News
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- Written by: John Paff
- Category: Open Government Advocacy Project
On Monday, March 7, 2022, the New Jersey Supreme Court held that settlement agreements that resolve disciplinary charges against public employees, redacted as necessary, are disclosable under the state's Open Public Records Act (OPRA). The case is Libertarians for Transparent Government v. Cumberland County. I have already used the newly minted ruling to dislodge a previously-denied separation agreement involving a Somerset County police sergeant.
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- Written by: Michael Manieri
- Category: Press Releases
Mercer County Libertarian Party
PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
<February 27, 2022 >
MERCER LP CALLS FOR CLEVELAND CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL TO TREAT TANNER DONALDSON
Mercer County, New Jersey-- Nine-year-old Tanner Donaldson is suffering from stage 5 chronic kidney disease. In 2018, Richardson was approved for a transplant. After four long years of searching, the family discovered that Tanner’s father, Dane Donaldson, is a match. The hospital denied the transplant because Tanner’s father isn’t vaccinated against COVID-19. This policy is nothing short of both cruel and indefensible.
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- Written by: Webmaster
- Category: Police Accountability Project
On February 7, 2022, I filed the following Internal Affairs complaint against three New Jersey State Police Detectives.
New Jersey State Police
Office of Professional Standards
Intake and Adjudication Bureau
P.O. Box 7068
West Trenton, NJ 08628-0068
via e-mail only to
Dear Sir or Madam:
Please accept this e-mail as my complaint against Detective Carlos Estevez and, to a lesser degree, Detective Sergeant James Sansone and Detective Kartik Birudaraju. The facts related to the February 20, 2016 stop of Jeffrey Van Queen are set out in a February 7, 2022 Appellate Division decision, which is on-line here. The motor vehicle stop led to Van Queen’s arrest and ultimate plea to a weapons offense which caused him to be sentenced to seven years in prison with a three and one-half year parole disqualifier.
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- Written by: Mike Guadagnino
- Category: Press Releases
For immediate release
August 7, 2021
NEW JERSEY – AUGUST 23, 2021: Whereas, it is the principled belief of the New Jersey Libertarian Party and many others that individual rights must not be denied, abridged, or enhanced by Government at the expense of other people’s rights, on any basis, including – but not limited to – sex, gender identity, wealth, race, color, creed, age, national origin, political preference, biological factors, or sexual orientation and,
Whereas, freedom and responsibility cannot be separated and exclusion of moral approval or disapproval is deliberate: peoples’ rights must be recognized; the wisdom of any course of peaceful action is a matter for the acting individual to decide,
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- Written by: Jim Tosone
- Category: Press Releases
New Jersey Libertarian Party
PO Box 56 Tennent, NJ 07763-0056
njlp.org
PRESS RELEASE
Contact: Jim Tosone – NJ Senate Candidate
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
New Jersey Division of Elections certifies Jim Tosone as an Official Candidate for NJ Senate
Tennent, NJ. August 6, 2021 – The New Jersey Division of Elections has certified that Jim Tosone will be on the ballot as the Libertarian Party’s candidate for NJ Senate in the General Election in the 39th Legislative District.
The district is comprised of towns in northern Bergen and Passaic Counties. It has 167, 000 registered voters of which 43% (over 72,000) are unaffiliated. For those voters, who are concerned about both government spending/taxes/debt and interference in their personal lives, Tosone will offer the Libertarian Party solutions.
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- Written by: Jay Edgar
- Category: Police Accountability Project
Internal Affairs complaints in New Jersey are often not disclosed to the public. In 2014, John Paff, the head of the NJ Libertarian Party’s Open Government Advocacy Project requested info on complaints against correction officers who work at the Bergen County Jail. The response provided redacted the names of all the correction officer employees. His lawsuit against County resulted in Bergen County being forced to identify the officers.
