Category: LegacyImport2

Visit Philadelphia® Recognized With Two Adrian Awards

VISIT PHILADELPHIA announced today that it won two Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI) Adrian Awards at a gala in New York City last night. This year’s recognitions bring VISIT PHILADELPHIA’s award count total to 45 since 2004.

In the LGBTQ PR category, VISIT PHILADELPHIA earned a Gold Award for its

Philadelphia Pioneers On The Road To Stonewall

campaign executed in partnership with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and Dr. Magnus Hirschfeld Fund. The organization celebrated Pride Month and marked the 50th anniversary of the history-making Stonewall Riots that launched the LGBTQ civil rights movement by creating a float that carried LGBTQ pioneers on it in three large summer parades both in and out of market. The float was adorned with messages of equality, unity and welcome. VISIT PHILADELPHIA supplemented the public relations campaign with an advertising takeover of New York City’s Penn Station, complete with rainbow steps that bore the hashtag #IAmStonewall.

In the Community Service/Social Responsibility category, VISIT PHILADELPHIA earned a Silver Award for its

reopening of the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall

during 2018’s partial government shutdown. VISIT PHILADELPHIA made a $32,000 non-refundable contribution to Independence National Historical Park to pay for three days of staff and operations, then spread the good news on the web—visitphilly.com, uwishunu.com and @visitphilly—and through robust media relations.

“Over the past 12 months, VISIT PHILADELPHIA has collaborated to develop innovative and meaningful marketing campaigns to attract visitors to our region,” said Jeff Guaracino, president and CEO, VISIT PHILADELPHIA. “I’m proud that prominent organizations like HSMAI are recognizing and rewarding our efforts.”

These two award-winning efforts have been widely acknowledged since their completion. The Stonewall campaign received a Pepperpot Award from the Philadelphia chapter of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) and the reopening of the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall was recognized with the U.S. Travel Association’s (USTA) Destiny Award and PR Daily’s Media Relations Award.

HSMAI, the industry’s leading advocate for intelligent, sustainable hotel revenue growth, received nearly 1,100 entries from travel companies, including big-brand hotel chains, major airlines, U.S. and international tourism boards, and marketing agencies. The Adrian Awards honor hospitality brands and agencies for their advertising, digital and public relations efforts to market destinations around the world.

“The Adrian Awards honor innovative travel marketing campaigns that lead the future of hospitality marketing, setting the standard for creativity and flawless execution,” said Robert A. Gilbert, CHME, CHBA, president and CEO of HSMAI. “HSMAI is proud to recognize these award winners and celebrate their remarkable campaigns and the people behind them at the Adrian Awards Gala.”

VISIT PHILADELPHIA is our name and our mission. As the region’s official tourism marketing agency, we build Greater Philadelphia’s image, drive visitation and boost the economy.

On Greater Philadelphia’s official visitor website and blog, visitphilly.com and uwishunu.com, visitors can explore things to do, upcoming events, themed itineraries and hotel packages. Compelling photography and videos, interactive maps and detailed visitor information make the sites effective trip-planning tools. Along with Visit Philly social media channels, the online platforms communicate directly with consumers. Travelers can also call and stop into the Independence Visitor Center for additional information and tickets.

32 Murders in 22 Days; Philly Councilman Calls for Stricter Gun Laws

PHILADELPHIA, Jan. 23, 2020 – As gun violence continues to rage unabated in Philadelphia,

Council President Darrell L. Clarke

(5th District) today called for Council to authorize the hiring of legal counsel to file a lawsuit compelling the Commonwealth of

Philadelphia City Hall (Wikipedia)

Pennsylvania to enact stronger gun laws, or allow municipalities like Philadelphia, Pittsburgh or others to pass their own gun laws.

Last night, a 20-year-old man was shot and killed inside his Cobbs Creek home. It marked Philadelphia’s

32

nd

homicide

already in 2020 – a 22-day-span. This represents an 82 percent increase in homicides in the city in the first three weeks of the year, compared with the same period last year. More than 100 youths under the age of 18 were shot last year – 14 fatally.

“People in Philadelphia are tired and frustrated with gun violence happening every day in their neighborhoods,” Clarke said. “32 homicides in 22 days! Toddlers shot in their homes, a shoot-out at a Target store parking lot – we must take action and we need every responsible elected official on deck.  Desperate times call for desperate measures.”

