Institute Responds to Gov. Murphy’s State of the State Address

NEWARK – The New Jersey Institute for Social Justice today issued the following reactions in response to Gov. Phil Murphy’s State of the State address.

The following can be attributed to Henal Patel, Law & Policy Director at the New Jersey Institute for Social Justice:  

“The Governor correctly noted that it is our obligation to make the word ‘justice’ ring true in every community. Unfortunately, the State of the State address was short on any concrete racial justice policies that would fulfill that vision.

“While we appreciate that the Governor acknowledged that we must lead by protecting our sacred voting rights, the Governor did not discuss any plans or priorities to achieve that goal. We have made great strides in expanding voting rights in the last five years – from restoring voting rights to people on parole and probation to enacting early voting and automatic and online voter registration – but there are still too many people in the state who are disenfranchised or face barriers to casting their ballot. We must prioritize voting rights this year. Let’s pass same-day voter registration and a strong John R. Lewis New Jersey Voting Rights Act.”

The following can be attributed to Laura Sullivan, Director of the Economic Justice Program at the New Jersey Institute for Social Justice:  

“While the Governor’s speech highlighted the importance of ensuring that everyone has economic opportunity, there were few specifics on how he is making the American dream more inclusive in the Garden State. Many New Jersey families, particularly Black and other families of color, are still feeling the economic impacts of the pandemic, while struggling to afford basic needs in a time of rising inflation. The Governor’s remarks focused on efforts of his Administration to promote overall growth in the state, highlighting the current low unemployment rate, but there was no discussion of plans to address the staggering racial wealth gap – one of the highest in the country – in New Jersey. We need systemic change, and that vision was lacking today.”

The following can be attributed to Yannick Wood, Director of the Criminal Justice Reform Program at the New Jersey Institute for Social Justice:   

“We are pleased that the Governor highlighted how gun violence and auto theft have been falling in New Jersey. This is occurring while preserving bail reform and without unnecessary legislation, like S3347, S3385, S3006 and S3028, pending bills that would increase detention. As the Governor and New Jersey’s lawmakers seek policies to help families ‘feel safe in their communities,’ we urge them to expand youth mental health programs and funding for community-based organizations in the way that law enforcement is funded so that all communities can be empowered to keep themselves safe.”