In response, Cunningham said in a statement that she was “disappointed” in the decision, and that the “proposed changes would significantly lessen the number of individuals who would be eligible for expungement.”
“If expungement is a good step toward responsible citizenship, then we should be broadening the opportunity for people to expunge their records and to rejoin the work force. There has to come a time when we understand the importance of permitting people to have a second chance.”
The senator also indicated that she has worked with “a broad array of civil rights advocates and law enforcement officials” to reform the state’s expungement laws in recent years, she said in her statement.
In 2016, then-Gov. Chris Christie (R) called Cunningham “a leader of political thought here in Hudson County” and said they had discussed potential expungement law reform.
gSince 1990, nearly 1 million people in New Jersey have been arrested on marijuana charges. The state has one of the highest marijuana arrest rates in the country, according to NJ Advance Media.