A

Resolution

authorizing Council to retain legal counsel to file a lawsuit against the Commonwealth was co-introduced this morning by Councilmembers

Kenyatta Johnson

and

Curtis Jones Jr.,

on Council President Clarke’s behalf. Numerous other Councilmembers signed on as co-sponsors, including Majority Leader

Cherelle Parker

, Councilmembers

Derek Green

, and

Allan Domb

.

The resolution details the “ferocity and sheer volume of gun violence in Philadelphia” over the past several weeks – the impetus for the legislative action.

“WHEREAS, The ferocity and sheer volume of gun violence in Philadelphia shocks the conscience of all law-abiding citizens: Three men were shot to death in the first fifteen hours of 2020. On January 15, 2020, five people were shot in less than 30 minutes. On January 21, a triple shooting in a Target parking lot left one man dead. As of January 21, 2020, there have been 31 homicides in 2020, up a shocking 82% from January 2019, according to the Philadelphia Police Department’s webpage,

www.phillypolice.com/crime-maps-stats/

. Last year, 14 children under 18 were shot fatally with guns. The homicide rate in Philadelphia has risen steadily, from 277 in 2016, to 315 in 2017, to 353 in 2018, to 356 in 2019.”

The resolution goes on to note that gun violence is a

statewide

problem – not a city-only problem.

“WHEREAS, Gun violence is not confined to one city or state, but rather plagues communities across the country. Today, the public still mourns the tragic loss of life from the mass shooting at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, and decries the General Assembly’s refusal to permit Pittsburgh’s City Council to use commonsense measures to combat the spread of rampant gun violence. Across the Commonwealth, gun violence claims the lives of more than 1,500 residents each year, according to the Giffords Law Center, which means that someone is killed with a gun every six hours in Pennsylvania.”

The resolution notes the failure of the PA General Assembly to take action to reduce and prevent gun violence across the Commonwealth – due to the strong influence of the gun lobby. The most recent example: after Council passed an ordinance last session prohibiting the possession of guns at city recreation facilities – the scene of several shootings last summer – the legislature took no action to approve legislation allowing Philadelphia to enforce that ordinance.

The Resolution concludes:

“RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, That it hereby authorizes Council to retain counsel to file a lawsuit compelling the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to fulfill its obligation to protect the citizens of Pennsylvania by enacting, or authorizing municipalities to enact, legislation that addresses the public health crisis of gun violence.”

Judge Sentences Former Philadelphia Zoning Board of Adjustments Chairman to Prison for Theft

PHILADELPHIA – First Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams announced that Dr. James E. Moylan, 57, a Philadelphia chiropractor and the former Chair of the Philadelphia Zoning Board of Adjustments, was sentenced to 15 months’ imprisonment, three years’ supervised release, $52,898 restitution to the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Union Local 98, and $77,885 restitution (plus penalties and interest) to the IRS by United States District Court Judge Jeffrey L. Schmehl for stealing civic funds and filing false federal income tax returns.

The defendant was charged by Indictment in January 2019 with 17 counts of wire fraud and four counts of filing false federal income tax returns.  In October 2019, Moylan pleaded guilty to all charges, admitting that he defrauded both Local 98 and a related entity – 298, Inc., a non-profit organization – of more than $50,000 in funds which he claimed he would use for community support and education, but which he actually used to pay his personal mortgage and business expenses. Moylan also filed false federal income tax returns for the years 2012 through 2015, in which he underreported more than $200,000 in income and claimed false business expenses.

“Moylan knew what his responsibilities were as a public official and as a taxpayer, and he ignored them for his own personal benefit,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Williams. “In doing so, he cheated a non-profit organization meant to benefit the entire community, and he cheated all taxpayers by lying to the IRS. This office and our partners will continue aggressively investigating and prosecuting fraudsters who choose to line their pockets rather than operate honestly.”

“Mr. Moylan’s failure to pay his fair share of taxes is a slap in the face to honest and law-abiding citizens who do not shirk their tax obligations,” said IRS Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge Guy Ficco. “The sentence he received today underscores our relentless pursuit of those who would attempt to defraud America\’s tax system.”

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Paul L. Gray, Frank R. Costello, and Bea Witzleben.

Camden County Republicans Hope Pelosi Can Clear Up Questions Surrounding Barclay

HADDON HEIGHTS – Upon learning Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi is coming to Camden County to help Congressman Donald Norcross kick off his re-election campaign next month Camden County Republican Chairman Rich Ambrosino said, “It was nice of the Speaker to provide us with advance notice of her visit to Camden County. It gives us time to plan a warm welcome. I hope she likes it.”

