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Welcome to the New Jersey Regional Coalition

Capitol District Council  

 

This is a shared space for NJRC Capitol District members of the New Jersey Regional Coalition. The Capitol District comprises New Jersey Legislative District 15, 14, and parts of District 12.

 

NJRC is a statewide equity coalition of religious congregations and civic organizations working as a force for social justice and change in New Jersey. For 2009-2010 we will be focused on issues of transportation affordable housing, equal rights for immigrants (including legislation to grant in-state tuition rates to undocumented NJ high school graduates at our universities), and criminal justice reform. For more information about the New Jersey Regional Coalition, please visit us online at: www.njregionalequity.org

 

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Capitol District organizing group LEADERS

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YOU ARE INVITED TO

The Capitol District Council of the New Jersey Regional Coalition Prayer Breakfast

Monday, June 8, 2009, at 8:30 a.m.

 

You are cordially invited to join the Capitol District Council of the New Jersey Regional Coalition at a Prayer Breakfast for clergy and civic leaders on Monday, June 8, from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. at Shiloh Baptist Church, 340 Rev. S. Howard Woodson Jr. Way, in Trenton. Congressman Rush Holt will be our honored guest. We request a $30 tax-deductible donation. 

 

The New Jersey Regional Coalition (NJRC) is a faith-based, grassroots coalition of groups from throughout New Jersey devoted to the idea that everyone who lives here has a stake in the economic and social well-being of our region and all its communities. Our agenda in the coming year will focus on issues of housing and transportation, in-state tuition for immigrant students and national immigration reform, and criminal justice, with a special focus on juvenile justice and rehabilitation programs for parolees. 

 

Our Prayer Breakfast is being hosted by Rev. Darrell L. Armstrong of Shiloh Baptist Church, Trenton. Rev. Javier Diaz of St. Joseph’s Roman Catholic Church, Trenton, Rev. Charles Stephens of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation, Washington Crossing, Rev. Vincent Gartland, St. Ann Church in Lawrenceville, and Rev. Dean René John of Trinity Cathedral, Trenton, are among the clergy members who invite you to join this special event. 

 

Please fill out the RSVP form below and mailing it, with your check, made out to NJRC, to: NJRC c/o New Jersey Catholic Conference, 149 North Warren St., Trenton, NJ 08608. 

 

We look forward to seeing you at the Prayer Breakfast on June 8, 2009. For more information, call Alex Allen of Isles at 609-341-4701.  

 

Sincerely,

 

Rev. Darrell Armstrong, Shiloh Baptist Church, Trenton

Rev. Charles Stephens, Unitarian Universalist Congregation, Washington Crossing

Rev. Javier Diaz, St. Joseph Catholic Church, Trenton

Rev. Vincent Gartland, Church of St. Ann, Lawrenceville

 

Co-Chairs, Planning Committee, NJRC Capitol Local District Council

 

 

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PRAYER BREAKFAST RSVP FORM

 

NAME:____________________________________________________________________________

CONGREGATION or ORGANIZATION______________________________________________

PHONE____________________________________

E-MAIL____________________________________

Number of Tickets:_______________________  Amount enclosed:___________________ 

MAIL TO: NJRC c/o NJ Catholic Conference, 149 North Warren St., Trenton, NJ 08608 

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DOWNLOAD OUR JUNE 8, 2009, PRAYER BREAKFAST FLYER HERE: 

Capitol District Flyer.doc

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Senate Approves Major NJ Housing Reform June 23, 2008            TRENTON, N.J. - Today marks an historic victory for community organizing in New Jersey. After stubbornly waging a four-year battle to abolish RCAs, the New Jersey Regional Coalition and YOU were on hand today to witness the New Jersey Senate vote 21-16 to approve the housing bill and END RCAs in New Jersey.

 

 

We did it! We abolished RCAs - Senate passes housing bill 21 to 16!

See Governor Jon Corzine and NJRC Clergy and Statewide Leaders

at the Bill Signing Ceremony, July 17, 2008

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February 25, 2008

 

NJRC had a very productive Statewide Leadership Meeting on Sunday, February 24 that included a very challenging training on "Building a Power Organization" by Greg Galluzzo, director of the Gamaliel Foundation in Chicago. We are all going to be working this year to increase the number of members in our District Council and take more responsibility for collecting dues from these member congregations and organizations.

 

At the NJRC Statewide Leadership meeting on Sunday, February 24, we voted to expand the boundaries of our currently active "NJRC District Councils" to take in some neighboring legislative districts that are not currently organized. It has been proposed that our current DISTRICT 15 council be expanded to include District 14 and parts of District 12 (Hightstown & East Windsor). Our leadership welcomed the proposal because, as the group that formerly represented all of Central New Jersey, we already have relationships in these neighboring districts. Thus, for 2008 NJRC will operate with seven named district councils -- At yesterday's meeting we proposed naming our new group the Capitol District Council. We count our dues-paying members as: Isles, Shiloh Baptist Church, The Unitarian Universalist Church at Washington Crossing, the League of Women Voters of Lawrence Township, and St. Joseph's Parish.

 

Greetings! We have accomplished great things in the past year as NJRC leaders: a powerful statewide public meeting in November; orchestration of a powerful December 10 hearing on RCAs and comprehensive housing reform in collaboration with Speaker Joseph Roberts and Majority Leader Bonnie Watson Coleman; significant progress on higher educational opportunity for immigrants; and passage of a more fair and just state school funding formula that increases state funding for education by $530 million and reduces pressure on property taxes. On behalf of all NJ residents – congratulations!

