Thanks to the sustained advocacy and political engagement of organized labor, the wheels have been set in motion for several key legislative victories. Action packed voting sessions are scheduled for Thursday, April 12, 2018, in the state Assembly and state Senate concerning jobs, voting rights, collective bargaining, and earned sick leave. Please find below a list of bills slated to be voted on this Thursday – for which the New Jersey State AFL-CIO and its affiliates have led the charge – along with a brief summary and progress report for each measure.
Assembly Voting Session
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Senate Voting Session
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Automatic Voter Registration (A-2014/S-481): This bill allows eligible voters to be automatically registered to vote or to have their voting information updated when interacting with the Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC) unless they decline registration. We thank the bill’s prime sponsors, Senators Vitale and Beach, Assembly Speaker Coughlin, and Assemblyman Schaer.
Workplace Democracy Act (A-3686/S-2137): This bill seeks to provide stability and streamline communication provisions that impact public sector unions and their members in light of the Janus v. AFSCME case before the U.S. Supreme Court. We thank the bill’s prime sponsors, Senate President Sweeney and Assembly Speaker Coughlin.
Earned Sick Leave (A-1827/S-2171): Legislation has passed the state Assembly and is awaiting a full Senate vote. We thank the bill’s prime sponsors, Senator Weinberg and Assembly members Lampitt and Mukherji, and look forward to enactment of this crucial policy that the State Federation and its affiliates have taken the lead on for several years.
PSE&G Nuclear Energy (A-3724/S-2313): This bill will help to preserve middle class jobs as well as strengthen and diversify New Jersey’s energy portfolio. We thank the bill’s prime sponsors, Senators Sweeney, Smith, and Van Drew and Assembly members Burzichelli, McKeon, and DeAngelo.
Out-of-Network Consumer Protection (A-2039/S-485): This bill seeks to end the practice of charging consumers exorbitant fees for out-of-network care. We thank the bill’s prime sponsors, Senators Vitale and Weinberg, Assembly Speaker Coughlin, and Assemblyman Schaer.
Once again, we would like to thank everyone for all their hard work, and we look forward to seeing you in Trenton on Thursday to finish the job. Be sure to wear your union colors.