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Bonnie Watson Coleman on Civil Rights

 

 


Pay disparity has a significant impact on low-income women

Women are a key component in reviving the American economy. When women succeed, America succeeds. Despite this fact, women are paid $.77 to every dollar earned by men regardless of job choice. Pay disparity has a significant impact on women with low incomes and single mothers. It impairs their ability to repay student loans and results in lower pensions, ultimately making retirement more difficult.

Coleman affirms the rights of all workers to equitable wages. She sponsored the Unfair Wage Recovery Act. Modeled after the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, the Unfair Wage Recovery Act would have restarted the clock to file suit under the statute of limitations each time compensation is paid to a woman in furtherance of a discriminatory decision or practice. Coleman also supported the Wage Transparency Act, which would have provided women with a tool to help uncover pay disparity. In Congress, Coleman will continue to fight for women to be paid equal wages for equal work.

Source: 2014 New Jersey House campaign website BonnieForCongress.com , Oct 10, 2014

Speak for LGBT rights regardless of the external pressures

As the wife of a Baptist minister and a Deaconess at her African American church, Bonnie Watson Coleman stood up and spoke for LGBT rights regardless of the external pressures. Bonnie spoke fiercely on the New Jersey Assembly Chamber in favor of granting marriage equality for all New Jersey couples. Her voting record shows that she has always voted in favor of any legislation that allows for equality of all Americans, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity.
Source: 2014 New Jersey House campaign website BonnieForCongress.com , Oct 10, 2014

Supports same-sex marriage, according to PVS rating.

Coleman supports the PVS survey question on same-sex marriage

Project VoteSmart infers summary responses from campaign statements and news reports The PVS survey summarizes candidate stances on the following topic: 'Marriage: Do you support same-sex marriage?'

Source: Project VoteSmart Inferred Survey 14-PVS-q3 on Sep 30, 2014

Don't elevate gender identity as a protected class.

Coleman voted YEA H.Amdt. 1128 to H.R. 5055

Heritage Action Summary: The Maloney Amendment would ratify President Obama's 2014 executive order barring federal contractors from what it describes as "discrimination" on the basis of "sexual orientation and gender identity" in their private employment policies. In practice, it would have required federal contractors to grant biologically male employees who identify as women unfettered access to women's lockers, showers, and bathrooms.

Heritage Foundation recommendation to vote NO: (5/25/2016): Congress should not be elevating sexual orientation and gender identity as a protected class garnering special legal privileges, which is the intent of the Maloney Amendment. The Maloney Amendment constitutes bad policy that unnecessarily regulates businesses. It risks undoing longstanding protections in civil rights law and makes clear that the president's orders are not exempt from them.

ACLU recommendation to vote YES: (5/11/2016): We see today claims to a right to discriminate--by refusing to provide services to LGBT people--based on religious objections. Claiming a right to discriminate in the name of religion is not new. In the 1960s, we saw objections to laws requiring integration in restaurants because of sincerely held beliefs that God wanted the races to be separate. We saw religiously affiliated universities refuse to admit students who engaged in interracial dating. In those cases, we recognized that requiring integration was not about violating religious liberty; it was about ensuring fairness. It's no different today.

Religious freedom in America means that we all have a right to our religious beliefs, but this does not give us the right to use our religion to impose those beliefs on others.

Legislative outcome: Amendment passed by the House 223-195-15 4/26/16; overall bill H.R.5055 failed 112-305-16 on 5/26/2016

Source: Supreme Court case 16-H5055 argued on May 25, 2016

Let states recognize same sex marriage.

Coleman signed Respect for Marriage Act

Congressional Summary: Amends the Defense of Marriage Act to let states recognize same sex marriage. Defines "marriage" to provide that an individual shall be considered married if that individual's marriage is valid in the state or country where the marriage was entered into. Removes the definition of "spouse" (currently, a person of the opposite sex who is a husband or a wife).

Wikipedia and GLAAD history: In United States v. Windsor (2013), the U.S. Supreme Court declared Section 3 of DOMA unconstitutional under the Due Process Clause of the Fifth Amendment. Obergefell v. Hodges (2015) struck down the act's provisions disallowing same-sex marriages to be performed under federal jurisdiction. The Supreme Court case did not challenge Section 2 of DOMA. Section 2 declares that all states have the right to deny recognition of the marriage of same sex couples that originated in states where they are legally recognized.

Heritage Foundation recommendation to vote NO: (3/20/2013): Americans respect marriage, not only as a crucial institution of civil society but the fundamental building block of all human civilization. This is why 41 states and the federal government affirm that marriage is between a man and a woman. The government isn't in the business of affirming our loves. Rather it leaves consenting adults free to live and love as they choose. And contrary to what some say, there is no ban on same-sex marriage. In all 50 states, two people of the same sex may choose to live together, and choose to join a religious community that blesses their relationship. What's at issue is whether the government will recognize such relationships as marriages--and compel others to recognize and affirm same-sex relationships as marriages.

Legislative outcome: Died in Committee (never came to a vote).

Source: S.29 & H.197 17-H0197 on Jan 6, 2015

2017-18 Governor, House and Senate candidates on Civil Rights: Bonnie Watson Coleman on other issues:
NJ Gubernatorial:
Barbara Buono
Chris Christie
Cory Booker
Jack Ciattarelli
Joe Rullo
John Wisniewski
Kim Guadagno
Phil Murphy
Seth Kaper-Dale
NJ Senatorial:
Bob Hugin
Cory Booker
Hirsh Singh
Jeff Chiesa
Murray Sabrin
Rich Pezzullo
Robert Menendez
Stuart Meissner

Freshman class of 2019:
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AZ-8*:Lesko
CA-39***:Kim
FL-6:Waltz ; FL-15:Spano ; FL-17:Steube
GA-7:Woodall
ID-1**:Fulcher
IN-4:Baird
IN-6:Pence
KS-2:Watkins
MN-1:Hagedorn ; MN-8:Stauber
MS-3:Guest
MT-0*:Gianforte
NC-9***:Harris
ND-a:Armstrong
NM-2***:Herrell
OH-12*:Balderson ; OH-16:Gonzalez
OK-1:Hern
PA-9:Meuser ; PA-11**:Smucker ; PA-12*:Keller ; PA-13:Joyce ; PA-14:Reschenthaler
SC-4:Timmons
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VA-5:Riggleman ; VA-6:Cline
WI-1:Steil
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AZ-2**:Kirkpatrick ; AZ-9:Stanton
CA-49:Levin ; CA-10:Harder ; CA-21:Cox ; CA-25:Hill ; CA-39:Cisneros ; CA-45:Porter ; CA-48:Rouda
CO-2:Neguse ; CO-6:Crow
CT-5:Hayes
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HI-1**:Case
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KS-3:Davids
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MA-3:Trahan ; MA-7:Pressley
MD-6:Trone
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NH-1:Pappas
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NM-1:Haaland ; NM-2:Torres Small
NV-3:Lee ; NV-4**:Horsford
NY-14:Ocasio-Cortez ; NY-11:Rose ; NY-19:Delgado ; NY-22:Brindisi ; NY-25:Morelle
OK-5:Horn
PA-4:Dean ; PA-5:Scanlon ; PA-6:Houlahan ; PA-7:Wild ; PA-17*:Lamb
SC-1:Cunningham
TX-7:Fletcher ; TX-16:Escobar ; TX-29:Garcia ; TX-32:Allred
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Page last updated: May 16, 2020