 

Training has been critical for these victories and the development of leaders for participation in the public arena. Fifty leaders from throughout New Jersey have attended the Gamaliel Foundation’s National Weeklong Leadership Training since 2004 and these leaders have been instrumental in advancing our work. In order to further advance and sustain our work, and help us all reach our own professional and personal goals, we are committed to sending more Central Jersey leaders to weeklong training.

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New Jersey Regional Coalition

PRESENTED A SUCCESSFUL STATEWIDE PUBLIC MEETING

Sunday, November 4, 2007, 4:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.

First Baptist Church of Lincoln Gardens

Hosted by Rev. Dr. DeForest B. Soaries Jr., Senior Pastor

 

Read about us in the Star-Ledger:

 

Activists call for social justice

1,500 fill Somerset church for event

Monday, November 05, 2007

BY JULIE O'CONNOR

Star-Ledger Staff

 

As an undocumented immigrant, Mirasol Conde-Hernandez wasn't eligible for financial aid and had to turn down the offer to attend Rutgers University.

 

Instead, the 20-year-old from Mexico now works 40 to 50 hours a week while attending Middlesex Community College in Edison full-time, but still dreams of a future when New Jersey will offer undocumented immigrants the kind of financial assistance other students receive.

 

Yesterday, Conde-Hernandez was one of nearly 1,500 housing and social justice activists from across the Garden State to fill a Somerset church and demand action from legislators on a common reform agenda.

 

Speakers called for more school funding for at-risk districts, elimination of Regional Contribution Agreements and a chance for higher education opportunities for undocumented immigrants.

 

"Because I am Mexican by birth, and because my parents had the courage to leave their homes at only 20 years old in pursuit of a better future for me, I am stuck," Conde-Hernandez told the crowd. "I refuse to allow this to be a shattered dream."

 

Clapping and at times rising from their seats at the First Baptist Church of Lincoln Gardens were members of the New Jersey Regional Coalition, an alliance of congregations, community development and social justice organizations.

 

The coalition also wants undocumented immigrants who live in New Jersey to be allowed to pay in-state tuition to attend its state colleges and universities. This affects about 600 undocumented New Jersey students every year, said Marlene Lao-Collins, director of a public policy organization for Catholic Bishops in New Jersey.

 

"In order for them to go to college, they have to pay double -- in some cases triple -- tuition," she added. "It's a dream that they want to accomplish. This is the way not to lose that intellectual capital in our state."

 

When it comes to school funding, coalition speakers stressed they don't think state funds should be withdrawn from New Jersey's most impoverished Abbott districts, but they also want additional money channeled to at-risk suburbs which don't receive Abbott money. They argue funding should be based on the demographics of a school district and its ability to pay.

 

In the area of affordable housing, the coalition wants to abolish Regional Contribution Agreements, or RCAs, which suburbs use to transfer their housing obligations to cities.

 

"RCAs promote segregation," said Rohn Hein, the coalition's legislative liaison, speaking before the event. "Rich communities are selling their obligations to poorer communities."

 

If RCAs are eliminated, additional funds should be provided to urban communities so they can meet their housing needs, he said. The state also should better enforce the 1975 Mount Laurel court decision on affordable housing.

 

"Inequalities and injustices are causing thousands of families to flee New Jersey," said the Rev. Charles Stevens of the Unitarian Universalist Church at Washington Crossing. "The exodus will continue until only the wealthy will live here in our state."

 

© 2007 The Star Ledger

© 2007 NJ.com All Rights Reserved.

 

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We are pleased to report that Assembly Majority Leader Bonnie Watson Coleman and Assemblyman Reed Gusciora of District 15 both attended the NJRC 2007 Public Meeting.

 

Governor Jon Corzine was represented by spokesperson Jeanine LaRue, Deputy Chief of Staff, Office of the Governor;

 

Senator Robert Smith (District 17) represented and spoke for Senate President Richard J. Codey and the Senate Democratic Caucus;

 

Assembly Speaker Joseph Roberts was represented by William Castner, Jr.

 

DCA Commissioner Joseph V. Doria, Jr. was represented by his Chief of Staff, Edwin Carman.

 

The League of Women Voters of New Jersey was represented at the meeting and distributed 1,000 voter information cards to attendees, encouraging all to Vote on Tuesday, November 6, 2007.

 

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NEWS FROM NJRC's DISTRICT 15 CLERGY BREAKFAST EVENT, JUNE 7, 2007

 

 

STAY IN TOUCH WITH YOUR DISTRICT 15 REPRESENTATIVES

 

New Jersey Legislative District 15 is made up of: Ewing Township, Hopewell Borough, Hopewell Township, Lawrence Township, Pennington Borough, Princeton Borough, Princeton Township, City of Trenton.

 

Senator SHIRLEY K. TURNER - Democrat (President Pro Tempore)

District Office: 1440 Pennington Rd., 1st Floor, Ewing, NJ 08618

phone: 609-530-3277; fax: 609-530-3292

website: http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/members/turner.asp

e-mail: SenTurner@njleg.org

 

Assemblywoman BONNIE WATSON COLEMAN - Democrat (Majority Leader)

District Office: 226 W. State St., Trenton, NJ 08608

phone: 609-292-0500; fax: 609-633-2179

website: http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/members/Watson.asp

e-mail: AswWatsonColeman@njleg.org

 

Assemblyman REED GUSCIORA - Democrat (Assistant Majority Leader)

District Office: 226 W. State St., Trenton, NJ 08608

phone: 609-292-0500; fax: 609-633-2179

website: http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/members/gusciora.asp

e-mail: AsmGusciora@njleg.org

 

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OTHER NEWS

District 15 was well represented at the NJRC's mass public meeting in Atlantic City on Thursday, November 16, 2006. read more

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For more information about NJRC contact:

 

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