In 2017 the Libertarians for Transparent Government sued the NJ State Police seeking the name of an officer who was fired for racially offensive behavior. As a result of this case and the George Floyd murder and outrage, a Law Enforcement directive was given by Attorney General Gurbir Grewal that required agencies to disclose the identities of officers who commit serious disciplinary violations. This was a reversal of a decades long policy.
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- Written by: Gregg Mele
- Category: Latest News
I wanted to take this opportunity to update everyone on the progress of our gubernatorial campaign. I, along with my running mate for Lt. Governor, Eveline Brownstein, have been working hard to live up to the promise made at the convention to give all of you the fight of my life when you nominated us. It has already been a wild ride, and there is much more to come.
We have been building our infrastructure, including our website (www.meleforgovernor.com), social media accounts (FB, Twitter, Instagram), and various video/commercial content. This included our strategy team, our legal research and biostatistics team, our communications team, and our production team. Everyone has contributed mightily to a very professional, eye-catching, and inspiring presentation of our message.
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- Written by: Jim Tosone
- Category: Candidates and Elections
I am running as the NJLP candidate for State Senate from the 39th Legislative District, which covers most of Northern Bergen County. I’ve lived in this district for over thirty years. I know the people here. Some know me; a lot more will.
The 39th District has 167, 000 registered voters: 29% Republicans, 27% Democrats, 1% others. Most importantly 43%, over 72,000 voters, are unaffiliated. That’s my target audience. The politically homeless, who don’t identify with either Republicans or Democrats, but wind up not voting, or voting for the lesser of two evils, because they feel they have no other choice. Only 41% of eligible voters even voted in the District 39 Senate race in 2017.
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- Written by: Mike Guadagnino
- Category: Latest News
Marijuana legalization within in the state of New Jersey has small-town statist politicians enacting a loop hole that pushes and continues their prohibitionist agenda. Last year’s November election demonstrated that 67% of the Garden State’s residents supported legalization. It is now lawful for a person to carry up to an ounce of marijuana, recreational use may be consumed in a private residence as well as there are a few other permitted provisions within the latest bill. The legalization of this plant has made politicians with a personal interventionalist slant very unhappy.
Those anti-liberty elected officials are using local town ordinances to stifle the cultivation and distribution of this plant. The state has given the local municipalities the decision to vote for or against growing and selling cannabis. If the local body votes this option down, they will close a 5-year window preventing any grower or distributor from operating within the given township. Governing bodies do have the ability to review and re-vote during the 5-year period with the option of overturning any previous vote.
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- Written by: Daniel Krause
- Category: NJ Libertarian Blog
With somber hearts, knowing that no verdict or punishment can bring back life that was taken, we are glad to see justice prevail in this case. George Floyd did not need to die. May his family and friends find peace.
Many who have lost a loved one to unnecessary police violence never get to see justice for the life that was cut too short. While the vast majority of law enforcement officers seek to do their jobs with respect and empathy, those who lose sight of the humanity in the people they are meant to serve and protect damage the relationship that civilians have with officers.
The Libertarian Party continues to support ending qualified immunity, which protects police officers when they abuse the authority they are given. Those who are given authority over others ought to be held to an even higher standard than what is expected of the general public. The Libertarian Party further recognizes that many of the tragic incidents involving police officers would not have happened had unnecessary laws not created a crime out of a peaceful act. For this reason, we strongly support abolishing victimless crimes such as drug possession, sex work, gambling and working without documentation or government licensing.
Let us not waste this moment, but act with intention now so that a more peaceful future can be possible.
Joe Bishop-Henchman
Chair, Libertarian National Committee
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- Written by: Webmaster
- Category: Candidates and Elections
In the November 2022 election the NJ Libertarian Party will be running candidates under the Libertarian Party banner.
- Congress District 1 - Isaiah Fletcher
- Congress District 2 - Mike Gallo
- Congress District 3 - Christopher Russomanno
- Congress District 4 - Jason Cullen
- Congress District 5 - Jeremy Marcus
- Congress District 6 - Tara Fisher
- Congress District 8 - Dan Delaney
- Congress District 9 - Sean Armstrong
- Congress District 10 - Kendal Ludden
- Congress District 11 - Joseph Biasco
- Congress District 12 - Lynn Genrich
- Branchburg Town Committee - Tara Murphy and Jason MacDuffie
Please provide whatever support you can to our candidates! Congressional candidates can be supported via our Federal Fund.
