New Jersey Policy Perspective is a left-of-center policy advocacy organization focused primarily on state-level issues in the state of New Jersey. The organization advocates for left-of-center positions on racial and economic issues, immigration policy, and climate change. ¹ The organization is a member organization of the Economic Analysis and Research Network (EARN). It is also closely aligned with a number of labor unions and receives funding from numerous unions in the state of New Jersey, and from member unions of the AFL-CIO.²

Labor Advocacy

New Jersey Policy Perspective is a member organization of EARN, a left-of-center umbrella group for pro-labor organizations. The coalition is a project of the Economic Policy Institute, a left-of-center organization aligned with numerous labor unions. ³

NJPP was one of more than 100 organizations to sign a letter supporting the Raise the Wage Act of 2017. The Raise the Wage Act was a failed bill introduced by Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), and would have increased the federal minimum wage rate to $9.25-per-hour in 2017, and to $15 by 2024. The letter was signed by numerous labor unions and labor-aligned organizations such as the AFL-CIO, SEIU, AFSCME, AFT, and Jobs With Justice. It was also signed by numerous large left-of-center thinktanks and organizations such as the Center for American Progress, the NAACP, the Southern Poverty Law Center, and the Center for Popular Democracy. ⁴

Immigration Policy

New Jersey Policy Perspective supports liberal expansionist immigration policy. The organization’s website states that, “New Jersey’s long-term success is inextricably linked to the success of its immigrants, regardless of their documentation status. Public policy must reflect this reality.” ⁵ The organization calls for the removal of ICE centers in the state of New Jersey, and instead argues for “fair and welcoming” policies that equate to reduced cooperation between local police forces and ICE. ⁶

Health Care

NJPP advocates for “healthcare-for-all” policies in the state of New Jersey and pushes for an increase in Medicare funding for ethnic minority communities in the state. Included in its model for health care reform, the organization pushes for increased access to abortions in ethnic minority communities, arguing that “Access to reproductive health care is critical to advancing economic justice.” Furthermore, the organization opposes abortion restrictions such as waiting periods and ultrasound exams. ⁷

Race-Based Policy

NJPP supports a number of race-based hiring policies within state-funded industries. Notably, the organization’s education policy analyst, Mark Weber, argued in a 2021 article that the state needs to hire fewer white teachers and hire more ethnic minority teachers. Weber argues that the state needs to limit charter school availability, increase the number of public schools, and create strict racial quotas to limit parental choice. ⁸

NJPP also advocates for an end to a “war on drugs,” arguing that it affects ethnic minorities at a much higher rate than white people. The organization claims that law enforcement uses drug laws as a weapon to “kill people of color.” It also claims that the war on drugs is “rooted in the legacy of slavery and racial politics.” NJPP pushes for the decriminalization of many drugs and for the liberalization of criminal sentencing laws relating to drugs. ⁹

People

Brandon McKoy is the president of New Jersey Policy Perspective. McKoy was compensated 105,596 in 2019. ¹⁰ McKoy previously served as a fellow, and later New Jersey chapter deputy director of the New Leaders Council, a left-of-center organization that offers training and other programs for liberal political leaders. McKoy also served as a member of the transition team for New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy (D), who succeeded Gov. Chris Christie (R) in 2018. ¹¹

Jon Shure is the vice-chair of the board of directors and the founder of NJPP. Prior to joining the board, Shure served as the director of communications for the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a left-of-center organization aligned with labor unions and other liberal organizations that advocates across a broad array of issues. ¹²

Marcia Marley is the is the chair of the board of directors of NJPP. Marley is the founder and president of BlueWaveNJ, a left-of-center organization that advocates for Democratic candidates in the state of New Jersey and pushes a number of left-of-center and liberal issues. ¹³

Funding

New Jersey Policy Perspective operated on a reported budget of $1,399,867 in 2019. The Organization reported net assets of $1,363,955 in the same year. ¹⁴

NJPP has received large grants from numerous left-of-center grantmaking organizations. The organization received $100,000 in 2019 from the Rockefeller Foundation,¹⁵ $45,000 from Open Society Foundations,¹⁶ and $30,000 in 2016 from the Annie E. Casey Foundation. ¹⁷ The organization has also received significant grants from labor unions and labor aligned organizations including $185,000 in 2018 and $135,000 in 2017 from the New Jersey Education Association, a labor union representing schoolteachers in New Jersey. ¹⁸ It also received $10,000 in 2016 from Communications Workers of America, a large AFL-CIO member union. ¹⁹

1. “Issues.” NJPP. Accessed June 7, 2021. https://www.njpp.org/issues
2. “Our Members.” EARN. Accessed June 7, 2021. https://earn.us/members/new-jersey-policy-perspective/
3. “Our Members.” EARN. Accessed June 7, 2021. https://earn.us/members/new-jersey-policy-perspective/
4. “Statements of support for the Raise the Wage Act.” NELP.org. Accessed June 7, 2021. https://www.nelp.org/wp-content/uploads/2017-Raise-The-Wage-Act-sign-on-statement.pdf
5. “Immigrants’ Rights.” NJPP. Accessed June 13, 2021. https://www.njpp.org/issues/immigrants-rights/
6. “Cooperation with ICE Deepens Racial and Economic Disparities in New Jersey.” NJPP. March 24, 2021. Accessed June 7, 2021. https://www.njpp.org/publications/blog-category/cooperation-with-ice-deepens-racial-and-economic-disparities-in-new-jersey/ 
7. “Protecting Roe V. Wade is Not Enough.” NJPP. January 22, 2020. Accessed June 7, 2021. https://www.njpp.org/publications/blog-category/protecting-roe-v-wade-is-not-enough/
8. “The ‘Whitening’ of Camden’s Teachers.” Weber, Mark. NJPP. February 11, 2021. Accessed June 11, 2021. https://www.njpp.org/publications/report/the-whitening-of-camdens-teachers/
9. “Abolishing the Racist War on Drugs in New Jersey.” NJPP. July 27, 2020. Accessed June 7, 2021. https://www.njpp.org/publications/blog-category/abolishing-the-racist-war-on-drugs-in-new-jersey/
10. New Jersey Policy Perspective, Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990), 2019. Part VII.
11. “User Profile: Brandon McKoy.” LinkedIn.com. Accessed June 7, 2021. https://www.linkedin.com/in/brandonmckoy/
12. Rachel Darwin. “Taft Communications Senior Director Jon Shure Honored by New Jersey Policy Perspective.” Patch.com. March 28, 2017. Accessed June 29, 2021. https://patch.com/new-jersey/lawrenceville/taft-communications-senior-director-jon-shure-honored-new-jersey-policy.
13. “Mission.” BlueWaveNJ. Accessed June 7, 2021. https://www.bluewavenj.org/about
14. New Jersey Policy Perspective, Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990), 2019. Part I.
15. “Grants Made.” Rockefeller Foundation. Accessed June 7, 2021. https://www.rockefellerfoundation.org/grant/grant-2019-148/
16. “Grants Database.” Open Society Foundations. Accessed June 7, 2021. https://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/grants/past?filter_keyword=new+jersey+policy+perspective&grant_id=OR2019-62394
17. Annie E. Casey Foundation, Return of a Private Foundation (Form 990PF), 2016. Part XV.
18. 2017-2018 Form 990 IRS Returns of Organization Exempt from Income Tax: New Jersey Education Association.
19. 2016 IRS 2016 IRS Form 990 Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax: Communications Workers of America (AFL-CIO). Schedule I, Part II: Grants Made.