Garden State Plaza.JPG

Garden State Plaza, the largest mall in New Jersey, will be one of many to open its doors on Thanksgiving this year.

(Mitsu Yasukawa | The Star-Ledger)

TRENTON — Black Friday is fine day for working in retail stores, state Sen. Richard Codey says, but hands off Thanksgiving – at least until everyone in the family had their turkey dinners.

Codey (D-Essex) today said he is “aiming to” introduce legislation that would bar retail stores from opening their doors before 9 p.m. on Thanksgiving. He said such a measure would protect low-income workers from being torn from their families during the holiday.

“The public is overwhelmingly saying enough is enough,” Codey said. “I think a 9 p.m. opening is more than fair.”

While the legislation wouldn't affect the at least two-dozen malls and outlets in the state planning to open early on Thursday, Codey's bill could protect workers over the course of future holidays, he said.

“The increased pressure among these stores to open earlier and stay open later cuts into their holiday or eliminates it altogether for the store workers,” he said. “They are put in position to either work on Thanksgiving or risk losing their jobs. This would allow them to be with their families and to give thanks, as other families do.”

However, a spokesman for retail stores says the only reason an increasing number of stores open on some holidays is because the demand is there for it from shoppers.

"In recent years there has been a demand to open on Thanksgiving," said John Holub, president of the New Jersey Retail Merchants Association. "The demand is there."

Holub called it "shortsighted" to oppose retail sales on holidays because people could just as easily shop online if the demand is there.

"Are they also going to prohibit consumers from shopping on the Internet?" Holub asked. "A bill that limits shopping on any day of the week is just as absurd as the Bergen County blue laws."

Blue laws in Massachusetts, Maine and Rhode Island prevent stores from opening before midnight on Thanksgiving, Codey said, noting Bergen County’s blue laws that ban certain stores from opening on Sundays are supported by voters.

“We already have a Black Friday,” he said. “We don’t need a ‘Black Thursday.’”

Here are the malls that will open on Thanksgiving (ordered from largest to smallest). Malls are open through the night, unless otherwise noted.

Garden State Plaza (6 p.m. to 11 p.m.)

Freehold Raceway Mall (8 p.m.)

Woodbridge Center (6 p.m.)

Willowbrook Mall (6 p.m.)

Monmouth Mall (8 p.m.)

Rockaway Townsquare (6 p.m.)

Cherry Hill Mall (6 p.m. to 10 p.m.)

Menlo Park Mall (6 p.m. to 1 a.m.)

Newport Centre (6 p.m. to 1 a.m.)

Quaker Bridge Mall (6 p.m. to 1 a.m.)

Deptford Mall (6 p.m.)

Hamilton Mall (8 p.m.)

Livingston Mall (6 p.m. to 1 a.m.)

Cumberland Mall (6 p.m.)

Bridgewater Commons (6 p.m. to 12 a.m.)

Ocean County Mall (6 p.m. to 1 a.m.)

Paramus Park (6 p.m. to 11 p.m.)

Brunswick Square Mall (6 p.m. to 1 a.m.)

Phillipsburg Mall (6 p.m. to 1 a.m.)

The Pier Shops at Caesars (11 a.m. to 6 p.m.)

Outlets:

Jersey Gardens (10 a.m.)

Jackson (6 p.m.)

Jersey Shore (6 p.m.)

Liberty Village (6 p.m.)

NJ Advance Media staff writer Alex Napoliello contributed to this report.

Matt Arco may be reached at marco@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MatthewArco. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.

MORE POLITICS