As you are aware, big decisions are coming up this year in New Jersey. Governor Murphy and all state legislative seats will be up for election. Family Policy Alliance of New Jersey will be endorsing candidates later in the year. However, the primary is quickly approaching on June 8. To help inform you of the best and worst legislators currently in Trenton, the following is a list of bills that we support or oppose and the legislators that have sponsored them.

Bills we support:

A3000/S3002 – OPT OUT VOUCHER FROM PUBLIC SCHOOL SEXUALITY LESSONS

Assembly Members

State Senators

Robert Auth, Haskell (R)

Mike Testa, Cape May Court House (R)

Erik Peterson, Clinton (R)

Steve Oroho, Sparta (R)

Gerard Scharfenberger, Middletown (R)

Michael Doherty, Washington (R)

John Catalano, Brick (R)

Gregory McGuckin, Brick (R)

John DiMaio, Hackettstown, (R)

 

ACR193/SCR129 – RESOLUTION OPPOSING REVISED SEX ED LEARNING STANDARDS

Assembly Members

State Senators

Harold Wirths, Sparta (R)

Steve Oroho, Sparta (R)

Parker Space, Sparta (R)

Mike Testa, Cape May Court House (R)

Ronald Dancer, Cream Ridge (R)

Michael Doherty, Washington (R)

John Catalano, Brick (R)

James Holzapfel, Brick (R)

Gregory McGuckin, Brick (R)

Robert Singer, Lakewood (R)

 

A5545/S3540 – FAIRNESS IN WOMEN’S SPORTS ACT

Assembly Members

State Senators

Gregory McGuckin, Brick (R)

Mike Testa, Cape May Court House (R)

John Catalano, Brick (R)

James Holzapfel, Brick (R)

Gerard Scharfenberger, Middletown (R)

 

A2228/S429 – PAIN CAPABLE UNBORN CHILD PROTECTION

Assembly Members

State Senators

Ronald Dancer, Cream Ridge (R)

Steve Oroho, Sparta (R)

Robert Auth, Haskell (R)

Joseph Pennacchio, Montville (R)

Erik Peterson, Clinton (R)

Michael Doherty, Washington (R)

Parker Space, Sparta (R)

Robert Singer, Lakewood (R)

John DiMaio, Hackettstown, (R)

Anthony Bucco, Denville (R)

Sean Kean, Wall Township (R)

BettyLou DeCroce, Parsippany (R)

Harold Wirths, Sparta (R)

Jay Webber, Parsippany (R)

Christopher DePhillips, Midland Park (R)

Kevin Rooney, Wayne (R)

Bills we oppose:

A4848/S3030 – so-called REPRODUCTIVE FREEDOM ACT

Assembly Members

State Senators

Valerie Vainieri Huttle, Englewood (D)

Loretta Weinberg, Teaneck (D)

Mila Jasey, Maplewood (D)

Linda Greenstein, Cranbury (D)

Raj Mukherji, Jersey City (D)

Vin Gopal, Ocean Township (D)

Annette Chaparro, Hoboken (D)

Teresa Ruiz, Newark (D)

Joann Downey, Ocean Township (D)

Troy Singleton, Moorestown (D)

Angela McKnight, Jersey City (D)

Bob Smith, Piscataway (D)

Verlina Reynolds-Jackson, Trenton (D)

Annette Quijano, Elizabeth (D)

Yvonne Lopez, Perth Amboy (D)

Herb Conaway, Delran (D)

Andrew Zwicker, Monmouth Junction (D)

Anthony Verrelli, Trenton (D)

Joe Danielsen, Somerset (D)

Britnee Timberlake, East Orange (D)

Daniel Benson, Hamilton Square (D)

William Spearman, Woodbury (D)

Vincent Mazzeo, Northfield (D)

Shanique Speight, Newark (D)

Shavonda Sumter, Paterson (D)

Gordon Johnson, Teaneck (D)

Roy Freiman, Hillsborough (D)

Lisa Swain, Paramus (D)

Benjie Wimberly, Paterson (D)

Clinton Calabrese, Ridgefield (D)

Christopher Tully, Paramus (D)

Cleopatra Tucker, Newark (D)

 

A4454/S2781 – DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION LESSONS REGARDING SEXUAL ORIENTATION AND GENDER IDENTITY STARTING IN KINDERGARTEN

Assembly Members

State Senators

Carol Murphy, Cinnaminson (D)

Verlina Reynolds-Jackson, Trenton (D)

Valerie Vainieri Huttle, Englewood (D) Anthony Verrelli, Trenton (D)

Angela McKnight, Jersey City (D)

