Category: NORTH JERSEY

Coast Guard medevacs man from fishing vessel 50 miles off Manasquan Inlet

MANASQUAN INLET, N.J. —(January 29, 2020)– The Coast Guard medevaced a man from a fishing vessel 50 miles off Manasquan Inlet, Thursday afternoon.

Coast Guard Sector Delaware Bay watch standers received a call from the captain of the fishing vessel Enterprise requesting a MEDEVAC for a crew member experiencing severe abdominal pain.

A Coast Guard Station Manasquan Inlet 47-foot Motor Lifeboat crew was launched to assist, arrived and transferred the crew member aboard.

After the crew member\’s condition worsened, an Air Station Atlantic City MH-65 Dolphin Helicopter aircrew was launched, arrived, and medevaced the crew member to awaiting emergency medical services personnel at Atlantic City Care Regional Medical Center.

\”The Coast Guard trains everyday for events like this,\” said Petty Officer 1st Class Daniel Box, watch stander at the Sector Delaware Bay command center. \”Because of that training we were able to coordinate multiple Coast Guard assets to get the crew member medical attention as quickly as possible.\”

CNB Hunting/Fishing NJ: Scoping Hearings for Summer Flounder/Scup/Black Sea Bass and Bluefish

DOWN THE SHORE

–Don’t miss the opportunity to provide comment on management for summer flounder/scup/black sea bass and bluefish during several public scoping hearings in February held by the Mid-Atlantic

Fisheries Management Council.  Please note that these hearings will not address recreational bag, season, or size limits.  See below and attached for additional information.

Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Commercial/Recreational Allocation Amendment

The Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Commercial/Recreational Allocation Amendment will consider potential modifications to the allocations of catch or landings between the commercial and recreational sectors for summer flounder, scup, and black sea bass. Members of the public are encouraged to attend a scoping hearing or submit written comments on potential changes to the commercial/recreational allocations for these three species.

Scoping hearings

will be held on

February 24 (Belmar) and February 25 (Galloway)

. A schedule of dates and locations is available

here

.

Written comments

may be submitted using the

online comment form

through

March 17, 2020

.

Additional information

is available in the

Scoping and Public Information Document

.

Please note that this amendment

will not

address recreational bag, size, or season limits for any species.

Bluefish Allocation and Rebuilding Amendment

The Bluefish Allocation and Rebuilding Amendment is being developed in order to (1) update the goals and objectives of the Bluefish Fishery Management Plan; (2) perform a comprehensive review of the bluefish sector allocations, commercial allocations to the states, and transfer processes; and (3) initiate a bluefish rebuilding plan. Members of the public are encouraged to attend a scoping hearing or submit written comments on any of these issues.

Scoping hearings

will be held on

February 18 (Toms River)

. A schedule of dates and locations is available

here

.

Written comments

may be submitted using the

online comment form

through

March 17, 2020

.

Additional information

is available in the

Scoping and Public Information Document

.

Please note that this amendment

will not

address recreational bluefish management measures, including the 3-fish private/shore bag limit and 5 fish for-hire bag limit recommended for 2020.

Press Release-Bluefish-Supplemental-Scoping.pdf

News Release-Summer Flounder-Scup-BlackSeaBass-Allocation-Scoping-Hearings.pdf

HINDU\’S SAY: TCNJ refuses to withdraw its newspaper labelling Hinduism as “unforgiving”

Despite Hindu protest, The College of New Jersey (TCNJ) in Ewing is refusing to withdraw printed copies of its student newspaper “The Signal” from various locations, which states “Hinduism is an unforgiving religion”.

“…we decline your requests to retrieve printed copies of The Signal or to remove the article”, “The

Signal” Editor-in-Chief Emmy Liederman wrote yesterday in an email to Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, who spearheaded the protest. The printed January 29 issue of \”The Signal\” (Spring 2020 No. 1) in PDF, hosted by Issuu, carrying this objectionable statement, also continues to be posted on “The Signal” website.

courtesy of

Home

It was highly inappropriate and insensitive for the newspaper of a “Top Public College” funded by tax dollars and student fees (many of whom were Hindu) to belittle Hinduism, world’s oldest and third largest religion with about 1.1 billion adherents and a rich philosophical thought; Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, said in Nevada today.

Despite repeated requests through emails by Rajan Zed to the College President Dr. Kathryn A. Foster and others, the student newspaper containing “Hinduism is an unforgiving religion”, continues to be available in many campus locations and its website. This type of continual and unwarranted denigration of their religion was heartbreaking for the Hindu community in general and the Hindu student population of TCNJ in particular, Zed noted.

