New Jersey Catholic Conference

149 North Warren Street · Trenton, New Jersey 08608

(609) 989-1120 · Fax (609) 989-1152

 

                                                                                                                                                      Patrick R. Brannigan

                                                                                                                                                      Executive Director

           

A  C  T  I  O  N     A  L  E  R  T

 

SUPPORT A1003

the Urban school scholarship act

 

ISSUE:            The Urban School Scholarship Act sponsored by Assemblywoman Nilsa Cruz-Perez may be scheduled for a hearing in the Assembly Education Committee on either Thursday, May 22 or Thursday, June 12.  This bill would create a pilot program of corporate tax credit scholarships to be awarded to students living in the following school districts: Camden, Elizabeth, Lakewood, Newark, Orange, Paterson, Jersey City, and Trenton.  The student’s family income must be no more than 2.5 times the poverty level.

 

OUR

POSITION:    The New Jersey Catholic Conference and the New Jersey Network for Catholic School Families have supported this legislation from its inception.  We believe that these students need an opportunity to have an alternative educational option which would better suit their needs.  This is the same concept that is available in Pennsylvania.

 

ACTION:       Please do the following as quickly as possible:

 

1.      Call, email or fax the members of the Assembly Education Committee on the attached list and ask them to vote favorably on this legislation.  In particular thank Assemblyman Joseph Cryan, (chair of the committee) for his willingness to post the bill in his committee

2.      Additionally, contact your local member of the New Jersey Assembly to ask them to support A1003, even though at this time those individuals are not serving as members of the Assembly Education Committee.  You can search for your Assembly member, by municipality, at http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/districts/municipalities.asp#T.  This expression of support will be important as the bill continues its legislative journey through the New Jersey Senate.

3.      Use the attached Q&A about the legislation to provide you with additional information.  The text of the bill may be accessed at: http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/2008/Bills/A1500/1003_I1.HTM

4.      Please remember to use the members of your extended family and friends to contact members of the Assembly in support of this legislation.

 

Thank you in advance for your cooperation with this request.

 

Representing the Archdiocese of Newark, Diocese of Camden, Diocese of Metuchen,

Diocese of Paterson, Diocese of Trenton, Byzantine Catholic Eparchy of Passaic and

Our Lady of Deliverance Syriac Catholic Diocese