Bill Text: NJ SCR109 | 2014-2015 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Commemorates the 150th anniversary of the national motto "In God We Trust."
Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Republican 2-1)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2014-04-28 - Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate State Government, Wagering, Tourism & Historic Preservation Committee [SCR109 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2014-SCR109-Introduced.html
SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION No. 109
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
216th LEGISLATURE
INTRODUCED APRIL 28, 2014
Sponsored by:
Senator JOSEPH PENNACCHIO
District 26 (Essex, Morris and Passaic)
SYNOPSIS
Commemorates the 150th anniversary of the national motto "In God We Trust."
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
A Concurrent Resolution commemorating the 150th anniversary of the national motto "In God We Trust."
Whereas, The national motto "In God We Trust" is a vital part of the history and heritage of the United States; and
Whereas, The phrase first appeared on United States coins during the Civil War, when Secretary of the Treasury Salmon P. Chase received numerous requests from devout citizens urging the country to recognize God on its coins; and
Whereas, On April 22, 1864, President Abraham Lincoln approved a law authorizing the Director of the Mint to fix the "shape, mottoes, and devices" of the one-cent and two-cent coins, whereupon the Mint issued two-cent coins inscribed with the phrase "In God We Trust"; and
Whereas, Since 1864, the phrase has been inscribed on most denominations of United States coins, and has appeared uninterrupted on all coins since 1938; and
Whereas, On July 30, 1956, President Dwight D. Eisenhower approved a Joint Resolution of the 84th Congress declaring "In God We Trust" as the national motto of the United States; and
Whereas, Beginning in 1957, the Bureau of Engraving and Printing gradually included the national motto on the reverse side of all denominations of paper currency; and
Whereas, On July 24, 2000, the United States House of Representatives passed a resolution encouraging the display of the national motto in public buildings throughout the nation; and
Whereas, The sentiment "In God We Trust" is deeply woven into the fabric of our civil society, as evidenced by the Declaration of Independence, which explicitly recognizes God as the source of our rights, stating "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness"; and
Whereas, The fourth verse of the national anthem says "Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation" and "this be our motto: 'in God is our trust'"; and
Whereas, The pledge of allegiance refers to the United States as "one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all"; and
Whereas, The national motto serves "the legitimate secular purposes of solemnizing public occasions, expressing confidence in the future, and encouraging the recognition of what is worthy of appreciation in society" (Lynch v. Donnelly, 465 U.S. 668, 693 (1984) (O'Connor, J. concurring)); and
Whereas, April 22, 2014 marks the 150th anniversary of the date on which President Lincoln signed the law authorizing the use of "In God We Trust" on our nation's coins; now, therefore,
Be It Resolved by the Senate of the State of New Jersey (the General Assembly concurring):
1. The Legislature hereby recognizes and celebrates the 150th anniversary of the national motto "In God We Trust," and urges all citizens, businesses, and State and local government entities to do the same.
2. Copies of this resolution, as filed with the Secretary of State, shall be transmitted by the Clerk of the General Assembly or the Secretary of the Senate to the Governor, the New Jersey Association of Counties, the New Jersey State League of Municipalities, and the New Jersey School Boards Association.
STATEMENT
This resolution commemorates the 150th anniversary of the national motto "In God We Trust," codified in 36 U.S.C. s.302.
The national motto is a vital part of the history and heritage of the United States. In 1864, President Abraham Lincoln signed a law authorizing the United States Mint to add the phrase "In God We Trust" on the nation's one-cent and two-cent coins. Since then, the phrase has been inscribed on most U.S. coin and paper currencies. On July 30, 1956, President Dwight D. Eisenhower approved a joint resolution of Congress declaring "In God We Trust" as the national motto of the United States. On July 24, 2000, The U.S. House of Representatives passed a resolution encouraging the display of our national motto in all public buildings.
The sentiment "In God We Trust" is deeply woven into the fabric of our civil society. The Declaration of Independence recognizes God as the source of our inalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
