Marriage Equality Action Alert: Wednesday, April 13th.

[JackBeck]

Another state is on the verge of passing marriage equality ahead of New Jersey. NOW is the time to use that momentum to convince our legislators in New Jersey that it is finally time to make equality a reality in a state that has historically been pro-LGBT.

We currently have the 41 votes in the Assembly to pass the marriage equality bill. Unfortunately, we are also just a few votes shy in the Senate, so we are working on flipping those on the fence.

http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/2008/Bills/S2000/1967_I1.PDF">S1967 would enact the "Freedom of Religion and Equality in Civil Marriage Act" and is currently stalled in the Judiciary. Please contact the 4 Senators below if you live in NJ. And if you are not a resident, please encourage any family or friends that live in NJ to call these legislators.

We've finally begun to out-pace the bigots from the National Organization for Marriage in phone calls, but we need to keep this up if we want to get this bill passed in 2009. Govenor Corzine is a strong supporter and has said he will sign a marriage equality bill once it reaches his desk.

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Last night, the New York State Assembly passed a marriage equality bill. The New York State Senate still has to vote in the weeks ahead, but this is a crucial news hook for you to CALL NEW JERSEY LEGISLATORS TODAY STARTING AT 9:30 am.

Starting at 9:30 am, we ask each of you, no matter where in New Jersey you live, to call the 4 legislators listed below to tell their offices: "The New York Assembly just passed marriage equality. I support marriage equality for New Jersey and I don't want to wait until the end of the year for a legislative vote in New Jersey. I want equality for our state now."

You can put that in your own words - whatever expresses your passion. Your calls these past months have brought us to edge of having enough legislative votes to pass marriage equality in New Jersey. Please, let's keep the heat on! Here's whom you should call today starting at 9:30 am:

Senate President Dick Codey at [phone]

Senate Majority Leader Steve Sweeney at [phone]

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Paul Sarlo at [phone]

Senate Judiciary Committee Vice Chairman John Girgenti at [phone]

If you’re told by the office you’re not a constituent: “I’m calling your office because the Senator holds a leadership position that impacts the entire state.”

If you hear anything substantive in your conversations - something beyond thank you or we’ll record your views - let us know by emailing us at [e-mail]. Include which legislative office you spoke with, what the office said, as well as your own name and hometown.

Your activism makes all the difference in the world to tell our side of the story.