Call it a victory, Save Jerseyans, even if you agree with me that testing people who aren’t seriously ill makes very little sense.
On Friday, the New Jersey Assembly Democrats announced that they were abandoning a policy which required proof of a negative test OR vaccination to enter the State House. Now? Everyone will need to test negative regardless of vaccination status.
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Most Republican Assembly members had publicly resisted the policy resulting in a weeks-long series of confrontations with State Police officers coerced into assisting the Dems and a war of words between the protesting legislators and Speaker Craig Coughlin. It was a rare instance of outward GOP courage after many years of going along to get along.
Friday’s change doesn’t impact the State Senate, of course, where Republican members have also criticized the policy – which is currently being challenged in court – but didn’t refuse to comply like their colleagues in the lower chamber.
Assembly Republicans are declaring victory. They should.
The lesson (one which this site has been preaching for nearly 14 years):
Fighting back works. Duh!
Until recently, resistance under the dome was rare. Democrats don’t know what to do when Republicans speak out, push back, and hold them accountable. Let’s hope the GOP members keep it up, and let’s also hope that Republicans elsewhere are paying attention and taking notes.
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