Bill Text: NJ ACR120 | 2024-2025 | Regular Session | Introduced

New Jersey Assembly Concurrent Resolution 120

Introduced

Bill Title: Urges United States Congress to enact "Alice Paul Voter Protection Act."

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)

Status: (Introduced) 2024-02-22 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly State and Local Government Committee [ACR120 Detail]

Download: New_Jersey-2024-ACR120-Introduced.html

ASSEMBLY CONCURRENT RESOLUTION No. 120

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

221st LEGISLATURE

INTRODUCED FEBRUARY 22, 2024

Sponsored by:

Assemblywoman CAROL A. MURPHY

District 7 (Burlington)

SYNOPSIS

Urges United States Congress to enact "Alice Paul Voter Protection Act."

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

As introduced.

A Concurrent Resolution urging the United States Congress to enact the "Alice Paul Voter Protection Act."

Whereas, The "Alice Paul Voter Protection Act," H.R. 1583 of the 118th Congress, sponsored by Representative Andy Kim of New Jersey's 3rd Congressional District and cosponsored by Representative Donald Norcross of New Jersey's 1st Congressional District, seeks to protect the voter registration rights of citizens; and

Whereas, The bill would prohibit any person to corruptly hinder, interfere with, or prevent another person from registering to vote or from helping another person in registering to vote, and would subject any person who violates these provisions to a fine, up to five years' imprisonment, or both; and

Whereas, The bill also requires the federal Election Assistance Commission to develop and publish recommendations for best practices for states to use to deter and prevent violations of the bill; and

Whereas, Fittingly, the bill honors the legacy of Alice Paul, a New Jersey native of the 3rd Congressional District who, as a feminist leader of the suffragist movement, member of the National American Women's Suffrage Association and leader of its Congressional Committee, and in 1916 a founder of the National Woman's Party, was instrumental in achieving the passage of the 19th Amendment by the United States Congress in 1919 and its ratification by the states in 1920, thereby guaranteeing women the right to vote; and

Whereas, In her lifelong fight for voting rights, Alice Paul endured scorn and imprisonment under inhumane conditions, but remained undeterred and, after earning three law degrees, originally wrote the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) in 1923 and rewrote it in 1943 to uphold the principle that "equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex," which is still to be ratified; and

Whereas, Voting rights are a sacred foundation of our democracy and have been secured by the determination and struggle of everyday citizens and leaders like Alice Paul; and

Whereas, It is therefore fitting and proper for Congress to enact the "Alice Paul Voter Protection Act" to protect all citizens' right to register to vote; now, therefore,

Be It Resolved by the General Assembly of the State of New Jersey (the Senate concurring):

1. This resolution urges the United States Congress to enact the "Alice Paul Voter Protection Act," H.R. 1583 of the 118th Congress, to protect the voter registration rights of all citizens and to honor the legacy of New Jersey native Alice Paul.

2. Copies of this resolution, as filed with the Secretary of State, shall be transmitted by the Clerk of the General Assembly or the Secretary of the Senate to the President and Vice President of the United States, the Majority and Minority Leaders of the United States Senate, the Speaker and Minority Leader of the United States House of Representatives, and every member of the New Jersey congressional delegation.

STATEMENT

This resolution urges the United States Congress to enact the "Alice Paul Voter Protection Act," H.R. 1583 of the 118th Congress, sponsored by Representative Andy Kim of New Jersey's 3rd Congressional District and cosponsored by Representative Donald Norcross of New Jersey's 1st Congressional District, which seeks to protect the voter registration rights of citizens.

The "Alice Paul Voter Protection Act" would prohibit any person to corruptly hinder, interfere with, or prevent another person from registering to vote or from helping another person in registering to vote, and would subject any person who violates these provisions to a fine, up to five years' imprisonment, or both. The bill also requires the federal Election Assistance Commission to develop and publish recommendations for best practices for states to use to deter and prevent violations of the bill.

Fittingly, the bill honors the legacy of Alice Paul, a New Jersey native of the 3rd Congressional District who, as a feminist leader of the suffragist movement, member of the National American Women's Suffrage Association and leader of its Congressional Committee, and in 1916 a founder of the National Woman's Party, was instrumental in achieving the passage of the 19th Amendment by the United States Congress in 1919 and its ratification by the states in 1920, thereby guaranteeing women the right to vote. In her lifelong fight for voting rights, Alice Paul endured scorn and imprisonment under inhumane conditions but remained undeterred and, after earning three law degrees, originally wrote the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) in 1923 and rewrote it in 1943 to uphold the principle that "equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex," which is still to be ratified.

Voting rights are a sacred foundation of our democracy and have been secured by the determination and struggle of everyday citizens and leaders like Alice Paul.