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Democrat,
This week we continued to deal with the fallout and potential repercussions of a Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v Wade. After the failure by Republicans in the U.S. Senate to join Democrats in their bid to codify abortion rights into law on Wednesday, we feel strongly and urgently about the need to have more pro-choice Democratic candidates in office at every level.
I strongly encourage you, if you are able, to sign up here to volunteer with a pro-choice frontline Democratic Congressional campaign now.
As part of Saturday’s nationwide day of action for abortion rights, there will be a rally in the town of Westfield. We would love to see a large number of you out there sending a message to the anti-choice and anti-privacy Republicans that we refuse to go backwards; not now, and not ever.
Additionally, you can sign up here to canvass from 12 - 3pm in the Borough of Madison with Representative Mikie Sherill of NJ’s 11th District. The event will begin with statements from Rep. Sherill, Assemblywoman Jasey, and other local leaders about the impact of Roe v. Wade and the importance of fighting back this November.
This week, Governor Murphy announced efforts with the goal of expanding the reproductive rights of New Jersey women and sending a message to the GOP that, despite their best efforts, we will not allow them to meddle in the private lives of Americans. The new legislation would mandate that insurance plans in NJ cover abortion with no cost sharing or out-of-pocket expenses, and expand New Jersey's pool of potential abortion providers to include advanced practice nurses, midwives, and physician assistants. Gov. Murphy also said that NJ will not cooperate with any type of state investigation “that seeks to punish anyone – patient, provider, counselor, friend, or Uber driver – for providing abortion care.”
“Without access, rights mean nothing”
These types of historic steps towards equity and codified human rights make me proud to be a Democrat in New Jersey and we should encourage us all to work towards filling our legislature with candidates that will get meaningful bills passed.
This week we are returning to our Congressional Spotlights with Representative Frank Pallone of NJ’s 6th District. As Chairman of the Energy & Commerce Committee, Rep. Pallone has fought to lower health care and prescription drug costs, repair infrastructure, & combat the climate crisis. Throughout the pandemic, he’s helped deliver resources to protect NJ and keep frontline workers safe. Rep. Pallone has helped pass legislation that invests in American workers, strengthens supply chains, & bolsters domestic manufacturing. He has also led the fight to ban offshore drilling along the Atlantic.
Visit https://www.pallonefornewjersey.com/ to get involved in the campaign.
President Biden welcomed Chris Smalls, President of the Amazon Labor Union, to the White House this week. Chris Smalls led his Amazon warehouse in Staten Island to unionization which was the first location in the country to do so.
Biden encouraged Smalls’s organizing work which aligns with his intentions to be the "most pro-union President leading the most pro-union administration in American history."
This is the type of mentality around unions and labor organizing that we value, respect, and also encourage in New Jersey. Just this week Rutgers released a report that shows NJ workers are unionizing at a rate faster than 44 other states in the country, only falling behind Hawaii, New York, Washington, Oregon, and Minnesota.
The National Women’s Law Center shared that, “as of 2021 public approval for unions in the United States was at the highest point in 56 years—at 68%. Among people of color, that number rises to 76%. Nearly half of non-unionized workers say they would join a union if they could.” The Rutgers study taught us that unionization among Black workers in NJ was 20.84%, nearly double the national average.
Research continuously shows us that women, people of color, and younger workers benefit the most from union membership. We see their wages go up. We see healthier working conditions. We see more health benefits and sick days. Let’s not forget this as we continue our fight for a more just and equitable New Jersey workforce.
— Chairman LeRoy J. Jones, Jr.
P.S. - Our event celebrating AAPI Heritage Month hosted by the AANPHI, South Asian American, and Muslim caucauses will be on May 19th in Bergenfield. You can register to attend here: https://www.mobilize.us/njdsc/event/460328/
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