Mila Jasey, Maplewood (D)

Pamela Lampitt, Voorhees (D)

Benjie Wimberly, Paterson (D)

Yvonne Lopez, Perth Amboy (D)

Britnee Timberlake, East Orange (D)

Linda Carter, Plainfield (D)

Lisa Swain, Paramus (D)

Christopher Tully, Paramus (D)

Gordon Johnson, Teaneck (D)

Annette Chaparro, Hoboken (D)

Angelica Jimenez, West New York (D)

Richard Codey, Livingston (D)

Bob Smith, Piscataway (D)

Teresa Ruiz, Newark (D)

Troy Singleton, Moorestown (D)

Vin Gopal, Ocean Township (D)

For more information on the pro-life positions of legislators and candidates, please visit our friends at New Jersey Right to Life.

Protecting your family,Shawn hyland
Shawn Hyland SIgnature
Shawn Hyland
Executive Director

 

 

 

 

Paid for by: Family Policy Alliance of New Jersey, 1977 N. Olden Avenue, Suite 241, Trenton, NJ 08618

 

“Mr. Hyland, I sent your information to my siblings with the link to support opting out for parents and they called me racist and homophobic. I was shocked they would support teaching LGBT curriculum in grammar school.” Parent from Monmouth County, April 20, 2021

I speak to churches nearly each week concerning the major curriculum problems in New Jersey public schools. I often remind the listeners that they are not the fringe – they are the faithful.

The insistence by some that the post-modern view of sex, sexuality and gender identity is the only acceptable view, is gravely insulting to tens of thousands of New Jersey immigrants, such as Muslim and Hispanic families. These minority groups hold firm to the same traditional, historical, mainstream, and current global view of sexuality and gender identity that you do — a lifelong covenant relationship between two unrelated adults of the opposite sex.

I guess using today’s labels that should lead us to conclude – to reject the traditional view of marriage is Islamophobic and xenophobic! Thankfully, we do not subscribe to such empty maligned ad hoc attacks as those used against us to silence debate. Instead, we assume goodwill in public policy and listen to those who disagree.

But if you think radical labels of hate and fear only apply to our scriptural view of the human family, think again…

This week, 101.5FM published a news story covering the recent New Jersey Terrorist Threat Assessment released by the New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness. Local governments were forewarned to guard against anarchist extremists, anti-government extremists, racially motivated extremists, home grown terrorists, and… “anti-abortion” extremists. (Thank you for those that came out to the pro-life rally last Saturday)

How should we respond to such gross misrepresentations of our faith and character?

Let’s remember, Jesus promised this would be our experience. “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.” Matthew 5:11. And he taught us to pray for those who would disparage and vilify us. “But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,” Matthew 5:44

In the end, we must never forget who we are working for. We are advocating for parents to raise their children without government actively interfering to turn the hearts of the children against their family’s beliefs. We are defending preborn babies who have the instinctive will to live. We are safeguarding the religious freedom of people to live according to their consciences and not the dictates of the totalitarian state.

Don’t let labels and lists that define you as “the fringe” intimidate you. Stay faithful.

Protecting your family,

Shawn Hyland
Executive Director

Our nation is polarized because policy has become a zero-sum game. It is all or nothing. No compromise. No consideration. No regard for the views of others. No resolution for disagreements. Politics, by nature, is a winner-take-all sport, but the work of policy is the hard work of discussion, amendments, and solutions.

Unfortunately, in New Jersey, public education mandates signed into law by Governor Murphy or implemented by his Department of Education have shown no respect for the constitutional rights of parents to raise their children to morally reflect their values and religious beliefs.

Instead, a new sexual orthodoxy is being imposed upon children in public schools — one which is endorsed and promoted by the state, and conflicts with the fundamental religious convictions of countless families. These mandated lessons do not reflect the diverse student body within public schools consisting of Muslim, Jewish, Christian, and other religious faiths with traditional moral beliefs. Therefore, the public school system is no longer inclusive to people of faith, which is all we ask for – see our previous email.

That’s why we support Senate Bill 3002 and Assembly Bill 3000. If these bills became law, parents would finally have an alternative if the local public school would not allow them to opt their child out of lessons that violated their fundamental beliefs. The alternative? A scholarship worth up to 75% of the cost of the student’s attendance at the local public school.

This week, we launched JerseyVotesYes.com to support school choice legislation such as S3002/A3000 and highlight the controversial curriculum problems in New Jersey government schools. Yes, I intentionally use the words ‘government schools’ because the state is infringing upon local community-based school boards.

