5 Animal Welfare Films: Change the Way You Think About Animals
by Samantha Hogan Animal welfare is one of the Lesniak Institute’s top priority causes. From banning the shark fin trade to stopping the cruel use of animals in circus performances, our advocacy efforts in NJ continue to make a…
Animal Protection Hopes for 2022 | Op-ed
2021 was not a good year for advances in animal protection legislation in New Jersey, hopefully 2022 will be different. When I was in the State Senate, I was optimistic New Jersey would be “The Humane State.” While we’ve…
Cost of Care Legislation: An Opportunity to Right a Wrong and Save the Animals
By: Maggie Garbarino For too long, we have allowed animal shelters and taxpayer dollars to cover the costs of caring for court seized animals without charging their abusers a dime. This outdated practice depletes animal care facilities’ resources and…
Indigenous People’s Day: 5 Advocates You Should Know About
Happy Indigenous People’s Day! Here in New Jersey, the topic of renaming Columbus Day to Indigenous People’s Day is highly contested. As of writing this blog, only Newark and Princeton currently recognize this day as Indigenous People’s Day. The…
Hispanic Heritage Month: Celebrating Three Inspiring Change Makers
The Hispanic population in the United States has faced a long road on their march towards equity and fairness. Treading that path of discrimination and violence is all too familiar to other minority groups in the United States. Their…
Mental Health Courts: the Need to Reevaluate it in Our Criminal Justice System
By: Brennan B. Sumner A pressing issue facing our society today is the role our justice system plays in its effect on vulnerable communities, like the criminalization of mental Illness. Those diagnosed with mental health issues are too often…
State Senator or Congressional Senator… What is the difference and why should you care?
By: Abel Morais Senator Lesniak, Senator Booker, Senator Menedez, and Senator Weinberg, what do they all have in common? They all hold the title of Senator and are all from New Jersey. Sure, they are all Democrats, but that…
The Freedom Summer Proves Knowledge is Our Greatest Weapon
By: Paige Fleming The pen is mightier than the sword. An old adage, this saying has been heard time and time again to mean that knowledge is our greatest weapon. No more does this ring true than during…
One Year Later: A Reflection on George Floyd, Black Lives Matter, and the Future
By: Keyonna Murray It’s one year. One year since the murder of a man from Minneapolis, Minnesota changed the course of America forever. At the beginning of 2020, the sudden arrival of COVID-19 forced millions of…
NJ Needs Zero Emission Trucks
The following contains Senator Raymond J. Lesniak’s testimony at the DEP hearing on May 20, 2021 for Advanced Clean Trucks Program and Fleet Reporting Requirements. Thank you for the opportunity to testify in support of Governor Murphy and…
Third Anniversary of Legal Sports Betting in NJ
On May 14, 2018, while in the locker room at Suburban golf course, I received a call from Monmouth Racetrack CEO Dennis Drazin who told me the United States Supreme Court had upheld my legislation authorizing sports betting in…
Top 6 Bills Targeting Environmental Issues
By: Maggie Garbarino It is important this Earth Day to reflect on the most pressing environmental protection issues of our time. Currently, human activity is on track to do significant, permanent damage to our planet and it is our…
Community Cats Need Compassion, Not Euthanasia
By Nicole Marchione Can you imagine streets filled with hundreds of roaming cats? This is what you should envision will happen if a Trap, Neuter, Vaccinate and Return (TNVR) program is not put in place in municipalities such as…
This Boy is my Brother
By: Keyonna Murray There’s a young boy in Northern New Jersey who was born in the mid-2000’s. With a bright smile and a contagious joy, he was always a person who brought some much-needed perspective to his family. In…
World Down Syndrome Day: How a Mothers’ Personal Story Continues to Make a Difference
By: Maggie Garbarino Every year, World Down Syndrome Day is observed on March 21st, a date symbolically chosen to represent the triplication of the 21st chromosome which causes Down syndrome. Advocates in New Jersey, and all over the country,…