“It is my sincere hope that while Congresswoman Pelosi is here she can help us clear some things up,” Rich Ambrosino said. “For example, we’ve been dealing with the situation around former Assemblyman Arthur Barclay since the summer of 2018. Last September, I recalled that Congressman Norcross said, ‘This type of behavior is unacceptable under any circumstances,’ and asked that the Congressman join me in calling for the Camden County machine Democrats to stop protecting Arthur Barclay and explain how Barclay was transferred to a new job after resigning from the Assembly for ‘health reasons.’ Norcross, like every other Democrat in the state, has remained silent on that issue.”

Ambrosino added, “I’m sure, Pelosi, such a huge #MeToo advocate, might want to know how a man who admitted to punching his girlfriend in the face still has a county job. She might also ask why Norcross, with the influence he has as a member of Congress, has done nothing to get answers as to how someone he said displayed unacceptable behavior ‘under any circumstances’ was transferred to a new job in County government.”

“After getting answers to the Barclay situation maybe Congresswoman Pelosi can find out where the ‘thousands of jobs’ are Norcross

promised

would be created when he bragged about leading ‘the charge on getting the Economic Opportunity Act passed into law.’” Ambrosino said, “The Congresswoman can simply write her answers on a note and drop it out the car window to me when she arrives for her event with Norcross. I’ll be out there with many other Republicans to welcome her to Camden County. I’ll be the guy holding a Trump sign!”

The Satanic Temple Asks White House Faith Advisor to Pay for Abortions

SALEM, MASSACHUSETTS

(January 2020)– The Satanic Temple, a nontheistic religious group representing Satanists around the world, sent a letter to Pastor Paula White, who is serving as one of President Trump’s religious advisors. White recently gained media attention, and social media amusement, when she publicly prayed for God to forcibly end “Satanic pregnancies.”

Gloucestercitynews.net files

The Satanic Temple has taken her up on her prayers and asked the 53-year-old millionaire televangelist Pastor White to fund abortions for ten of its members.

“It was a surprise to us that this conservative pastor is boldly in favor of God terminating pregnancies,” says Satanic Temple co-founder Lucien Greaves, “but we are glad to learn that she’s coming around on the science, which clearly shows that the only person with rights in this equation is the pregnant woman.”

The Satanic Temple asserts that its mission “is to encourage benevolence and empathy among all people, [and] reject tyrannical authority,” has over 100k members around the world, many of whom come from Christian backgrounds.

“We are not against religion,” says Greaves. “In fact, we are officially a church in the United States. What we are against is tyranny. We are glad to learn that the pastor agrees.”

The Satanic Temple has been at the forefront of the fight to protect the reproductive rights of its members and launched a campaign to provide religious exemptions from many of the laws that do not promote health and safety. More information on this can be found at

religiousreproductiverights.com

.

About The Satanic Temple

The mission of The Satanic Temple is to encourage benevolence and empathy among all people, reject tyrannical authority, advocate practical common sense and justice, and be directed by the human conscience to undertake noble pursuits guided by the individual will. More information can be found at

www.thesatanictemple.com

.

NJ Dept. of Health Opens Novel Coronavirus Call Center

TRENTON, NJ (January 30, 2020)–The New Jersey Department of Health today announced the opening of a hotline (1-800-222-1222) for the public to ask questions about the 2019 Novel Coronavirus.

“Although the risk to the public remains low, we understand that residents have questions about this new virus,” Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli said. “This hotline provides factual information to alleviate fear and dispel rumors.”

The hotline is being operated by the New Jersey Poison Information and Education System (NJPIES), also known as the New Jersey Poison Center, which has run other call centers for the Health Department. NJPIES is a division of the Department of Emergency Medicine at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School. The hotline can accommodate callers in multiple languages.

“

As a 24-hour hotline staffed continuously with trained healthcare professionals, the New Jersey Poison Center is standing by to answer questions about this emerging infection. The call is always free, and we can communicate in any language to the public as well as healthcare professionals,” said Dr. Diane Calello, Executive and Medical Director of NJPIES.

The hotline is part of a comprehensive approach by the state and medical and public health partners to respond to novel coronavirus (nCoV) by ensuring the public health and health care system preparedness.

