Sponsored by:
Senator LORETTA WEINBERG
District 37 (Bergen)
Senator RAYMOND J. LESNIAK
District 20 (Union)
SYNOPSIS
Celebrates New Jersey as inclusive State and welcomes everyone to its many attractions.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
A Senate Resolution celebrating New Jersey as an inclusive State and welcoming everyone to its many attractions.
Whereas, The State of New Jersey is distinguished by its unique history of immigration, cultural diversity, and inclusion of everyone in public life; and
Whereas, In laws, this State recognizes the importance of including everyone without regard to race, creed, color, national origin, nationality, ancestry, age, sex, gender identity or expression, affectional or sexual orientation, marital status, familial status, liability for service in the Armed Forces of the United States, or disability, in places of public accommodation, housing, and employment; and
Whereas, New Jersey was not only one of the first states to prohibit by law discrimination based on affectional or sexual orientation, but also one of the first states to formally recognize by law the right of same-sex couples to become domestic partners, thereby since 2004 guaranteeing certain rights and benefits to same-sex couples who enter into domestic partnerships; and
Whereas, Following the New Jersey Supreme Court’s 2006 landmark decision, wherein the Court held that the equal protection guarantee of the State Constitution was violated by denying the same rights and benefits enjoyed by heterosexual couples to committed same-sex couples, the Legislature further expanded the rights of same-sex couples by amending the marriage statutes to provide same-sex couples in civil unions with all of the same rights and benefits as married heterosexual couples; and
Whereas, Our business community welcomes everyone as employees and customers, and continues to strive for diversity, especially in our small business sector which composes 98% of all employers and employs more than half of the private sector labor force in New Jersey; and
Whereas, New Jersey’s institutions of higher education are among the most inclusive and diverse in the country, with student populations that reflect the variety of backgrounds and experiences of people in this State and the world; and
Whereas, Everyone is welcome to enjoy the State’s tourism attractions, including its beaches, State and national parks, historic sites, festivals, and resorts; and
Whereas, Diversity and inclusion have also always been part of New Jersey’s urban life, with its cities continuing to be enclaves of entrepreneurship and cultural exchange that enrich the social fabric in this State; now, therefore,
Be It Resolved by the Senate of the State of New Jersey:
1. This Senate Resolution celebrates New Jersey as an inclusive State, and welcomes everyone to its many attractions and to its business, educational, tourism, and urban communities.
2. Copies of this resolution, as filed with the Secretary of State, shall be transmitted by the Secretary of the Senate to the New Jersey Division of Travel and Tourism in the Department of State.
STATEMENT
This resolution celebrates New Jersey as an inclusive State, and welcomes everyone to its many attractions and to its business, educational, tourism, and urban communities.