Zed had also urged New Jersey Secretary of Higher Education Zakiya Smith Ellis to launch an enquiry into it; and TCNJ Trustees Chair Susanne Svizeny and President Foster to offer a formal apology to the Hindu community. Zed is also requesting an introductory article about Hinduism in the next edition of “The Signal” to clear the misconceptions thus created.

Such a derogatory statement against a religion coming out of a public educational institution was really shocking for the hard-working, harmonious and peaceful Hindu community; which had made lot of contributions to New Jersey, USA and society in general; and continued to do so; Rajan Zed added.

Is this how TCNJ accomplishes its Mission of developing “responsible citizens”, Vision of serving “as a national exemplar of public higher education”, Values of \”treat each other with civility and respect\” and “committed to building a diverse and inclusive community\”; Zed wonders.

Rajan Zed further said that Hindus were for free speech and artistic expression as much as anybody else if not more. But faith was something sacred and attempts at trivializing it hurt the devotees.

The feature-article, which began with “Hinduism is an unforgiving religion”, was written by \”Nation & World Editor\” of award-winning “The Signal” (among the oldest collegiate weeklies, since 1855).

“Highly selective” awards-winning TCNJ, on 289 tree-lined acres, enrolls about 7,400 graduate and undergraduate students and offers over 50 programs.

There are about three million Hindus in USA. New Jersey reportedly has the highest percentage of Hindus in the nation.

How to Encourage Your Kids to Brush Every Day

Gloucestercitynews.net (January 31, 2020)–Getting a good bedtime routine going can make it easier to get your kids to sleep. Therefore, it’s important to teach them to do things like put on their own pajamas and read a book. The problem is, when it comes to tooth brushing, many kids are reluctant to do it and may spend ages messing around and generally not doing what you ask. If your kids are refusing to brush, here are some ways to encourage them to get into good habits.

Find Out What They Dislike About Brushing

image unsplash.com

While sometimes a refusal to brush is simply laziness — or wanting to do something more fun — there can be a number of reasons why kids hate brushing their teeth. Some kids dislike the feel of brushing their teeth, but this can be helped if you brush for them until they’re older. Other kids hate the taste of toothpaste, so you could remedy this by making your own paste and utilizing different techniques to see if that makes your child happier.

Let Them Choose a Toothbrush

You wouldn’t want someone to pick out a toothbrush for you, so let your child have some input. It’s important to get a toothbrush with a head that’s small enough for their mouth, otherwise, they’ll struggle to get in the corners. An electric toothbrush can also make things more fun for them. According to Method Dental,

electric toothbrushes have a number of advantages

and can be good for kids.

Use a Reward Chart

If you’ve had success using the reward chart method with your child, then add toothbrushing to their daily goals so they can earn stars or smiley faces. Once they’ve collected enough, you can reward them with a non-sugary treat. And as they get older, the chart should be used to record their brushing every night before bed.

Use an App

The modern form of a reward chart, apps can be a good way to encourage children to pick up good habits, as well as ensuring they learn the right technique. There are many

toothbrushing apps for kids

that can be downloaded for free on the app store or Google Play. These apps will generally show a cute cartoon that ensures your child brushes correctly and for the recommended amount of time.

Take Them to the Dentist

If nagging doesn’t work, try taking the kids to a child-friendly dentist who can talk to them about brushing their teeth. Kids often don’t care if their teeth look a little yellow or if their breath smells, but the fear of having cavities or missing teeth might be enough to get them to brush more often.

From the first moment your child’s baby teeth come through, it’s important to teach them oral hygiene skills that’ll turn into good habits for life. While brushing your teeth isn’t the most exciting thing your kids can do, if you make a game out of it and reward them for remembering to brush, they are more likely to do it.

Quick and Easy Ways to Make Your Home More Eco-Friendly

Gloucestercitynews.net (January 31, 2020)–People are thinking a lot more about their carbon footprint these days, the idea of making your home eco-friendlier is not new, but it is becoming essential. From those who want to reduce their

image unsplash.com

environmental impact to those that are preparing their home to sell, being more environmentally conscious is more popular than ever. Make the right eco-friendly changes to your home, and you can even add value to your property, meaning that you can advance up the property ladder even faster. If you\’re looking for ways to make cost-effective changes to your carbon footprint, here are some of the greenest ways to make your home eco-friendlier.

