By Shawn Hyland
I have dedicated seven years to advocating in the halls of Trenton on behalf of New Jersey families. I testify in support of socially normative policies that some may characterize as conservative, but I view them along the lines of long‑standing cultural norms across all civilizations, and they remain mainstream beliefs throughout much of the world today.
In New Jersey, however, my colleagues and I often represent the minority viewpoint inside the committee room, even though public polling consistently shows that many of our positions are held by a majority of adults. For example, most people do not support abortion through all nine months of pregnancy, nor do they support irreversible medical interventions on minors who are experiencing confusion about their gender. Yet these are the types of policies that routinely advance in Trenton, often without meaningful debate or consideration of the broader public’s views.
How is it that the social and cultural views held by a majority of New Jersey residents are so often dismissed or set aside by Senate and Assembly Democratic leadership?
From my experience in Trenton, I have observed the breadth and coordination of progressive‑aligned advocacy groups that frequently collaborate to influence New Jersey public policy in areas such as gender identity, abortion access, civil liberties, education, and social‑justice legislation. These organizations often operate as a unified bloc, championing one another’s priorities, supporting policies that extend beyond their individual mission statements, and mobilizing their constituencies toward shared ideological goals. Their collective influence shapes much of the policy environment in which I have been working.
Who are these entities that are unified in their strategic planning in imposing their Far-Left views into the classrooms, courtrooms, and living rooms of New Jersey? Planned Parenthood, ACLU-NJ, Garden State Equality, The Trevor Project, Trans Equity Coalition, Transgender Rights Coalition of NJ, Isles, NJ Psychiatric Association, NJ State Bar Association, NJEA, NJ Citizen Action, NJ Working Families Alliance, NJ Policy Perspective, United Progressive Democrats, League of Women Voters of NJ and National Council of Jewish Women.
Every single of them supports S2260 and A2218 which would have criminalized free speech if Constitutional restraints were not in place. Each of these groups also back provisions that create an unaccountable gender transition industry in clinics across our state. Yet most of these organizations did not publicly testify in committee to explain why they believed this legislation would benefit New Jersey residents. They did not need to. The legislature is already politically compromised on this issue.
Regardless of individual Democratic lawmakers’ personal beliefs, they must acquiescence to the will of the New Jersey’s Far-Left advocacy ecosystem. Any divergent thought is punishable by interparty primaries or the threat of facing an infuriated legislative leadership that will not tolerate free will and independent voting.
But conservatives should remain hopeful. A new social contract between our bloc of conservative policy organizations is emerging with excitement and energy that campaigns and election cycles can no longer disrupt. We are becoming more aligned than ever before and serious about supporting the best voices in our legislature. The road back to normal will not be easy, and it’s not inevitable – but it is possible. It depends on whether the shared interests of the Right, ever outweigh the special interest of the Left.
When it does, we began to shape New Jersey’s policy agenda.
