TRENTON – A bill sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Loretta Weinberg that would establish and implement a program to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the United States was approved by the full Senate yesterday.
“New Jersey played a pivotal role in the founding of our nation,” said Senator Weinberg (D-Bergen). “More battles were fought here and Washington was headquartered in New Jersey for a significant amount of time. Lucky for us, we still have many of these historical sites and we need to draw attention to them. Many of us remember the national pride during the bicentennial celebrations. This 250th anniversary is a second opportunity for some of us and a first-time experience for younger Americans. Now, more than ever, when we seem divided among party lines in America, is the time for us to come together and remember the principles that men and women fought and died for on this very soil nearly 250 years ago.”
The bill, S-2738, would also allow the New Jersey Historical Commission to enter into public-private partnership agreements with private entities for the planning and undertaking of semiquincentennial programs and activities commemorating the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States and New Jersey’s significant role in the American Revolution.
A private entity would be eligible to enter into a public-private agreement with the commission if it were a tax-exempt nonprofit organization and is responsible for the maintenance and administration of a national heritage area dedicated to the history of the American Revolution as it relates to New Jersey.
The bill is intended to ensure that the state honors the 250th anniversary and New Jersey’s significant role in the Revolution. New Jersey hosted more battle than other state during the Revolutionary War and George Washington spent much of time as Commander-in-Chief here.
The bill was approved by a vote of 39-0.