Category: UUFANJ News

Senate President Steve Sweeney Announces Senate Committee Assignments 2019

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Senate President Steve Sweeney announced today the Senate committee assignments for the upcoming year, 2019.
“The most notable changes will be Senator Singleton’s new position as Chair of the Community and Urban Affairs Committee and Senator Gopal’s first chair appointment as Chair of the Military and Veterans’ Affairs Committee.”
In 2019, more committee chairpersons in the New Jersey State Senate will be of African American, Latino or South Asian descent than in the Senate’s history.
“Heading into the new year with the most diverse set of committee chairs in New Jersey history, I am inspired and hopeful for what’s to come,” said Senator Sweeney. “We are an extremely diverse state and it is critical those in power and sitting at the decision making table reflect that fact. Having committee chairs with different backgrounds and life experiences will allow us to pass legislation which takes into account the concerns of all New Jerseyans.”
In January, the Senate will approve a resolution in order to add one additional seat to the Education committee, increasing the number of seats from six to seven.
Below are the full committee assignments:
Community & Urban Affairs                                     
Singleton, Chair
Rice, Vice Chair
Stack
Connors
O’Scanlon
Education 
Ruiz, Chair
Turner, Vice Chair
Beach
Cunningham
Doherty
Thompson
(vacancy) New R
Labor                                     
Madden, Chair
Lagana, Vice Chair
Greenstein
Addiego
Bucco
Transportation                                   
Diegnan, Chair
Gopal, Vice Chair
Gill
Sacco
Holzapfel
Singer
 
Budge and  Appropriations
Sarlo, Chair
Cunningham, Vice Chair
Vacancy
Cruz-Perez
Diegnan
Greenstein
Ruiz
Singleton
Addiego
Bucco
Oroho
O’Scanlon
Thompson
Commerce
Pou, Chair
Cryan, Vice Chair
Scutari
Cardinale
Kean
 
Health, Human Services
& Senior Citizens
Vitale, Chair
Madden, Vice Chair
Codey
Gopal
Lagana
Rice
Corrado
Holzapfel
Singer
(vacancy)
Economic Growth    
Cruz-Perez, Chair
Singleton, Vice Chair
Turner
Oroho
Pennacchio
Environment and Energy  
Smith,  Chair
Vitale, Vice Chair
Codey
Bateman
Corrado
Higher Education 
Cunningham, Chair
Pou, Vice Chair
Ruiz
Brown
Kean
Law & Public Safety 
Greenstein, Chair
Cryan, Vice Chair
Lagana
Sacco
O’Scanlon
(Vacancy) New R
 
Judiciary 
Scutari, Chair
Pou, Vice-Chair
Lagana
Sarlo
Singleton
Smith, B.
Weinberg
Bateman
Cardinale
Corrado
Doherty
 
Military & Veterans’ Affairs 
Gopal, Chair
Vacancy, Vice Chair
Turner
Connors
Pennacchio
State Government,
Wagering, Tourism & Historic Preservation           
Beach, Chair
Cruz-Perez, Vice Chair
Stack
Brown
Thompson

Voices to Action – 5th Annual MUUsicFest Sat. March 9th

by UU FA Office 2 Comments

Join us in Princeton Sat. March 9th, 2 – 4 p.m. for a celebration of our faith, equality, compassion and justice through song and music. Choral, folk and ukulele (!) ensembles from congregations across the state will showcase their finest at this  All-State UU extravaganza! Our 5th Annual event–a key fundraiser for justice ministry in the Garden State–is hosted this year by the UU Congregation of Princeton, 50 Cherry Hill Road, Princeton NJ.  Get your tickets early!

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Remember UU FaithAction on Giving Tuesday

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On Tuesday, November 27, please think of UU FaithAction NJ, during the nation-wide day of giving!  Donations can be made on-line at here, through the mail, or in person by stopping by our office at 4 Waldron Avenue.  Your donation allows for the continued social justice work of UU FaithAction alongside, and on behalf of, UUs and our allies across the Garden State.

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Executive Director Rob Gregson attends Gov. Murphy press conference

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A last minute press conference called by NJ Governor Phil Murphy, with State of New Jersey Attorney Generals Office AG Gurbir Grewal to announce a new push on gun violence prevention legislation following the Pittsburgh massacre at Tree of Life Synagogue. Pleased to be in the company of longtime GVP activist, Kathy Allen Roth, UU FaithAction GVP Task Force and Beacon Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Summit member.

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UU FaithAction Supporting Driver’s License Initiative

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Executive Director Rob Gregson, center, at the NJ State House

On Monday, October 29, Executive Director Rob Gregson, along with fellow Immigration Task Force Chair, Ted Fetter, and Eileen Bird (Princeton), Clara Haignere (Princeton), Jasmine Ueng-McHale (Washington Crossing), Hannah Gallo, and Barbara Jensen attended a rally at the New Jersey State Assembly to show Unitarian Universalist support of issuing undocumented immigrants a New Jersey driver’s license.

 

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2018 Fall Issues Conference

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Register Here!

UU FaithAction’s Fall Issues Conference takes place on Saturday Oct. 20 from 10:00 am until 4:00 p.m.  Hosted this year by our member congregation, Beacon UU Congregation of Summit in Summit summitbeacon.org, the conference features Senator Raymond Lesniak as our keynote speaker, issues-related break out groups and a working lunch.  The Summit congregation is active in antiracism and immigration justice work and we are very pleased to partner together in support of a more just and hopeful New Jersey.

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Interfaith Candidate Forum October 14

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For those UUs and our friends who live in the 7th and 11th congressional districts an interfaith nonpartisan candidates forum on October 14, 2018 might be of interest.  (If you aren’t sure in which district you live, District 7 covers Hunterdon, most of Somerset, and a portion of Morris counties; Leonard Lance (R) is the current congressman for the 7th.  District 11 touches on District 7 to the east and represents the bulk of Morris Co. and includes parts of Essex, Passaic and Warren counties.  Rodney Frelinghuysen (R) is the retiring representative from the 11th.

The October forum is a collaborative interfaith effort to introduce voters to the major candidates running for the 7th and 11th congressional districts and for the US Senate seat from NJ. Attached is a draft of the plan for the event which we hope will gather a broad range of faith communities. Our intention is to be heard by the candidates, as well as to be heard by them. We are looking to highlight the issues of gun violence prevention, immigration, and environmental responsibility.

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Lay Preaching Workshops Coming Soon!

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Come Grow Your Voice!  Come Grow the Voice & Visibility of FaithAction!

UU FaithAction NJ is sponsoring a workshop to help lay folks learn the art of sermon writing and how to lead worship.  Our goal:

  • Grow FaithAction’s visibility in more of the 21 member congregations
  • Provide a valuable service to congregations looking to fill their pulpits in the summer, as well as throughout the year

Workshop in Two Parts

Part I focuses on generating written texts, takes place at any UU congregation that accepts the invitation to schedule it.  Curriculum is provided for the 2.5 hour workshop.  

Part II folks come together from all NJ on Saturday, November 10, 10 -4 at The Unitarian Society in East Brunswick.  The second builds on the first, so attendance at the first is required in order to take part in the second. 

Has your minister scheduled one of the workshops to take place before the statewide one in November?  Check in with them to find out if it will be on your congregation’s schedule.  Maybe you can help make it happen.