The Department has an CoV

webpage

that includes CDC updates, travel advisories and guidance sent to health care providers, local health departments, infection preventionists and other health partners.

On Friday, Commissioner Persichilli sent a letter to hospital CEOs detailing

specific guidance

to healthcare professionals on how to evaluate reports of patients with possible nCoV illness, such as taking a careful travel and exposure history to determine if they meet specific CDC testing criteria.  At this time, only the CDC laboratories in Atlanta have the capabilities to test for nCoV, though it is expected that state public health laboratories will be able to test soon.

The Department has also been in contact with Newark Liberty International Airport’s Division of Global Migration and Quarantine and the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene in advance of airport screening.

“The Department reminds individuals with recent travel to Wuhan, China or close contact with someone who has and are experiencing symptoms, to call their health care provider in advance before arriving to the office so they can make accommodations in advance,” Commissioner Persichilli said.

Patients with confirmed nCoV infection have reportedly had mild to severe respiratory illness with symptoms of fever, cough and shortness of breath. CDC believes at this time that symptoms of nCoV may appear in as few as two days or as long as two weeks after exposure.

New Jersey continues to work closely with the CDC and local health partners to monitor the situation and will provide updates accordingly.

For more information, visit our homepage at

nj.gov/health

Illegal Alien Arrested for DUI Receives Cash Settlement from Sanctuary City

Gloucestercitynews.net graphic

Laguna Beach

, California-

-In the latest example of sanctuary madness, a U.S. city is awarding an illegal immigrant with a

cash settlement

because police detained him for federal authorities after being arrested for driving under the influence. The 29-year-old perpetrator, Edgar Torres Gutierrez, eventually pled guilty to a lesser charge of reckless driving and his pro bono attorneys from a nearby public university sued the city for violating his Constitutional rights as well as a statewide sanctuary law. Under the agreement, Gutierrez will receive $18,750 from taxpayers in the California coastal municipality where he lives illegally. Local police officers will also be forced to watch a training video involving sanctuary measures for the next two years.

Even for a famously liberal state this seems to be a bit much. The unbelievable incident occurred in Laguna Beach, a southern California town of about 23,000 residents. In the summer of 2018, Gutierrez was arrested and jailed by Laguna Beach Police on suspicion of driving under the influence. The law enforcement agency held him at the request of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) so the feds could take custody. In all, Gutierrez spent around 15 hours in Laguna Beach Police custody and several more hours in a Los Angeles immigrant detention facility, according to a local

news report.

Apparently, Gutierrez wasn’t deported because he is protected by an Obama-era amnesty program, known as Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) that temporarily shields illegal immigrants that came to the U.S. as children. Government figures show that more than100,000 illegal immigrants who have requested DACA have serious

criminal histories

that include murder, rape and assault charges.

Imagine if every American city paid each of them a settlement for cooperating with federal authorities. Gutierrez came to the U.S. illegally from Mexico when he was three and takes responsibility for the “actions” that led to his arrest. He said this in one local

news report

: “I acknowledge that and I am at fault for that and I am dealing with the consequences of that.” However, the illegal immigrant added that police should not be working with ICE to deport undocumented aliens like him who are protected under DACA. He is calling on fellow illegal immigrants to speak up and come forward when they feel there’s been an injustice or if their “rights” have been violated. After taking a victory lap, his publicly-funded lawyers filed another complaint this week with the Laguna Beach Police Department that will require more taxpayer resources to defend.

Emboldened by sanctuary policies and open-borders groups that offer free legal representation, a growing number of illegal immigrants are filing lawsuit demanding rights in the U.S. Last year seven illegal immigrants detained in a workplace raid

sued

the federal agents that arrested them, claiming that they were racially profiled for being Latino. In a federal court

complaint

their pro bono attorneys asserted that ICE agents violated the illegal aliens’ Constitutional rights against illegal seizures and to equal protection under the Fourth and Fifth Amendments to the U.S. Constitution. Months earlier a separate lawsuit resulted in a federal court

ruling

that illegal immigrants can sue American employers that refuse to hire them because they require workers to be U.S. citizens or legal residents (green card holders).