This new webpage offers numerous resources including:

    1. Complete a form to print out a pre-addressed letter and send it to your three state legislators and Governor Murphy. Please take this very seriously! We need you to print out the letters and send them ASAP. Filling out the form is helpful but printing out the letters the system generates for you, putting a stamp on them, and placing them in the mail is much more effective!
    2. Call the Education Committee members and urge them to hear these bills in future committee hearings.

Please visit www.JerseyVotesYes.com to take advantage of these resources. Please also share the site with others to help educate them on what is happening in New Jersey public schools.

Protecting your family,

Shawn Hyland
Executive Director

Over the past two years, the New Jersey legislature has passed controversial laws mandating that public schools teach lessons which violate or conflict with the beliefs of many families regarding sex, sexuality, and gender identity.

These laws violate the fundamental and constitutional rights of parents to direct the moral and educational upbringing of their children. Public school lessons should be neutral in their presentation of religious beliefs, worldview, and political ideology. Yet, not only do these laws force a certain viewpoint on children, but they were written with no opt-out or other protection for families who have religious and moral objections to the content.

The government should not be able to force someone to go against their religious beliefs, yet this is exactly what is happening through these mandates.

Some examples of this troubling trend in New Jersey include the following:

We must address this dangerous agenda head-on. That’s why I’m pleased to share with you an opportunity this weekend:

YOU’RE INVITED
CALL TO ACTION:
Presentation and Q+A Session

Calvary Chapel Old Bridge
Sunday, March 28 at 6 PM ET
RSVP Here

Our friends at Calvary Chapel Old Bridge are hosting a special one-night event this coming Sunday, March 28 at 6pm. I will be sharing on Parental Rights in Education with an open Q & A forum to address your concerns. Registration is required. I strongly encourage you to attend and invite other parents across the state. If you cannot join us in person, the event will be live streamed at Calvary Chapel Old Bridge’s website and Facebook page.

WHAT ELSE CAN YOU DO?

Working for a better New Jersey!

Shawn Hyland
Executive Director

 

P.S. Don’t forget to register for Sunday’s event here!

 

 

I am grieved to inform you that Governor Murphy signed into law Assembly bill 4454 on March 1. Starting in the upcoming school year, all public schools will be required to teach transgender identity and sexual orientation diversity lessons beginning in kindergarten. This will only complicate and confuse the understanding of human sexuality for 5-year-old children who are so young they are just learning to tie their shoes. Discussions about various sexual attractions and subjective gender identities have no place in the kindergarten classroom.

Governor Murphy received 19,000 emails opposing this bill in less than 45 days. Despite the widespread outrage and objection from parents, pastors, and legislators, he authorized this bill to become law.

It is clear Governor Murphy and the legislators that passed this bill do not have the best interest of your child in mind.

Let’s not forget: on June 3, 2020, Governor Murphy’s Department of Education adopted new learning standards for Health Class. Part of these revised standards for 8th grade include 2.1.8.SSH.9: Define vaginal, oral, and anal sex. Schools will now be required to teach 13-year-old students explicit sexual acts. These lessons were never part of even 11th-12th grade health class standards, but now are abruptly forced into much younger grades.

I frequently speak to churches regarding Parental Rights in Education. The public-school teachers in attendance always – with great passion and frustration – confirm the hard realities that I share. Students are being intimidated by peers and obligated by faculty to affirm a sexual ideology that contradicts their religious beliefs. Tragically, teenagers are labeled as transphobic as they are harassed on social media to conform to the approved sex beliefs of state government.

What do we do now?

  1. Inform your friends and family. Forward this email and help to get the word out. Local, state, and regional media refuse to cover this story.
  2. Support Christian schools and ask your pastor to consider starting a home school group at the church for parents and students to meet during the week.
  3. Look for an upcoming mobilization campaign this spring from Family Policy Alliance. Together, we will fight for your chance to opt your child out of lessons and materials that violate your religious beliefs regarding sex, sexuality, and gender identity.
  4. Talk to your school board to encourage them to push back on this mandate.
  5. Hold Governor Murphy and legislators accountable in the 2021 upcoming election.

Let kids be kids. New Jersey families deserve better!

Shawn Hyland
Executive Director

Governor Murphy had 45 days to veto the transgender identity lessons in kindergarten bill (assembly bill 4454). That day was today! However, the Assembly was not in session and by state law, the chamber of origin must be in session on the 45th day or the governor has until the next time that chamber meets to veto the bill. In other words, he has to take action by day the Assembly meets after the 45th day – Monday, March 1. If he decides to take no action, the bill becomes law by default.

We must continue to urge him to VETO THIS BILL!

