DACA program into statute, at federal level, with as few restrictions as possible.
Advocacy/Educational Priorities
- Effective implementation of driver’s license regulations for undocumented persons, with as little interaction with federal government as possible.
- Investigate and publicize the holding of children separated from parents at southern border in South Jersey foster homes
- Promote need for as much funding for legal representation of detainees as possible.

Reproductive Justice Task Force

Support for the Reproductive Freedom Act. S3030/A 4848, which safeguards reproductive care, upholds basic rights and justice, and respects decision-making throughout pregnancy for all women regardless of race, class, sexuality, ability, or citizenship status. The bill expands the protections of reproductive justice beyond the right to abortion to include protections and expanded access to birth control and pregnancy-related care, as well as eliminating medically-unnecessary restrictions that block access to care.
Monitor the work of the Commission to Study Sexual Assault, Misconduct and Harassment by Staff against Inmates in NJ State Correctional Facilities, especially at NJ’s Edna Mahan Correctional Facility for Women, who are disproportionately Black and Brown women, poor women, and also transgender women.
Strengthen maternal health and reduce maternal mortality, including supporting the Maternal Mortality Review Commission, and affirm our commitment to ending New Jersey’s shameful record as a state with one of the worst Black-White racial disparities in maternal deaths in the nation.
Support the strategic plan of the Sexual Education Subcommittee of Thrive NJ, which challenges heterosexist and cis-sexist assumptions about sexuality and gender.
Monitor the implementation of the address confidentiality law (PL 2019.c175) by reviewing the proposed regulations with assistance from Legal Advocacy, and encourage comments that will advance our goal of protecting access to abortion for all women and their providers.

NJ UU Gun Violence Prevention Task Force Works to Save Lives and Reduce Racial Disparities

by UU FA OfficeDecember 2, 2019December 10, 2019 Leave a comment

This article was written by former Gun Violence Prevention Task Force Chair Jeannine Clayton-Coyne. Imagine a bill with the promise of significantly fewer firearm suicides (currently 40% of NJ firearm fatalities) and accidental gun injuries and fatalities. NJ Bill S 2240, Safe Storage of Firearms is that bill. Could the recommended penalties for non-compliance address racial disparities endemic to the NJ justice system? A subcommittee of the GVP Task Force took on this challenge.

This fall at the NJ FaithAction Issues Conference, Bill A3696, the NJ Assembly version of the Safe Storage of Firearms Bill was discussed. Some participants voiced concerns about the impact of the 4^th degree crime penalty on the African American Community. The UU FaithAction Gun Violence Prevention Task Force felt compelled to address these concerns. A subcommittee of the task force was formed for this purpose. This included Rob Gregson, Jeannine Clayton Coyne, Kathy Allen Roth and Helen Ewan.

The subcommittee engaged in much discussion, soul searching and research. It consulted with African American GVP activists and leaders. This resulted in a modified penalty structure. The subcommittee moved from supporting a penalty of 4^th degree crime for all infractions to a 3-tiered penalty. The new structure ranged from community service for a first offense without injury to 4^th degree crime for offenses resulting in an injury or fatality.

Next, Rob Gregson and Jeannine Clayton Coyne met with other GVP groups, including the Coalition for Peace Action, Brady and the Lutheran Episcopal Advocacy Ministry. Within a couple of meetings, this coalition agreed to adopt the penalties recommended by the NJ UU GVP subcommittee.

On November 12^th, this coalition, plus a representative from the Princeton Jewish Center, met with Senator Linda Greenstein. Senator Greenstein is the Chair of the Law and Public Safety Committee. The coalition of eight members made their case to a fully engaged Senator. Senator Greenstein asked a number of questions. By the meeting’s end, Senator Greenstein committed to support the bill with recommended amendments and the penalties that were modified from the current NJ Assembly bill. The goal is to get this bill passed into law by the end of this legislative session, January 13, 2020.

The UU Gun Violence Prevention Task Force anticipates strong opposition from a subset of the Second Amendment advocates. Strong support by all NJ UUs will be needed, both through written advocacy, as well as attendance at the NJ Senate hearing. To date, only one state, Massachusetts, has a Safe Storage of Firearms Bill. Let’s join together to demonstrate that NJ leads the nation in gun safety!

