New Jersey senators meet in the Senate chamber. | AP Photo/Mel Evans Senate Democrats pass symbolic resolutions against Trump

TRENTON — Democrats in the State Senate, angered by President Donald Trump’s travel ban and other actions to crack down on immigration, passed largely symbolic resolutions on Monday and delivered forceful speeches from their seats in the Statehouse.

Republicans were left with a choice: Sit on their hands, defend the president's policies or talk about something else. They took latter option, making a series of hostile motions for votes on bills that they felt were important. All were quickly tabled by the Democrats.


Senate Minority Leader Tom Kean Jr. criticized the majority party for holding a voting session that he says was “hastily called” and had only one bill of consequence. In a somewhat unusual move, Republicans used a rule called “order of the day” that allows a sponsor to ask that legislation be considered for a vote. The bills included one to address health care benefits and another that would call for analyzing transportation costs.

The Senate approved two separate Trump-centric resolutions. One bill (SCR143) condemned Trump’s three executive orders related to immigration, and the other (SCR134) affirmed schools as safe zones that protect the personal information of undocumented students.

The first passed in a 21 to 11 vote with 3 abstentions, and the other was approved 22 to 10, also with 3 abstentions. The votes were almost all along party lines, with Democrats voting in favor and Republicans in opposition. Republican Sen. Jen Beck voted for the “safe zones” bill, while Democratic Sen. Van Drew opposed it. Both lawmakers are in competitive districts.

Kean called the Democrats’ resolutions ceremonial, and said in an interview after the vote that “we should be focusing on the issues of accountability, affordability — and making sure that people can live in the state of New Jersey.”

But Senate Majority Leader Loretta Weinberg defended the resolutions, saying the Legislature must stand up to the president's executive orders.

“I will remind my colleagues on both sides of the aisle we took an oath of office to uphold the state constitution and the constitution of the United States," Weinberg said at a press conference after the voting session. "We are all immigrants and represent diverse communities.”

Democrats gave impassioned speeches on the Senate floor. Sen. Ray Lesniak said the last several weeks represent a “dark time” in American history. Sen. Teresa Ruiz said Trump’s actions threaten America's core values.

“To ban people on the color of their skin, on their religious or ethnic background, is a disgrace,” said Sen. Brian Stack. “Especially when it’s coming from the person who is supposed to be the leader of the free world.”

Matthew Hale, a political science professor at Seton Hall University, said Democrats are working to align themselves in opposition to Trump, who drew only 41 percent of the state's voters in November.

“Right now Trump helps Democrats in New Jersey and hurts Republicans,” Hale said. “So Republicans are trying to change the subject.”

Meanwhile, Democratic lawmakers also proposed further action to oppose Trump’s policies. Sen. Nia Gill introduced legislation that would prohibit law enforcement and corrections officers from working with ICE to detain nonviolent offenders for immigration purposes. And Stack and Assemblyman Raj Mukherji said they would announce legislation on Tuesday that would give supplemental aid to towns or counties that lose federal grant funding based on their status as sanctuary jurisdictions.

At the same time, Gov. Chris Christie vetoed a proposal Monday that would have allowed Jersey City to offer state-issued birth certificates. In his conditional veto, Christie said the goal of the bill was laudable, but that it represented a “hollow gesture” considering why the office that issued these certificates was shut down. More than ten years ago, four people pleaded guilty to creating fake certificates, many of which were for people not born in the U.S.

“This bill would do nothing but ensure further harm to already frustrated Hudson County residents who have borne the consequences of the illegal conduct of Hudson County officials,” Christie wrote.