Social Policy Network Newsletter: May 2

Professional Opportunities
WORK FOR THE NEWSLETTER! We are looking for a first-year MAP student to become the editor for the 2025-2026 school year! If you are interested, please email russwswpn@gmail.com.

Youth Development Director - FOCUS Hispanic Center for Community Development, Inc (Newark, NJ)

Worker Organizer - Make the Road New Jersey (Elizabeth, NJ)

Legal Assistant - Volunteer Lawyers for Justice (hybrid: Newark, NJ)

Communications Manager - Women Moving Millions (hybrid: NYC, NY)

PAID Fellowship Opportunities
Advocacy Corps Fellowship - Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL) (remote/hybrid: Washington, DC)

Summer Fellow - PA Stands Up (Various: PA)

Fellowship Initiative - Twelve Plus (Camden, NJ)

National Policy News Highlights
Students, faculty join in with other Texas universities to take action for Social Work Advocacy Day
Hill Top Views
“The students and faculty of the St. Edward’s University Social Work Program joined other colleges and universities from around the state to partake in Social Work Advocacy Day (SWAD). SWAD is an annual event hosted by the Texas Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW-TX) and is a day of education designed to encourage current and aspiring social workers to advocate for current policies and legislation, and to network with other social workers and organizations to highlight the importance and efforts of the social work profession.”

US down-ballot races in 2025 deserve close attention
The Brookings Institution
“As U.S. elections have come increasingly under threat in recent years— including from misinformation, unlawful certification refusals, and legislation that disenfranchises groups of voters—it is more vital than ever that state elections are able to run fairly and without interference. While much attention is paid to federal elections, less is given to the administration of so-called down-ballot races, such as state gubernatorial, legislative, and judicial elections. However, these and other state-level elections (including for other down-ballot offices such as attorneys general and secretaries of state) have a significant impact on the lives of everyday Americans.”

Columbia Student Who Was Arrested at Citizenship Interview Is Freed
The New York Times
“Mohsen Mahdawi, an organizer of the pro-Palestinian movement at Columbia University, was freed from federal custody on Wednesday, more than two weeks after immigration officials detained him and sought to rescind his green card as part of a widening crackdown against student protesters. In releasing Mr. Mahdawi on bail, Judge Geoffrey W. Crawford of Federal District Court in Vermont drew parallels between the current political climate and McCarthyism.”

Federal Cuts Gut Food Banks as They Face Record Demand
KFF
“Food bank managers across the country say their supplies have been strained by rising demand since the covid pandemic-era emergency Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits ended two years ago and steepening food prices. Now, they say, demand is compounded by recent cuts in federal funding to food distribution programs that supply staple food items to pantries nationwide.”

Regional Policy News Highlights
Department of Community Affairs launches NJHOMES initiative
ROI NJ
“The New Jersey Department of Community Affairs announced the launch of the New Jersey Housing Opportunities for Municipal Equity and Success (NJHOMES) initiative aimed at assisting municipalities in developing affordable housing that meets community needs and is scaled for every neighborhood. NJHOMES will provide financial resources, training, technical assistance, and web-based tools to help municipalities learn about affordable housing models, build neighborhood engagement, and select housing that is the right fit for their community.”

The debate about physician-assisted suicide in Del., NJ, PA.
WHYY (NPR/PBS)
“A bill in Delaware that would offer a regulated option for terminally ill patients has advanced to Gov. Matt Meyer’s desk after years of emotional debates and partisan disagreements. Former Delaware Gov. John Carney vetoed a similar bill last year on moral grounds. New Jersey legalized physician-assisted suicide in 2019 and advocates there are currently pushing to loosen access restrictions further.  The idea has gotten less traction in PA’s divided government.”

How federal funding cuts could jeopardize NJ’s child welfare system
NJ Spotlight News
“New Jersey has made significant progress over the last two decades when it comes to child welfare, evolving from an overburdened system that required federal oversight to a national leader in keeping families together. That progress is now threatened by potential federal funding cuts that could cost New Jersey’s Department of Children and Families more than $100 million, Commissioner Christine Norbut Beyer told state lawmakers last week.”

New Jersey sues landlords, software company over rent-fixing claims
The New Jersey Monitor
“Attorney General Matt Platkin sued 10 of New Jersey’s largest landlords and RealPage Inc., a property management software company, accusing them of colluding to raise rents in violation of state and federal antitrust and consumer protection laws. In a federal lawsuit filed [last] Wednesday, Platkin said the alleged scheme forced tens of thousands of apartment renters to overpay and contributed to the state’s shortage of affordable housing.”

Upcoming Events
Virtual Conversation: Impactful Nonpartisan Voter Mobilization Efforts
Facilitated by Students Learn Students Vote Coalition
Tuesday May 6th, 2025
2:00pm
*online*

Supporting students with voter registration is a task that many campus officials support every academic year. However, finding creative ways to support your students with following through on the voter registration process as well as turning out to vote often poses challenges. Join colleagues from ALL IN & the SLSV Coalition as well Heartland Community College, Lafayette College, and Rowan University, for a discussion on how campuses can offer nonpartisan programming and messaging to support year-long engagement. Register for the conversation here.

Budget & Brews
Facilitated by New Jersey Policy Perspective
Thursday May 8th, 2025
4:00pm - 6:00pm
Coopers Riverview
50 Riverview Plaza, Trenton, 08611

This budget season, we’re not only facing the usual fiscal issues at the state level — we’re staring down historic threats from Washington. With federal funding on the chopping block and lawmakers in Trenton clinging to the status quo, everyday New Jerseyans are left picking up the tab while the wealthy and connected cash in. But it doesn’t need to be this way. Join NJPP and partners for Budget & Brews 2025, a gathering of policy experts and advocates to explore the challenges facing New Jersey’s budget and discuss solutions that advance economic and racial justice. The event will feature insightful conversations on federal funding cuts, the impact on local communities, ongoing tax breaks for the wealthy, and how these issues shape the state budget. To register for this event, click here.

To the Class of 2025
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