West Orange Teens Stood Tall In Trenton, Fought For New State Law

WEST ORANGE, NJ — When they faced serious questions from state lawmakers, a group of student activists from West Orange stood tall – and helped to push a traffic safety law across the finish line.

Members of the Nikhil Badlani Foundation Youth Advisory Board got a round of applause (and official recognition from Gov. Phil Murphy) during this week’s West Orange Board of Education meeting.

Several members of the group took multiple trips to Trenton to push for a traffic safety bill involving permits for young New Jersey drivers. That bill, S-2789/A-3793, was signed into law by Murphy earlier this year. See Related: NJ Driver Permit Law Passes – With Help From West Orange Teens

On Monday, the students were presented with a framed copy of the bill signed by Murphy, who referenced the group’s namesake, Nikhil Badlani, a local student who was killed in a crash with a distracted driver.

“West Orange High School Youth Advisory Board – you made this a reality in remembrance of Nikhil,” the inscription reads. “Stay strong … Sincerely, Phil Murphy.”

Tracy Noble, Shani Jarvis and Lauren Paterno – representatives from the American Automobile Association (AAA) – surprised the students with the gift and extolled them for their “commitment and dedication to improving teen traffic safety.”

Paterno said that there were lawmakers who changed their minds after hearing from the teens.

“You should all be beyond proud of these students,” Noble told a crowd of attendees at the meeting. “They were grilled about the legislation and held their own.”

The young activists also got a hearty congratulations from Nikhil Badlani Foundation co-founder Sunil Badlani.

“Our teens are shaping the policies that govern teen traffic safety,” Badlani said.

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