ASSEMBLY APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

ASSEMBLY RESOLUTION No. 249

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:  NOVEMBER 15, 2021

      The Assembly Appropriations Committee reports favorably Assembly Resolution No. 249.

     This resolution urges Congress and President Biden to make lynching a federal crime.

     Lynchings were public acts of racial terrorism, intended to instill fear in the entire Black community by those wishing to further white supremacy across the country.  Acts of lynching were most commonly perpetrated by white mobs against African-American individuals and the vast majority of perpetrators received no punishment. On many occasions, local elected officials and law enforcement officers played an active role in the lynching.  Lynching was a pervasive act used to interfere with the exercise of federally protected liberties, housing rights, and free exercise of religion.

     Throughout the 20th century nearly 200 anti-lynching bills were introduced in Congress and between 1890 and 1952, seven Presidents petitioned Congress to end lynching, however no legislation was ever signed into law.  Currently, there are multiple bills pending in Congress that make lynching a federal crime, including the Emmett Till Anti-Lynching Act, H.R. 55.  Congress should take affirmative action on this bill and make lynching a federal crime.

     After almost a century of unsuccessful legislative efforts, Congress should enact legislation for the crime of lynching, or any attempt or conspiracy to commit lynching.

FISCAL IMPACT:

      This bill is not certified as requiring a fiscal note.