NJ Gov. Phil Murphy Signs 5 Bills Into Law

NEW JERSEY – New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy has signed five bills in to law in recent days, one of which changes driving laws while another bans racial discrimination based on hair length or style.

Murphy signed S1080, which eliminates mandatory driver’s license suspensions as a penalty for certain non-moving offenses.

The law repeals the driver’s license suspension required for criminal convictions related to the possession or sale of illegal drugs. It also removes the provision that a person’s driver’s license is suspended when they're served with a warrant related to child support.

“Driver’s license suspensions for reasons unrelated to moving offenses are often overly punitive and can have a disproportionate financial impact on many working-class and minority families,” said Murphy. “A stronger and fairer New Jersey includes adapting our laws to support working families and not act against them."

Motor Vehicle Commission Chief Administrator Sue Fulton said that whether someone is going to work or a doctor’s appointment or taking children to school, a driver’s license is a tool or "a permit to drive on our public roads. It is no more nor less than a way for us to keep our roads and drivers safe.’’

Primary sponsors of the bill include Sens. Shirley Turner and Nicholas Scutari, and Assembly members James J. Kennedy, Eliana Pintor Marin and Verlina Reynolds-Jackson.

“For far too long, our policies have penalized people with the loss of their driver's licenses for offenses unrelated to driving or road safety, or because they are too poor to afford to pay their fines or surcharges,” Turner said. “A driver’s license is needed to commute to and from work, but many jobs also require a valid driver’s license just to apply. Suspending a person’s license is counterproductive."

Murphy also signed S3945, also known as the "Create a Respectful and Open Workplace for Natural Hair Act," which prohibits racial discrimination on the basis of “traits historically associated with race, including, but not limited to, hair texture, hair type and protective hairstyles.”

The law was introduced after Andrew Johnson, an African American high school wrestler at Buena Regional High School, was forced to cut off his dreadlocks in order to compete in a match Dec. 19, 2018. Read more: NJ School To Meet After Alleged Racist Ref Made Wrestler Cut Hair

“Race-based discrimination will not be tolerated in the state of New Jersey,” Murphy said. “No one should be made to feel uncomfortable or be discriminated against because of their natural hair. I am proud to sign this law in order to help ensure that all New Jersey residents can go to work, school or participate in athletic events with dignity."

U.S. Sen. Cory Booker said discrimination against black hair is "discrimination against black people, and no one should be denied a job, an education or face discrimination because of their hairstyle.”

As defined in the bill, the term “protective hairstyles” includes “such hairstyles as braids, locks and twists.” This change is intended to remove any confusion or ambiguity over the scope of the anti-discrimination laws.

Primary sponsors of the bill include Sens. Sandra B. Cunningham, Nia H. Gil, and Turner, and Assembly members Angela McKnight, Verlina Reynolds-Jackson, Shanique Speight and Britnee Timberlake.

Here are the three other bills Murphy signed into law this week:

• A1220 w/GR (McKeon, Vainieri Huttle, Jasey, Mukherji/Bateman, Vitale) - "Drama Therapists and Dance/Movement Therapists Licensing Act."
• A3717 w/GR (Mukherji, Downey, Houghtaling/Greenstein, Gopal) - Prohibits pharmacy benefits managers from making certain retroactive reductions in claims payments to pharmacies; requires pharmacy benefits managers to disclose certain product information to pharmacies.
• A5098 w/GR (Pintor Marin, Chaparro, Jimenez/Ruiz, Codey) - Establishes $18 hourly Medicaid reimbursement rate for personal care services.