The movement has also gained tremendous momentum as leftist groups flex their muscle to pressure local municipalities to protect illegal immigrants. A few years ago, Judicial Watch obtained

records

documenting how Arizona’s largest city became a sanctuary after its police chief held a private meeting with an influential leftist group ordering a change in immigration enforcement. The documents show that Phoenix Police Chief Jeri Williams quietly implemented a policy banning officers from contacting the feds after arresting an illegal alien following a secret meeting with the director of a leftist group demanding protections for illegal aliens. The agreement also forbids Phoenix police officers from asking about suspects’ immigration status.

source:

Judicialwatch.org

Law Banning Plastic Bags Released – Will Go Into Effect 18 Months from Signing

Trenton, NJ (January 30, 2020)–The plastic bag ban bill, S864 (Smith/Greenstein), was released by the Senate Environment and Energy Committee today, January 30, 2020. The bill prohibits the

provision or sale of single-use plastic carryout bags, single-use paper carryout bags, and polystyrene foam food service products. It also limits the provision of single-use plastic straws and appropriates moneys from the Clean Communities Program Fund for public education. The bill was amended to go into effect 18 months after it is signed for plastic bags, paper bags, and polystyrene, and 1 year for straws.

“Today, the battle to stop plastics begins all over again. Now that this bill has left the committee, it is critical to get this bill passed as soon as possible. Every day of delay means that more plastics are getting into our environment and into us. This is the most comprehensive plastic bill in the nation because it bans paper bags as well as single-use plastic bags. This legislation is critical because it could make New Jersey a national leader in going after plastics and protecting our environment,” said Jeff Tittel, Director of the New Jersey Sierra Club. “We have been fighting to get this bill passed for over two years. Given the delays, it is important that they have changed the effective date to 18 months instead of 2 years. It is critical that our legislators push this bill through quickly, because the longer we delay the worse our plastic problem gets.”

Last year, the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) found that the use of thick ‘reusable’ plastic bags in the UK increased from 960 million in 2018 to 1.5 billion 2019, likely a direct result of a country-wide single use plastic bag ban. This shows that consumers are using thicker plastic bags in the same disposable manner as single-use plastic bags, because they are being regularly replaced. The study recommended banning thick plastic bags entirely to effectively reduce plastic waste for the UK.

“This legislation is critical because it bans so-called ‘reusable’ thick plastic bags as well as single-use bags. There has been a push for these fake reusable bags to replace thin plastic bags, but these bags do not work. Places that replace single-use plastic with these ‘bags for life’ still find piles of them in the garbage or polluting the environment. Because they are thicker and woven with fine plastic fibers, they only increase our plastic waste problem and become microplastics that enter our water supplies and food chain,” said Jeff Tittel. “We need to ban plastics, but these thicker plastic bags would only continue to clog our storm drains, kill our wildlife, and pollute our drinking water. We are glad that this legislation will protect us from all plastics, regardless of thickness.”

Bans on plastic have proven to be effective. For example, Los Angeles County saw a 94 percent reduction in single-use bags after implementing a ban. This included a 30 percent reduction in paper bag use with a 10-cent fee on other bags. In San Jose, they saw an 89 percent decrease of bags in storm drains, 60 percent fewer in creeks, and 59 percent fewer in streets.

“This is an important day for the state of New Jersey. This bill will help protect our rivers and streams from plastic that not only hurts the environment but also endangers our wildlife and public health. Without this legislation, plastics will continue to kill whales and get into our environment and into us. Microplastics have already been found near our drinking water supply, so we could literally be drinking plastic. Plastic bags have been known to clog storm drains and fill up detention basins, affecting our water quality. Animals, especially birds, get strangled and suffocated by plastic bags,” said Tittel. “This bill is important because it will ban polystyrene containers and single-use plastic bags, including fake thick plastic reusable bags, and will allow paper bags to be used during the transition before banning those as well.”

This is the first bill in the country that would ban paper bags in addition to single-use plastic bags. So far, eight states have banned single-use plastic bags, including California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Maine, New York, Oregon, and Vermont. In New Jersey, towns like Paramus, Bayonne, Lambertville, Avalon, Belmar, Hoboken, Jersey City, and Teaneck are all passing plastic bag ban ordinances.

“This legislation is a major step forward in dealing with single-use plastic bags as well as polystyrene and plastic straws. Polystyrene is dangerous to human health because it contains carcinogenic chemicals such as benzene and styrene, and it has been found in breast milk. It is harmful to the environment because it is not recyclable and does not degrade. Plastic straws pollute our oceans and beaches. Last year, New Jersey found that more than 80% of their trash is plastic and found an increase in plastic straw waste by 59%,” said Jeff Tittel, “By reducing how much plastic we use, we can also reduce fracking and fossil fuel use. Plastics are made from natural gas, which means more fossil fuel use, more pipelines, and more fracking.”

