Bill Text: NJ SCR73 | 2014-2015 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Urges Congress to pass legislation admitting District of Columbia as 51st state.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 4-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2014-02-27 - Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Judiciary Committee [SCR73 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2014-SCR73-Introduced.html
SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION No. 73
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
216th LEGISLATURE
INTRODUCED FEBRUARY 27, 2014
Sponsored by:
Senator RONALD L. RICE
District 28 (Essex)
Senator SANDRA B. CUNNINGHAM
District 31 (Hudson)
Co-Sponsored by:
Senators Gill and Turner
SYNOPSIS
Urges Congress to pass legislation admitting District of Columbia as 51st state.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
A Concurrent Resolution respectfully urging the United States Congress to pass legislation admitting the District of Columbia as the 51st state of the United States of America.
Whereas, Since its organization in 1801, residents of the District of Columbia (district) have been denied federal voting rights and full self-governance; and
Whereas, The United States Congress maintains oversight of the democratically-elected district government, and can change or veto any budget or legislative measure passed by the district government, regardless of the preference of district residents; and
Whereas, With approximately 646,000 district residents, the district generates more than $3.9 billion in federal income taxes annually, yet residents have no input on how their tax dollars are spent because they do not have full voting representation in the United States Congress; and
Whereas, District residents are required to serve on federal juries, yet lack full voting representation in the United States Congress; and
Whereas, 40,000 district residents are veterans who have risked their lives serving in the United States Armed Forces, yet they are denied full voting representation in the United States Congress; and
Whereas, Per capita, more district residents have served the United States Armed Forces in times of war than the residents of any other state; and
Whereas, Ten United States Armed Forces service members from the district have died serving in Iraq and Afghanistan; and
Whereas, Out of 118 electoral democracies around the world, the United States is the only country that denies citizens of its national capital the right to full democracy; and
Whereas, The modern district statehood movement has been in existence for nearly 40 years, and it consistently supports legislation in Congress that would grant the district statehood under the name "New Columbia"; and
Whereas, It is therefore appropriate for the Legislature of the State of New Jersey to urge Congress to pass legislation providing for the admission of the District of Columbia as the 51st state of the United States of America under the name "New Columbia"; now, therefore,
Be It Resolved by the Senate of the State of New Jersey (the General Assembly concurring):
1. The Legislature of the State of New Jersey urges the United States Congress to pass legislation providing for the admission of the District of Columbia as the 51st state of the United States of America under the name "New Columbia."
2. Copies of this resolution, as filed with the Secretary of State, shall be transmitted by the Clerk of the General Assembly or Secretary of the Senate to the President of the United States of America, the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, the Majority Leader of the United States Senate, the Mayor of the District of Columbia, and the Chairman of the Council of the District of Columbia.
STATEMENT
This concurrent resolution urges Congress to pass legislation providing for the admission of the District of Columbia (district) as the 51st state of the United States. Since its organization in 1801, the residents of the district have been denied federal voting rights and full self-governance. Congress maintains oversight of the democratically-elected district government, and can change or veto any budget or legislative measure passed by the district government, regardless of the preference of district residents. With approximately 646,000 district residents, the district generates more than $3.9 billion in federal income taxes annually, yet residents have no input on how their tax dollars are spent because they do not have full voting representation in the United States Congress. District residents are required to serve on federal juries, yet lack full voting representation in Congress. 40,000 veterans who have risked their lives serving in the United States Armed Forces are district residents, yet they are denied the right of full voting representation in Congress. Per capita, more district residents have served in the United States Armed Forces during wartime than the residents of any other state and ten Armed Forces service members from the district have died in Iraq and Afghanistan. Out of 118 electoral democracies around the world, the United States is the only country that denies citizens of its national capital the right to full democracy. The modern district statehood movement has been in existence for nearly 40 years, and it routinely supports legislation in Congress that would grant the district statehood under the name "New Columbia."
This Legislature wishes to formally declare its support for the admission of the District of Columbia as the 51st state of the United States of America under the name "New Columbia."
