Bill > A1926

Introduced Session

This bill requires the New Jersey Law Revision Commission (NJLRC) to identify racially discriminatory laws and propose ways in which those laws could be amended or repealed. Currently, the NJLRC is required to undertake a continuous examination of New Jersey statutory law in order to ensure it is properly adapted to present social needs and secures better administration of justice. Specifically, the commission identifies defective, anachronistic, redundant, or conflicting provisions and recommends to the Legislature ways these issues can be remedied. The commission also receives and considers recommendations from the public, government officials, and academic organizations on ways in which the laws of this state can be harmonized with modern concepts and conditions. In light of this preexisting statutory mandate, the commission is uniquely qualified for this new task. Historically, both northern and southern states passed laws with the purpose and effect of discriminating against people of color. New Jersey was no exception to this phenomenon as it was the first northern state to restrict the vote to white men and became the last northern state to abolish slavery. Although race relations have dramatically improved since the Civil Rights Movement, there is still more that can be done to ensure all citizens are treated equally under the law. While many racially discriminatory laws have been repealed by the Legislature or invalidated by subsequent court decisions, more of these problematic laws may still be a part of New Jersey's statutory code. For these reasons, a continuous effort to identify and propose ways in which these laws can be amended or repealed is one way historic wrongs can be corrected to ensure a better future for all citizens regardless of their ethnicity.

AI Summary

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Jamel Holley (D)*,  Benjie Wimberly (D)*, 

Introduced, Referred to Assembly State and Local Government Committee (on 01/14/2020)