If you are interested in running under our banner in 2023 contact the state board and fill out a questionnaire.
Join us on March 19th at 7:00 PM via a Zoom link. We will be gathering both on zoom and at 109 Mercer Avenue for a brief get together. Come here about our plans for our business meeting, test out your connection, understand how members will be voting. Or just say hello and introduce yourself. Zoom link will be announced prior to the event. This will be open to all. If you are interested in the full convention you can register at https://njlp.org/convention.
- Details
- Written by: Webmaster
- Category: Latest News
2021 NJLP Convention Business Meeting
March 20, 2021
Via Zoom and at 109 Mercer Street, Hightstown NJ
Proposed Agenda
Note: We will be meeting using Zoom as well as in person. Link to join the meeting will be posted later. Delegate credentialing will be performed by creating an account at https://convention.njlp.org/register. Voting will be performed online at this site.
09:00 Conference Begins, Credentials and Final Tech Issues to be handle
09:30 Call to order & quorum check [Chair]
09:25 Agenda review & approval [Chair]
09:30 Secretary's Report [Secretary]
Approval of prior meeting minutes.
09:35 Treasurer's report [Treasurer]
Presentation of 2020 final budget and proposed 2021 budget (See report pdf here (150 KB) ).
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- Written by: Mike Guadagnino
- Category: Candidates and Elections
With the new year brings hope and optimism that Mr. Murphy's time in office will be coming to any end. The lockdown, a chaotic vaccine roll-out and massive debt have been the hallmark of his authoritatively poor leadership and lack of vision.
A few weeks back I interviewed Greg Mele who is seeking the New Jersey Libertarian Party's Gubernatorial nomination. This month I sat with Eveline Brownstein who would like to be the Lieutenant Governor of the once proud Garden State.
MG: Thank you Eve for taking the time to sit with me. I'd like you tell me a little about you background and how it prepared me for lieutenant governor:
EB: My qualifications to run for Lieutenant Governor are the same as the qualifications are the same as those for Governor. Must be at least 30 years of age - I am. Must be a citizen of the United States for at least 20 years - I was naturalized in 1994, so I have been. Must be a resident of New Jersey for at least seven years - I have been living and working in New Jersey since 2008.
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- Written by: Daniel Krause
- Category: Legislative Affairs Committee Project
[INSERT THE VIDEO HERE]
[INSERT THE BRIEF DESCRIPTION HEAR]
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- Written by: Daniel Krause
- Category: Legislative Affairs Committee Project
[INSERT THE VIDEO HERE]
[INSERT THE BRIEF DESCRIPTION HEAR]
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- Written by: Webmaster
- Category: Policy News
We recently polled the members of the NJ Libertarian State Board on the ballot questions. Here are our thoughts.
Question 1: CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT TO LEGALIZE MARIJUANA
Do you approve amending the Constitution to legalize a controlled form of marijuana called “cannabis”?
Only adults at least 21 years of age could use cannabis. The State commission created to oversee the State’s medical cannabis program would also oversee the new, personal use cannabis market.
Cannabis products would be subject to the State sales tax. If authorized by the Legislature, a municipality may pass a local ordinance to charge a local tax on cannabis products.
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- Written by: Michael Rufo
- Category: Latest News
Approaching the fear of a quantifiable threat while pursuing life, liberty and happiness.
COVID-19 is real and social distancing is the right idea, authoritarianism is not.
We, as a society, need to slow down, reflect and understand the harm we are creating which can, and will, be just as bad for society as a whole. This may ruffle feathers and hurt some feelings, but it hits at the core of the unintended consequence of government force. It is for this exact moment in time that I, and millions of liberty minded individuals across the country, are constantly relentless about even the smallest of human rights infringements.