SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION No.

244

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

214th LEGISLATURE
INTRODUCED DECEMBER 8, 2011

Sponsored by: Senator SHIRLEY K. TURNER District 15 (Mercer)

SYNOPSIS Supports Occupy movements protest against economic inequality and excessive money in politics, and their right to assemble peaceably. CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT As introduced.

SCR244 TURNER 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION supporting the Occupy Movements protest against economic inequality and excessive money in politics, and their constitutional right to assemble peaceably. WHEREAS, The Occupy movement is a grassroots protest movement primarily directed against economic and social inequality; and WHEREAS, The Occupy movement began in New York City on September 17, 2011, and has since spread to cities and communities across the United States; and WHEREAS, Although members of the Occupy movement are largely young people, the movement is comprised of various ethnicities, religious faiths, and economic classes; and WHEREAS, The Occupy movement was inspired in part by the federal governments bailout of large banks in 2008 to help recover from the risky lending practices of those banks in the preceding years; and WHEREAS, The Occupy movement is representative of the growing discontent with the influence of money in politics and the economic disparity that is widening the income gap between the wealthiest 1 percent and the other 99 percent of the population; and WHEREAS, Economic inequalities and excessive money in politics have lead to class resentment, social discord, and a shrinking middle class; and WHEREAS, During the course of the Occupy movement, there have been numerous instances of police violence directed against the protesters; and WHEREAS, Under the First Amendment to the United States Constitution, Americans enjoy the fundamental right to assemble peaceably and voice their political views; and WHEREAS, The preservation of First Amendment guarantees is paramount to our freedoms and our democracy as well as the longstanding American tradition of free and robust political discourse; and WHEREAS, The Occupy movement must be free to voice their concerns and must not have their constitutional rights trammeled through the use of police violence and other means; now, therefore, BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the State of New Jersey (the General Assembly concurring): 1. This Legislature of the State of New Jersey supports the Occupy movements protest against economic inequality and excessive money in politics, and their constitutional right to assemble peaceably. 2. Duly authenticated copies of this concurrent resolution, signed by the Speaker of the General Assembly and the President of the Senate and attested by the Clerk of the General Assembly and

SCR244 TURNER 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 the Secretary of the Senate, shall be transmitted to each member of Congress elected from this State.

STATEMENT The Occupy movement is a grassroots protest movement primarily directed against economic and social inequality. The Occupy movement began in New York City on September 17, 2011, and has since spread to cities and communities across the United States. The Occupy movement was inspired in part by the federal governments bailout of large banks in 2008 to help recover from the risky lending practices of those banks in the preceding years and is representative of the growing discontent with the influence of money in politics and the economic disparity that is widening the income gap between the wealthiest 1 percent and the other 99 percent of the population. Economic inequalities and excessive money in politics have lead to class resentment, social discord, and a shrinking middle class. During the course of the Occupy movement, there have been numerous instances of police violence directed against the protesters. Under the First Amendment to the United States Constitution, Americans enjoy the fundamental right to assemble peaceably and voice their political views. The preservation of First Amendment guarantees is paramount to our freedoms and our democracy as well as the longstanding American tradition of free and robust political discourse. The Occupy movement must be free to voice their concerns and must not have their constitutional rights trammeled through the use of police violence and other means.