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Thank you, New Jersey State Legislature and Gov. Corzine

The New Jersey State Legislature, both the Assembly and the Senate, get a lot of flack for not enacting property tax reform in a timely enough manner and for other issues, but I want to take a moment to congratulate them and Gov. Corzine on successful human rights initiatives that have recently passed or will most likely pass in 2007.

2006 was the year that marriage equality almost made it in N.J., but I'm very pleased with the civil unions bill that passed both houses, as it provides many of the rights of married heterosexual couples to same-sex ones. We also saw life-saving measures such as a clean needle exchange bill pass which can subsequently be used to stop the spread of AIDS and other diseases in urban areas in the state. A transgender discrimination part of the civil unions bill also passed, and N.J. will become the first state completely to abolish the death penalty, doing so because of Corzine's executive order. I also anticipate serious progress being made towards universal health care in the state in 2007 and other important human and civil rights issues.

These efforts should be commended, and the state legislature and governor have acted commendably in passing these provisions.

posted by Michael Martin @ 7:23 AM