Water Waste

As one of the more expensive utility bills, it always pays to be smarter about your water use. When it comes to being environmentally aware, most people look at electricity consumption, but your use of water is just as vital. Think about the many ways that you can save water, starting with making repairs on any leaking pipes or

a dripping faucet

. Consider installing a showerhead that comes with a low-flow option, and you can save thousands of liters of water every year.

Get Hot and Stay Cool

Temperature is where a lot of people fail when it comes to their carbon footprint. Relaxing at home if it’s too cold or too hot can be very frustrating, so it’s always tempting to play with the air-con or heating system to get the right temperature

to relax in. Check your air-conditioning system and your furnace, making sure to

make a note of your SEER and AFUE

. These two measurements will give you a much clearer idea of your energy efficiency and can have a large bearing on your utility bills.

Always Insulate

One of the most effective ways to use less energy is to need less. Insulated walls and attics prevent cooled or heated air from escaping outside, meaning that you aren’t going to be wasting your energy by constantly adjusting the temperature. You can even go beyond traditional materials by investing in more

eco-friendly materials for your insulation

. Sheep\’s wool and cotton are common options for greener insulation, but there are many materials to consider if you want to improve your insulation and remain environmentally conscious.

Eco-Aware Lighting

Most people have already looked at energy-efficient light bulbs, but if you haven’t researched them lately, then you might be amazed by the drop in prices. While the cost of energy-saving light bulbs used to be quite prohibitive, modern options are much more wallet-friendly. Remember, you don’t have to swap every lightbulb immediately. Buy one or two energy-efficient bulbs every payday and replace your older lightbulbs with the newer bulbs as needed. Take your time, and you’ll soon have all of the

environmentally friendly lighting

that you’ll need.

Turning your home int0 somewhere more eco-friendly doesn’t have to mean huge disruption or costs. Often, it is the small changes to your home that will have the most impact. Whether you\’re putting your property on the market or you want to reduce your carbon footprint, these quick and easy eco-friendly tips could save you a fortune and boost the asking price of your home.

How to Properly Spruce Up Your Home’s Curb Appeal

Gloucestercitynews.net(January 31, 2020)–Though it’s on the inside that counts, a properly spruced up exterior can help you boost your home’s value, your own comfort, and of course help boost the quality of your neighborhood. With luck, you might even convince your other neighbors to put effort into their own homes, so all, in all you end up living on a picture-perfect street.

You will be proud to call your house home, and when the time comes your property will sell faster and for more because of your efforts. Don’t dally, however, because the best way to spruce up your home’s curb appeal is to do it for yourself, so start today and follow this guide:

Upgrade Your Gutters

We don’t often think about our gutters. They help keep rainwater away from the sides of our house, what else do we need to know about them, right? The reality is that

keeping your gutters clean from debris is so important

, as it helps protect your foundation, stops soil from eroding, and keeps mold and mildew away from your home.

Thankfully there are options that mean you don’t have to get up on a two-story ladder and risk your safety.  Instead you can opt for a covered gutter that prevents leaves and other items from falling in, but still safely manages your rainwater.

Deal with Your Exterior Wall

The exact steps you will take will depend entirely on what your wall is made of. Brick does well with being power washed to rid it of any accumulated grime. Paint needs to be washed, sanded down, and then repainted. Due to the size of the job, bringing in a professional team is definitely recommended, because when it comes to sprucing up your home,

clean exterior walls

is going to have the biggest impact.

Upgrade You Doors (and Windows)

If you aren’t happy with your home’s trimmings, then it is time to invest in them. Either paint and add decorative elements to the features you have now or replace them entirely. If you want your home to pop, for example, consider painting your window trimmings the same color as your front and garage doors.

Start Gardening, Today

Installing fully mature plants is expensive, but if you are willing to put in the work and be patient you can end up

having a stunning front and rear garden

. Add a rose wall, for example, or plant a young sapling. It won’t look its best the first year, but over time your landscaping will be stunning (and budget-friendly).

Don’t Forget Lighting

It’s not necessary to light up every inch of your property, but you will want to invest in quality lights at least for your driveway and front door. This is so that you can see clearly when dealing with keys and it helps keep you safer.

Your curb appeal adds a lot to your home but waiting to do something about it until you are ready to sell is a big waste. Start today and make the above improvements for yourself, because you deserve to be proud of where you live.

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

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.