Issues Conference 2019 – Treasurer’s Report

Treasurer’s Report

Fall Issues Conference 2019 – Agenda

Agenda

8:30 – 9:45 Cong. Liaisons Breakfast Breakfast and conversation with Board members

9:30 – 10:00 Registration

10:00 – 10:10 Welcome & Worship Rev. Andrée Mol, Central Unitarian Church

10:10 – 10:15 Remembering Luis Merlo CUC members

10:15 – 10:30 Welcome & Update Tim Catts, Board President & Rev. Rob Gregson, Exec. Director

10:30 – 10:35 Another Way to Serve Carolyn Baldacchini, Chair, Nominating Committee

10:35 – 10:45 Helping Justice Thrive Marty Rothfelder, Chair, and Rev. Jennifer Kelleher, Eco Gala 2020 Committee

10:45 – 12:15 Keynote Panel w/Q & A. Prof. Sara Wakefield, Tia Ryans, Andrea McChristian

12:15 – 1:30 Lunch “Lunch with A Leader” in the Sanctuary

1:30 – 1:40 Task Force Introductions Tom Moran, Chair, Task Force Committee

1:40 – 3:15 Task Force Break-out Groups & Voting on Issues

Gun Violence Prevention – Kathy Allen

Criminal Justice Reform – Susan MacDonnell and Anne Houle

Environmental Justice – Nancy Griffeth and Ray Nichols

Immigration Justice – Clara Haignere and Peggy Hayden

Reproductive Justice – Carol Loscalzo

3:15 Break

3:30 Closing

Issues 2019 – Gun Violence Prevention

GUN VIOLENCE PREVENTION TASK FORCE

Join us to see possible ways your congregation can spread the word about the issue of gun violence.

I. Create our network – We will introduce ourselves and form friendships that can sustain us as we work on this (largely American) problem. We will try a breathing meditation suggested by the new Lutheran Minister of Gun Violence Prevention, Deanna Hollas, to help us get through this often-emotional and difficult work.

II. Handouts and Display

A. See some of the orange origami cranes made by Beacon Summit congregants during June coffee hours to honor New Jersey gun victims (1/1/19 to 6/30/19) whose names are recorded on each crane. Nearly 90 cranes were made.

B. Handouts provided by Carinne Murphy, from Central Unitarian Church during their observance of Gun Violence Awareness weekend, June 2-4, 2019.

C. Literature from Unitarian Church in Cherry Hill’s symposium on Suicide Prevention.

III. Educational – We will watch AIMING FOR SAFETY, a 7-minute film that presents six possible solutions to gun violence, a film by George Faison available on YouTube. George is a gun-owning hunter and a UU congregant at Beacon, whose message should appeal to both sides of this issue. We will discuss ways to disseminate this film.

IV. Legislative – In New Jersey, we are lucky to have a governor and attorney general who support the issue of preventing gun violence. We will review and talk about the many bills that Gov. Murphy has signed into law, bills that make New Jersey one of the most safe states in the country.

A. One still-pending bill was co-written by UU Faith Action: the SAFE STORAGE BILL, A 3696 / S2204. We will try to Skype with Jeannine Coyne, former head of this Task Force, who was instrumental, along with Rob Gregson, in drafting this bill. Jeannine cannot join us in person.

B. ERPO, Extreme Risk Protection Order, went into effect 9/1/19. We will go through a training on 1) how to interpret ERPO and – more important – 2) how to initiate it. We will also discuss avenues to set up training sessions in your own towns or areas.

Legislative Priorities 2019/2020

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Legislative Priorities 2019/2020

CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM	Restore right-to-vote to those on parole, probation, and those still incarcerated Dignity for Primary Caretakers Act, for incarcerated women Reform parole system to include ways for certain offenders to earn their way to earlier parole
ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE	Mandatory emissions reductions in EJ communities, including transition to electric buses and alternate fuel trucks Reduce single use plastic bags Maintain adequate water infrastructure – no lead in NJ water
GUN VIOLENCE PREVENTION	Continue to support Extreme Risk Protection Orders (ERPO) Work with NJ legislators to strengthen proposed Safe Storage of Guns bill
IMMIGRATION JUSTICE	Drivers licenses for undocumented. We expect this to be considered and presumably enacted in the 2019 lame-duck legislative session. Increased funding for legal defense for detainees in NJ facilities. This is connected with the budget process. As part of the NJ Universal Representation Coalition for the past two years, we will continue to advocate for the amount required to ensure all detainees without means have access to legal rep.
REPRODUCTIVE JUSTICE	Access to reproductive healthcare, including abortion care, by working with coalitions who are introducing legislation in NJ Strengthen maternal health and reduce maternal mortality including supporting the Maternal Mortality Review Committee Dignity for incarcerated Primary Caregivers Act, a bundle of bills that incorporates allowances for incarcerated parents to spend time with their children, bans the use of shackles for pregnant women and provide appropriate mental health and substance abuse care Work alongside a newly formed coalition working to pass/bundle bills related to preventing & supporting sexual assault survivors including reporting and investigating sexual assault inside NJ prisons

Issues Conference 2019 Informational Packet

Annual Fall Issues Conference held on October 19, 2019

by UU FA OfficeAugust 13, 2019October 22, 2019 Leave a comment

The UU FaithAction NJ annual Fall Issues Conference was held on Saturday, October 19 at Central Unitarian Church in Paramus. This well-attended event featured a panel of criminal justice experts. If you were unable to attend, you can still read the reports by clicking on the link below.

Get Conference Packet Information Here: https://www.uufaithaction.org/?page_id=8284&preview=true