New Jersey AAPI Curricula Bill has been Introduced by State Senator Vin Gopal as Senate bill S4021. It has been assigned to the Education Committee and Assemblyman Raj Mukherji has committed to introducing the bill in the NJ Assembly. Sen. Corrado, Sen. Ruiz, Sen. Gill, Sen. Turner, Sen. Schepisi, Sen. Cryan, Sen. Weinberg, Asw. Jasey, Asw. Timberlake, Asm. Giblin, Asw. Murphy, Asw. Vainieri-Huttle, Asw. McKnight, Asm. Benson, Asm Chiaravalloti, and Asm. Zwicker have all agreed to cosponsor as well. Three Assembly members said that would cosponsor once the Assembly bill is introduced: Asm. McKeon, Asw. Stanfield and Asw. Lopez.
What are the next Steps for passing this Bill?
Only about 10% of introduced bills get to see a vote in the NJ legislature. Senate bill S4021 is more likely to be put up for voting and passed if many different legislators cosponsor this bill. So please contact your NJ state representatives. Here is an email and phone script for you to use.
If you know any organizations that would support this bill, we are collecting a list of organizations who will publicly support this bill. Organizations have signed on thus far. Help us get the word out! These organizations don’t need to be specific to NJ or specifically AAPI-focused, we would be grateful for public support from any organization that supports our mission in solidarity.
We will be encouraging other state senators to co-sponsor the bill, and are very grateful for NJ State Senator M. Teresa Ruiz, Chair of the Education committee, and co-prime sponsor of this bill S4021, who will put the bill on the meeting agenda this fall. State Senator Shirley Turner is Vice-Chair of the Education committee and also is cosponsoring the bill. NJ Assemblywoman Mila Jasey is Vice-Chair of the Assembly Education Committee and is a prime sponsor of the Assembly bill. Assemblywoman Jean Stanfield is also a member of the Education Committee and has agreed to cosponsor the bill once it is introduced. You can check out the Education Committee members in the Senate and Assembly here and here. Stay tuned for our future campaigns this summer and fall!
Why does contacting legislators matter?
If you don’t usually contact legislators about bills, then you are the perfect person to speak up. Legislators notice when they receive messages or calls from individuals and groups they don’t normally hear from, especially when it is done in a coordinated fashion. It signals that their constituents are paying attention to them, and you are demonstrating that you can hold them accountable! Indeed, many of them are up for election this fall and will be running campaigns. This summer and fall are the perfect times to speak up and express your views.
Any other tips for advocating for legislation, more generally?
Practice honing your “elevator” pitch that weaves in a powerful personal story with the issue or bill at hand. Would you like some feedback? Email us (makeusvisiblenj@gmail.com) if you’d like to receive written feedback or a virtual practice with one of the MUVNJ core team members.
Coordinated individual emails or phone calls (on the same day, for example) send a more powerful message than a petition. Look to join up with a local group or community. Stay tuned for future events and initiatives we will be promoting later this summer and fall that you can be a part of!
As an individual, It is more effective to contact legislators who represent your district. If you are contacting legislators outside of your district, it is better to identify yourself with an organization or coalition.
Encourage your contacts to sign up for our newsletter!