Patricia Perkins-Auguste, Creating New Models for Building Successful Neighborhoods
Patricia Perkins-Auguste, Councilwoman-At-Large, City of Elizabeth, is a career public servant who embodies the principles of biblical teachings and practical delivery of professional public services to her community, constituents and business interests in and around the City of Elizabeth,…
Senator Weinberg, Breaking Down Barriers
New Jersey Senator Loretta Weinberg is retiring this year after serving in the Senate since 2005. She was first elected to public office on the Teaneck Township Council in 1990, completing her council term in 1994. She served in…
Salena Lesniak, My Remembrance on Women’s History Month
We celebrated Salena’s birthday February 27th. She would have been 45 years old. Sadly she died July 3, 2019 of arteriosclerosis, a silent killer. Salena was a standout from her teens, being one of the founders of Dems 2000,…
Top 6 Books Every Advocate Should Read
By: Abel Morais For National Read Across America Day, I have put together a list of books that will be beneficial for advocates in order to become champions of change. All of these books are some of my favorites…
Students need mental health services now more than ever
By Paige Fleming As our “new normal” becomes more permanent, students are struggling to find balance and strength in dealing with mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, and social deprivation. The mental strain of the COVID-19 pandemic…
Stopping Cruelty to Animals is Not a Political Issue, it’s a Humane Issue
The following is the testimony former State Senator Raymond J Lesniak gave at the Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing today regarding Bill S3401. Stopping cruelty to animals is not a political issue, it’s a humane issue. Ten states have…
STOP the Killing of 272+ Elephants. Embassy of Botswana
On Friday, Feb. 7, our Founder & President, Senator Raymond J. Lesniak recited the following keynote speech in Washington D.C., outside of the Embassy of Botswana Good afternoon, I’m Raymond Lesniak, the former New Jersey State Senator who…
Sharks Need Their Fins, We Do Not
By: Jamie Zaccaria, Wildlife Conservationist, Burlington, NJ Governor Murphy has taken a huge step to make New Jersey a leader in conservation by signing S2905, which prohibits certain possession, sale, trade, distribution, or offering for sale of shark fins….
Desmond’s Bill: Testimonies
On Monday, November 18, 2019, Desmond’s Law was released from The Senate Judiciary Committee, unanimously in an 11/11 vote. Below are the testimonies of those who spoke at the committee meeting. Robin “Zilla” Cannamela, President / Co-Founder Desmond’s Army, Animal…
Adoption Ceremony For Vincent The Miracle Cat
Vincent, the miracle cat, was adopted today after four months in quarantine – a tribute to Sue who saved Vincent, Brenna who adopted Vincent, and my wife Salena who instilled in me her love for animals. When Salena…
Vincent The Miracle Kitten Needs Your Help
For all of you who have been following Vincent the miracle kitten’s journey to recovery, I’m pleased to report Vincent is recovering well. As you know, Sue risked her well being to save Vincent and the Monmouth County SPCA…
Update: Vincent The Miracle Cat
Sue and I were pleased to toast the successful surgery on Friday for Vincent the Miracle Cat (Can you guess the origin of Vincent’s name? Pretty obvious.) All is well! Vincent’s ear was badly damaged and needed to be…
A Good News Story: Miracle Kitten
On her way to the funeral of Salena Lesniak, Senator Lesniak’s wife who died suddenly last Tuesday, Sue saw an injured cat alongside the roadway. Here’s her story … Driving up Route 9 at approximately 7:15 a.m., I saw…
Guest Blogger, Emily Bank: Rutgers Law Student
The day I became an animal advocate is one I will never forget. It was a Sunday and the weather was less than perfect (a rarity in LA) so instead of my usual Sunday hike, I decided to scroll…
Jamie D., Humane State Contest Winner
In partnership with The Animal Welfare Fund of New Jersey and the NJCAR Foundation, the Lesniak Institute’s essay contest encouraged participation by New Jersey students in elementary, middle and high school. The goal of the contest was to inspire…
