TRENTON, NJ – Maybe New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy should spend more time vacationing at his Italian villa and leave governing New Jersey to somebody less radical. This week, while acting as governor while Murphy and his family were enjoying their end-of-summer family vacation, Nick Scutari, the acting governor, said you would never hear from Murphy.
Scutari criticized Murphy’s New Jersey State Board of Education’s overreaching policy that mandated school districts do not have to share a child’s gender association with their own parents.
“It is unfortunate that the State Board of Education doesn’t coordinate with policymakers before they take actions that may affect school districts throughout our state. We expected better communication with them,” Scutari said in a joint statement with fellow Democrat Craig Coughlin. “We believe that families should have a voice in what is taught to their children, and as long as we have a say over the matter, they will continue to. And as always, all children deserve subject matter that is age-appropriate, posted clearly and transparently for families to review, and free from politics.”
Before anyone gets too excited, please consider this year is an election year for state government in New Jersey and these two could be trying to throw some shade on the SBA to get them through the election cycle.
“We want to be clear: Though the State Board of Education sets guidelines on curriculum, our local communities decide on the final lesson plans through their elected boards of education. We are proud to have a robust local process, led by families in their districts, as such a critical part of our public education in New Jersey,” the pair said.
The statements conflict with the policy and stance on the issue repeatedly enforced by Governor Phil Murphy and New Jersey Attorney General, who use the new LAD anti-discrimination law to shield parents from the child’s activities in public schools.
Until November, Democrats will be working overtime to faux-distance themselves from some of the core principals of the progressive wing of their party, even in such a blue state as New Jersey.