Plastics have become a bigger and bigger problem that affects our environment. Rutgers scientists found densities of about 28,000 to more than 3 million plastic particles per square kilometer in the Passaic and Raritan Rivers. Beach sweeps in New Jersey found that beaches from Monmouth County down to Cape May County have micro plastics in the ocean and on the beach.

“Now that this bill has left committee, our legislators need to pass it as quickly as possible because this is landmark legislation for New Jersey when it comes to plastics. People are fed up with plastic pollution filling up their storm drains and threatening their drinking water. 38 towns in New Jersey already have plastic bans in effect, 18 have passed ordinances that are not yet in effect, and dozens more are in the process. New Jersey’s Legislature needs to stand up and be as bold as places like Jersey City and Sea Bright. We need this comprehensive statewide ban to combat our plastic pollution effectively,” said Jeff Tittel, Director of the New Jersey Sierra Club. “Our Legislature must work quickly to get this to the governor\’s desk to sign before our plastic waste problem gets worse. We cannot afford to wait any longer.”

source NJ Sierra Club

Democratic Candidate Running Against Van Drew Upset with Trash Left From Trump Rally

STATEMENT FROM BRIGID HARRISON REGARDING THE TRUMP/VAN DREW RALLY CLEAN-UP EFFORTS

[January 30, 2020 – Longport, New Jersey] – This morning,

The Cherry Hill Courier-Post published an extensive news story

detailing the enormous clean-up efforts and expense the Wildwood/Cape May community has been forced to address after Tuesday night\’s Trump/Van Drew political rally.

The following is a statement from Brigid Callahan Harrison, Democratic candidate for Congress in New Jersey\’s second congressional district:

\”When Jeff Van Drew first chose to obstruct Congress\’s rightful authority to investigate very serious allegations against Donald Trump, he assisted in the withholding of crucial information related to the 2020 election and chose to help Trump get away with a crime.

\”When Jeff Van Drew negotiated his backroom deal with Trump and switch parties, he chose to take the Trump campaign money and to put his self-interest ahead of the people of the 2nd district.

\”But what is most telling is that during that moment, when Trump asked Van Drew what he wanted in return, he had only one answer – he wanted his very own political rally.

\”Van Drew did not ask Trump to help our community on issues that matter, like Health Care, Infrastructure, and Student Loans, instead the trade-off continued to be about Jeff Van Drew\’s interests, not the people of our district.

\”The result is that we now have a new Trump pawn in Congress and a huge, costly mess in Wildwood to clean up.  Thousands of people from outside the district came to Wildwood on Tuesday, which has clearly resulted in labor and costs for Wildwood, Cape May, and the 2nd District, and once again, we see Van Drew self-interest taking the top priority.

\”It is Van Drew\’s obligation to clean up his own mess, both in Wildwood and in Washington.

\”With the dust now settling after Tuesday night, it is clear we have work to do.  We have immediate work to do with the clean-up in Wildwood, and we must all come together to vote Jeff Van Drew out of office.  Van Drew chose to violate the trust of those who voted for him, including me.  He has ignored the voices of New Jersey\’s second congressional district, the progressives, moderates, and independents who united to get him elected.  And it is clear, he cares only about himself.

\”Jeff Van Drew has made his choices, and on November 3, 2020, we will make ours,\”

NJ’s LGBTQ Laws Rated in Human Rights Campaign’s State Equality Index

An estimated 8 million LGBTQ Americans, their friends and families remain at risk of discrimination if they live in one of the 30 states without adequate protections.

WASHINGTON —

Today, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Foundation and the Equality Federation Institute released their 5th annual

State Equality Index

(SEI), a comprehensive report detailing statewide laws and policies that affect LGBTQ people and their families, and assessing how well states are protecting LGBTQ people from discrimination.

New Jersey

falls into the category,

“Working Toward Innovative Equality.”

