A veteran lawmaker from the state’s capital city, with deep family roots in the country’s history and

struggle for justice, Assemblywoman Verlina Reynolds-Jackson (D-15) of Trenton backs the reintroduction of the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Act of New Jersey and expresses optimism in its passage this year.

Prime sponsor of the legislation, Reynolds-Jackson, in fact, anticipates the early passage of A-904.

“It’s about access,” the assemblywoman told InsiderNJ. “This is a part of my DNA.”

Reynolds-Jackson’s father is a Vietnam War veteran and her mother a union organizer.

“Voting was always important to us and because I have the experience of being a poll worker, I understand the challenges people face when they go to vote,” said the Assemblywoman from Trenton.

Poll workers lack resources.

Voters waiting on long lines don’t have access to water.

Intimidation.

“These are all things that disenfranchise the voter, and we want to be on the proactive, not the reactive end,” Reynolds-Jackson said.

The assemblywoman has strong allies in this fight, including her slate mate, state Senator Shirley Turner (D-15) as they make a stand for the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Act of New Jersey in a presidential election year.

The former president, Donald J. Trump, who appears in a good position to land the 2024 Republican nomination for president, faces felony indictments for trying to reverse the outcome of an election in Georgia amid repressive measures undertaken by the Georgia legislature to stymie voter access.

“What we want to do with the voter rights act is to codify our laws to make sure we have access [in New Jersey],” Reynolds-Jackson said. “If there is a problem, we want to make sure the voter is not disenfranchised. Protecting the right to vote is making us a leader.”

In today’s InsiderNJ interview (see below), the assemblywoman addressed language access, youth voting, including 16-year-olds empowered to vote in school board elections in Newark, and other issues connected to the precious right to vote.

“We are so energized right now,” Reynolds-Jackson said. “We know what’s on the line. Sometimes we lag behind [in New Jersey] but we are a leader. We are a Democratic state that wants to protect democracy.”

Listen too to what the assemblywoman has to say about a constitutional amendment guaranteeing the right to vote and other issues she wants to tackle in this coming legislative session…