Deputy Policy Director @ACLUNJ | Formerly Incarcerated | Police & Prosecutor Reform | He/him pronouns | Former Political Director @culinary226| Tweets are mine
BREAKING: Columbia, Missouri just became the 25th city to adopt a crucial law that ensures the people — not police — decide what surveillance tech is used in our communities.
This is a big victory for our right to privacy. More cities must follow Columbia's lead.
On Wrongful Conviction Day, we remember the 69 people wrongfully convicted in NJ since 1989. Faulty identifications, unreliable forensic science, and police misconduct are major causes. It’s why we advocate for police transparency and stricter forensic admissibility standards.
Solitary confinement is torture.
Join @NJPJW & @jsull4justice tomorrow (10/1) for the launch of a new report on the implementation of ICRA and policy recommendations for better compliance with the law.
Register https://t.co/f21HwjILsQ
Victoria Lee should be alive.
Police killings involving people experiencing mental health distress have become too familiar, especially in Black & AAPI communities.
NJ must not wait any longer to prioritize humanity over punishment.
Read more: https://t.co/i0I50A9loc
Harm reduction works. Criminalization doesn’t.
Thanks to public health solutions like harm reduction programs, overdose deaths have significantly dropped in the first half of 2024. Read more in @NJMonitor. https://t.co/MO8JoH8KEz
Theres lots of bad news out there. This is a WIN. A really big deal because everyone said it wouldn't happen. But here we are.
I hope this is some inspiration for those that need it right now. Dont stop fighting.
Tonight on All Politics R Local
Edwin Ortiz of the Returning Citizens
and full look at Gov Murphy signing on to
Clemency Project!
w Cuqui Rivera and Rebecca Uwakwe
LIVE 6-9pm EST on Facebook and Youtube
@ACLUNJ@sfajardo@jsull4justice
Today in 📍 Trenton, lawmakers introduced the ✨ Reproductive Freedom and Health Equity Bill Package ✨, which aims to protect and expand access to reproductive health care in NJ.
Special thanks to @SenMTeresaRuiz for her dedicated leadership. Now let's pass these bills!
When tough-on-crime rhetoric isn't based in facts or data, we fail to address the root issues communities face.
New Jersey can't arrest its way into a safer summer down the Shore — especially when kids are the ones being arrested.
Why is closing off public records so important to power brokers and political bosses, important enough to threaten school funding and elected officials?
Because information is power. Those with something to hide know accountability waits for them.
We urge @GovMurphy to stand up for democracy & veto S2930.
“NJ deserves accountable government, this bill is not that. This bill absolutely rolls back progress and it’s a step back into darkness. We all know democracy dies in darkness,” @sfajardo said.
https://t.co/JDESZfGFOu.
NJ legislature has failed its residents today by passing OPRA rollback bill. This is 💯 legislating by anecdote. Why create fear though lawsuit threats. Why are they making $ off this bill? Why cant you digitize records? What are you hiding? #opra
Let me be clear:
Don’t be surprised if Assemblymembers lose their seats next year if they vote yes on the bill to gut OPRA.
The government might try to end transparency, but we are being transparent and clear about the political consequences.
#Shame! If A4045/S2930 is passed, decades of progress in government transparency & accountability will be stripped. This is unacceptable.
@Joejohnson_2 told lawmakers: “This is an awful bill and we wholly condemn it in every form we’ve seen thus far.”
https://t.co/6eVbAv5f2Q
When a lawmaker says, “that’s not our intent” or “that’s not what we mean” - doesn’t matter. All that matters is the plain language of the bill. If it’s unclear or can be interpreted another way, they must fix it. Courts only read the law, not the minds of lawmakers
The OPRA bill is bad policy and bad politics.
New Jerseyans will remember in every election going forward where our Senators stood.
I hope our Assembly members - who are up for election next year - understand that by voting for it, they will be jeopardizing their seats.
I stand with the 81% of voters that believe OPRA must be protected. Today @AlexisKarteron and I visited Assemblywoman Garnett Hall’s office and urged her to vote NO on S2930/A4045.
There is no democracy without government transparency. #SaveOPRA
Speech on campus is essential to our democracy.
Colleges must be safe havens for robust dialogue, even on contentious issues.
Arresting students for nonviolent demonstrations is disproportionate & defies the very culture that most colleges & universities strive to maintain.
ICYMI: @CJGriffinEsq is one of New Jersey’s foremost experts on transparency. Read our 2023 interview with her about the importance of the Open Public Records Act and how it helps hold those in power accountable. https://t.co/kzYrZavtnd