Thankfully, his office has been inundated with over 18,000 emails in the past month as people across New Jersey urge him to veto it. There has been a diverse group of voices pressuring the governor to not allow these harmful and objectionable lessons to be taught to 5-year-olds.

Last week you heard from Senator Jim Holzapfel and Assemblymen Greg McGuckin and John Catalano from Brick, and Pastor Ed Ramirez from Paterson. We continually hear from more pastors, legislators, and parents who are calling on Governor Murphy to let kids be kids and not be subjected to this sexual ideology at such young ages.

Legislators are speaking out – “It is outrageous to foist concepts on school children as young as kindergarten that even many adults struggle to understand. Schools are supposed to be places of academics and scholarly pursuits which prepare students for college and eventually a place in the work world. Teachers are becoming overwhelmed with non-academic requirements, leaving less and less time for traditional learning.  This bill once again would allow the state to usurp the duties of the parents. It is imperative that this bill be vetoed and return the duties of teaching morals where it belongs, with parents and clergy.” – Assemblyman Gerry Scharfenberger, District 13, Middletown

Pastors are speaking out – “Please veto the bill (A4454) that sits on your desk that mandates sexual orientation and gender identity diversity lessons starting in kindergarten! As a parent, a grandparent, a pastor, and an African-American, I am appalled that this bill has made it as far as your desk! I am totally opposed to the bill on faith, family, cultural, and educational grounds.  From the perspective of my faith and culture, the topic of sexual orientation and gender identity is one for parents to handle with their children, not educators.  I feel that the introduction of such topics is totally inappropriate for 5–6-year-old kindergarteners, and highly disrespectful of parental rights and freedom of religious expression.” – Pastor Kedrick Brown, Middletown, NJ

Now you must speak out!

Please email and text your friends this information.

Let’s make New Jersey better!

Shawn Hyland
Executive Director

Dear Friends,

In less than 10 days, more than 4,000 people have used our Action Center to urge Governor Murphy to veto legislation that would force school districts to teach sexual orientation and transgender identity lessons beginning in kindergarten.

News media in New Jersey and national markets have covered this outrageous legislation.

First, if you have not contacted the Governor – click here! We need you to add your voice to the thousands who have spoken out already. Governor Murphy has 45 days after the passage of this bill on Jan. 11 to veto it. It is not too late to tell him that these lessons are inappropriate at such a young age and should be left to parents.

Second, we need you to share this action alert through text and email. The most direct way of informing your friends is to forward them this link. Social media sites often suppress “shares” of our action alerts to prevent people from knowing what is really happening. Please text or email your friends to encourage them to protect the minds and bodies of young children.

Thank you for spreading the word!

Sincerely,

Shawn Hyland
Director of Advocacy

Dear Friends,

As you have heard, the Senate and Assembly have passed a bill that mandates sexual orientation and gender identity diversity lessons starting in kindergarten. This will only complicate and confuse the understanding of human sexuality for these very young children.

Gender identity lessons present an unscientific and unhealthy view of human sexuality. It indoctrinates students with the idea that a person’s gender is different than a person’s gender expression and might be different than a person’s biological sex. This conversation should be left to parents to have with their child at an appropriate age.

We need you to contact Gov. Murphy to urge him to respect the fundamental religious beliefs of millions of New Jersey citizens by vetoing this legislation. Please protect the minds and the bodies of children in New Jersey.

Thank you for spreading the word!

Sincerely,

Advocacy Director
Family Policy Alliance of New Jersey

Dear Friends,

Today, the New Jersey State Assembly approved bill A4454, which if signed into law by Governor Murphy, would mandate sexual orientation and gender identity diversity lessons starting in kindergarten. Assembly members were made aware before the vote that their decision would be scored and recorded for Family Policy Alliance of New Jersey’s 2021 voter guide that will be sent to 1500 churches and tens of thousands of concerned residents prior to next year’s statewide election campaigns.

Four assembly members publicly spoke out against this bill during the vote to protect your parental rights in education. I urge you to thank them for their bold leadership.

Family Policy Alliance of New Jersey hopes Governor Murphy will respect the fundamental religious beliefs of millions of New Jersey citizens by vetoing this legislation.

