Here Are Some Things From Our Inbox Today

Lieutenant Governor Tahesha Way kicked off the 6th annual New Jersey Ballot Bow, where collegiate-based teams see who can register the most voters and obtain the most commitments to vote; divisions are set up so colleges of similar size.  Says Way: “Every year, thousands of students across New Jersey step up and join their campus Ballot Bowl team to help their classmates register to vote and participate in our elections.  We’re so proud of this effort by young voters to get people excited and involved in our democracy.  We can’t wait to see how all the teams do this year.”

Way delivered the opening remarks at the New Jersey Business and Industry Association’s (NJBIA) Women Business Leaders Forum. Says NJBIA President and CEO Michele Siekerka: “In addition to being an effective leader for New Jersey tourism and our economy while serving as Secretary of State, Lt. Gov. Way also is a strong advocate for the growth of diversity in the workplace and in the boardroom.”

South Jersey Democratic Senators came out today saying that protecting children in schools and making sure that parents have a say over their child’s education are not mutually exclusive. Says State Sen. Troy Singleton (D-Delran), State Sen. Nilsa Cruz-Perez (D-Barrington), State Sen. Fred Madden (D-Washington), and State Sen. James Beach (D-Voorhees): “The ongoing politicization of health education standards here in our state by certain groups have sowed the seeds of divisiveness in our communities. This approach has distracted us from two very important points that we wholeheartedly believe in: (1) that all children should feel comfortable and welcome in our schools, and (2) that parents must continue to have the authority to make decisions about their child’s well-being.”

The New Jersey Working Families Party, New Jersey Citizen Action, and OneNJ7 announced today that they will be protesting Rep. Tom Kean Jr’s (R-Westfield) fundraiser tomorrow, which is being headlined by House Speaker Kevin McCarthy. Says Antoinette Miles, the interim state director of the NJ Working Families Party: “We called for Kean to do the right thing by canceling his fundraiser with Speaker McCarthy. Kean should stop worrying about his campaign’s bank account and focus on keeping the government open and fixing the pocketbook issues that affect his district.” Says Liz Glynn, NJ Citizen Action Director of Organizing: “The GOP should be focused on working to ease financial hardships for millions of Americans, not toasting each other at a campaign fundraiser.” Says Maggie Savoca, Co-Founder of OneNJ7: “Kean and McCarthy are out of touch with the citizens of New Jersey. We deserve better than this one-percenter who obviously does not care to do the job he was elected to do.”

Artemisia Morley, a cast member at the Medieval Times location in Lyndhurst, NJ filed a Request for Review to the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), seeking to defend her and her coworkers’ right to vote out unwanted officials American Guild of Variety Artists (AGVA) union. Morley is being represented by the National Right to Work Legal Defense Fund. Says Mark Mix, the National Right to Work Foundation President: “Federal labor law is supposed to protect the fundamental right of workers to freely decide who will speak for them in workplace matters, and Foundation staff attorneys will fight for Morley and her coworkers as AGVA bosses try to turn this commonsense principle on its head.”

The Commissioner of the Department of Environmental Protection, Shawn LaTourette, announced today an additional $3 million to the New Jersey Forest Fire Service budget, with a particular focus on upgrading the Service’s aging equipment. Says LaTourette: “The need to further strengthen our Forest Fire Service cannot be understated during Climate Week as the impacts of climate change increase the frequency and intensity of wildfires right here at home.” This announcement coincides with Climate Week, which runs from September 17 through September 24.