Please call and e-mail the following Senators with the message: Please DO NOT support S1759. If you are a constituent make sure to identify yourself as such.
- Senator President Steven Sweeney – 856-251-9801 – sensweeney@njleg.org
- Senator James Beach – 856-429-1572 – senbeach@njleg.org
- Senator Fred Madden – 856-232-6700 – senmadden@njleg.org
- Senator Nellie Pou – 973-247-1555 – senpou@njleg.org
- Senator Brian Stack – 201-861-5091 – senstack@njleg.org
- Senator Ronald Rice – 973-371-5665 – senrice@njleg.org
- Senator Barbara Buono – 732-205-1372 – senbuono@njleg.org
- Senator Sandra Cunningham – 201-451-5100 – sencunningham@njleg.org
- Senator Nicholas Scutari – 908-587-0404 – senscutari@njleg.org
- Senator Nicholas Sacco – 201-295-0200 – sensacco@njleg.org
If the bill IS posted, we will need a lot of people who care and oppose this bill in Trenton on December 20th.
Some talking points:
The state should have no role in judging whether it deems a family’s religious beliefs “bona fide.” This bill, if passed, is unconstitutional, discriminatory, and a violation of the First Amendment and NJ’s State Constitution. It is a violation of the separation of church and state. It is a huge infringement on religious rights and constitutional rights and a complete overstepping of authority.
Trampling religious freedoms and forcing more people to use vaccines will not make the pertussis vaccine more effective. S1759 sponsors say this bill is in response to recent whooping cough outbreaks. However, these outbreaks have been among vaccinated populations. The CDC has stated the pertussis vaccine is ineffective and does not provide the promised protection because the disease continues to mutate.
If S1759 passes, NJ will require a cumbersome and discriminatory process in order for parents to exercise their right to claim a religious exemption to vaccination. People of faith who currently have a religious exemption for their children would face potential rejection if S1759 becomes law.
The religious exemption, under current law, is adequate.