Vote Tally of Assembly Members

❌ Every Republican present voted NO
✅ Every Democrat present voted YES (with one exception*)
* Assemblyman Jamel Holley (D) voted NO

46 – Yes
29 – No
0 – Abstain

 

Armato, John (D) – Yes Mazzeo, Vincent (D) Yes
Auth, Robert (R) No McClellan, Antwan L. (R) No
Benson, Daniel R. (D) Yes McGuckin, Gregory P. (R) No
Bergen, Brian (R) No McKeon, John F. (D) Yes
Bramnick, Jon M (R). No McKnight, Angela V. (D) Yes
Burzichelli, John J. (D) Yes Mejia, Pedro (D) Yes
Calabrese, Clinton (D) Yes Moen, William F., Jr. (D) Yes
Caputo, Ralph R. (D) – Not Voting Moriarty, Paul D. (D) Yes
Carter, Linda S. (D) Yes Mosquera, Gabriela M. (D) Yes
Catalano, John (R) – No Mukherji, Raj (D) Yes
Chaparro, Annette (D) Yes Munoz, Nancy F. (R) No
Chiaravalloti, Nicholas (D) Yes Murphy, Carol A. (D) Yes
Clifton, Robert D. (R) No Peters, Ryan E. (R) No
Conaway, Herb, Jr. (D) Yes Peterson, Erik (R) No
Coughlin, Craig J. (D) Yes Pintor Marin, Eliana (D) – Not Voting
Dancer, Ronald S. (R) No Quijano, Annette (D) Yes
Danielsen, Joe (D) Yes Reynolds-Jackson, Verlina (D) Yes
DeAngelo, Wayne P. (D) Yes Rooney, Kevin J. (R) No
DeCroce, BettyLou (R)- No Rumpf, Brian E. (R) No
DePhillips, Christopher P. (R) No Schaer, Gary S. (D) – Not Voting
DiMaio, John (R) No Scharfenberger, Gerard (R) No
DiMaso, Serena (R)- No Schepisi, Holly T. (R) No
Downey, Joann (D) – Yes Simonsen, Erik K. (R) No
Dunn, Aura K. (R) No Space, Parker (R) No
Egan, Joseph V. (D) Yes Spearman, William W. (D) Yes
Freiman, Roy (D) Yes Speight, Shanique (D) Yes
Giblin, Thomas P. (D) Yes Stanfield, Jean (R) No
Gove, DiAnne C. (R) No Sumter, Shavonda E. (D) Yes
Greenwald, Louis D. (D) Yes Swain, Lisa (D) Yes
Holley, Jamel C. (D) No Taliaferro, Adam J. (D) Yes
Houghtaling, Eric (D) Yes Thomson, Edward H. (R) No
Jasey, Mila M. (D) Yes Timberlake, Britnee N. (D) – Not Voting
Jimenez, Angelica M. (D) Yes Tucker, Cleopatra G. (D) Yes
Johnson, Gordon M. (D) Yes Tully, P. Christopher (D) Yes
Karabinchak, Robert J. (D) Yes Vainieri Huttle, Valerie (D) Yes
Kean, Sean T. (R) No Verrelli, Anthony S. (D) Yes
Kennedy, James J. (D) Yes Webber, Jay (R) No
Lampitt, Pamela R. (D) Yes Wimberly, Benjie E. (D) Yes
Lopez, Yvonne (D) Yes Wirths, Harold J. (R) No
Zwicker, Andrew (D) Yes


Please take 30 seconds to thank the four assemblymen, and then share the link with others. Thank you for spreading the word!

Sincerely,

Shawn Hyland
Director of Advocacy

Dear Friends,

The NJ Assembly will vote Monday on a bill that would force schools to teach sexual orientation and gender identity beginning in kindergarten. Please help stop this by contacting your state Assembly member today!

The Assembly originally passed this bill on Oct. 29, but it only required these lessons in high school. Tragically, the NJ State Senate passed an amended version of the bill on Dec. 17. This revised bill now mandates these human sexuality lessons throughout the curriculum beginning in kindergarten. It now goes back to the Assembly for their agreement to lower the age of students learning about sexuality from 14 years old to 5 years old. This must stop!

Diversity and tolerance should teach people to be respectful of different beliefs and backgrounds based upon their unique experiences and cultures. However, in public schools it is the very opposite. Instead, trainings covered under these types of categories have been used as compulsion to force students to affirm and adopt the sexual beliefs of the state government – against their own religious beliefs. Tragically, students who do not “rethink” and “revise” their religious beliefs are often excluded and disliked by peers and embarrassed by their teachers.

Schools should ensure students know what kind of conduct is unacceptable, like actions that constitute bullying and harassment. Yet, this does not mean the government has a right to impose a sexual framework onto students.

Note: This is different than the LGBT contributions curriculum passed two years ago.

Use our Action Center to contact your state Assembly member to vote NO on A4454.

After emailing your Assembly member, please call their staff to encourage the member to keep NJ public schools inclusive and tolerant of all students by voting NO.

Please share the link with others. Thank you for spreading the word!

Sincerely,

Shawn Hyland
Advocacy Director