“As LGBTQ people continue to face an onslaught of attacks from the federal administration in Washington, the Human Rights Campaign’s 2019 State Equality Index (SEI) documents how states were instrumental in advancing equality through pro-LGBTQ legislation, policies and proposals,” said

HRC President Alphonso David

. “In the absence of federal non-discrimination protections for the LGBTQ community, states must put policies in place to ensure equality for their residents, workers and visitors. In 2020 and beyond, the Human Rights Campaign will continue to work with our partners to defeat anti-LGBTQ legislation in the states and secure new protections for our community, both at the state and federal level. Already, we see the promise of even more protections passing state legislatures in 2020, including action taken in Virginia advancing the

Virginia Values Act

.”

Due to the lack of explicit, comprehensive civil rights protections for LGBTQ people at the federal level, the rights of millions of LGBTQ people and their families vary depending on which state they live in. In 30 states, LGBTQ people remain at risk of being fired, evicted or denied services because of who they are. These top-rated states and Washington, D.C., have robust LGBTQ non-discrimination laws covering employment, housing and public accommodations.

The SEI’s assessment of statewide LGBTQ-related legislation and policies in the areas of parenting laws and policies, religious refusal and relationship recognition laws, non-discrimination laws and policies, hate crime and criminal justice laws, youth-related laws and policies and health and safety laws and policies has placed each state in one of four distinct categories:

Seventeen states and the District of Columbia are in the highest-rated category, “Working Toward Innovative Equality”:

California, Colorado; Connecticut; Delaware; District of Columbia; Illinois; Maine; Maryland; Massachusetts; Minnesota; Nevada; New Jersey; New Mexico; New York; Oregon; Rhode Island; Vermont; and Washington

Three states are in the category “Solidifying Equality”:

Hawaii; Iowa; and New Hampshire

Two states are in the category “Building Equality”:

Utah and Wisconsin

Twenty-Eight states are in the lowest-rated category “High Priority to Achieve Basic Equality”:

Alabama; Alaska; Arizona; Arkansas; Florida; Georgia; Idaho; Indiana; Kansas; Kentucky; Louisiana; Michigan; Mississippi; Missouri; Montana; Nebraska; North Carolina; North Dakota; Ohio; Oklahoma; Pennsylvania; South Carolina; South Dakota; Tennessee; Texas; Virginia; West Virginia; and Wyoming

“The State Equality Index highlights how far we have come in the fight for LGBTQ equality in each state. For years, we’ve been working with our member organizations to pave the way for nationwide protections by winning state and municipal laws that make discrimination illegal. We’re keeping that momentum going. We have big plans for a future where we can thrive in all the places we call home,” said

Rebecca Isaacs, Executive Director of the Equality Federation

. “This year, we will work with members on a host of issues, including non-discrimination legislation in places like Virginia and Ohio. Together, we are impacting the lives of millions of LGBTQ Americans. We can, and we will win this fight.”

Last year, the pro-equality majority in the U.S. House of Representatives passed the

Equality Act

, a bill to establish comprehensive federal protections for LGBTQ people. But as HRC and other civil rights organizations work toward establishing these critical federal protections, accelerating progress at the state level is critical.

This SEI report comes as 38 state legislatures and the District of Columbia have opened their sessions — and with several good bills introduced, including the Virginia Values Act, a bill that would modernize Virginia\’s existing human rights laws and provide non-discrimination protections for LGBTQ people in public employment and housing. In New Jersey, the governor has signed a bill to ban anti-LGBTQ “panic defenses.”

Unfortunately, we have also seen the introduction and passage of bad legislation, including

a Tennessee bill

that would allow child welfare organizations — including taxpayer-funded adoption and foster care agencies — to turn away qualified Tennesseans seeking to care for a child in need, including LGBTQ couples, interfaith couples, single parents, married couples in which one prospective parent has previously been divorced or other parents to whom the agency has a religious objection. In

South Dakota

, the state House of Representatives passed a bill that effectively bars instructors who teach grades K-7 in the state’s public schools from instructing students on gender identity or gender expression.

Advancing LGBTQ non-discrimination protections at the state and federal level is supported by a wide swath of Americans. A recent PRRI survey found that 71 percent of Americans support LGBTQ non-discrimination laws like the Equality Act. A map of this patchwork of laws can be found

here

.

HRC’s full State Equality Index report, including detailed scorecards for every states, and a preview of the 2020 state legislative session is available online at

www.hrc.org/sei

.

The Human Rights Campaign Foundation is the educational arm of America\’s largest civil rights organization working to achieve equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual transgender and queer people. HRC envisions a world where LGBTQ people are embraced as full members of society at home, at work and in every community.