This week is Drinking Water Week! This is a great time to raise awareness about the importance of water quality and access. Calling back to the importance of investigating from our blog post last week, we must be ever guarded when it comes to holding our representatives accountable to representing all of the people, not a few or for self-interest gains. Laws are only as effective as they are implemented.

URGENT ACTION IN NJ: We must lend attention to tomorrow’s hearing of S-2930 Thursday, May 9 at 10 am in the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee. Its companion, A-4045, will be heard on Friday, May 10 at 12 pm in the Assembly Appropriations Committee. Passage of these bills may set up for floor votes in both chambers on Monday, May 13th, which will determine if residents will have access -however costly-to transparency in the notoriously corrupt state. (Take Action Below)

Let us be reminded that New Jersey’s representatives do not reflect the lived experiences of the majority of their constituents in 2024. For those who may show up, please do; you make a difference when you show up.

Pope Francis helps us think about the lucidity required for this moment in time:

“28. We need to rethink among other things the question of human power, its meaning and its limits. For our power has frenetically increased in a few decades. We have made impressive and awesome technological advances, and we have not realized that at the same time we have turned into highly dangerous beings, capable of threatening the lives of many beings and our own survival. Today it is worth repeating the ironic comment of Solovyov about an “age which was so advanced as to be actually the last one”. [22] We need lucidity and honesty in order to recognize in time that our power and the progress we are producing are turning against us. [23] “ Laudate Deum

ACTION STEPS TO DEFEND OPRA from our friends at League of Women Voters NJ:

SHOW UP AND BE HEARD: Attend Thursday's Committee Meeting and Testify. Let us know you are coming and request additional information here!
APPLY PRESSURE: Call your legislators and urge them to vote no! Use this call script to make your case.
EMAIL YOUR LEGISLATORS: bit.ly/protectopra. Visit our social media pages @lwvnj to share the action alert with your networks.
STAY READY: A4045 will also be scheduled for a committee hearing in the Assembly. This could happen as early as Monday 5/13.

Join Us! Water@waterspirit.org