32nd Legislative District Assembly candidates Hoboken Mayor Ravi Bhalla and Katie Brennan are stating they will have Rutgers University’s back against the President Donald Trump (R) administration if elected to serve.
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
“We cannot allow President Trump to impose his will on our nation’s colleges and universities, eviscerating academic freedom at the point of a federal gun,” Bhalla said in a statement.
“The research funding he is unlawfully withholding drives cures for diseases and scientific breakthroughs that fuel our economy. We’re not going to let this happen.”
The candidates praised Rutgers President Jonathan Holloway for joining more than 150 university presidents in a joint statement defending academic freedom against the Trump administration’s “unprecedented government overreach and political interference.”
“This is a blatant attack on academic freedom. If this was really about anti-Semitism, like Trump says it is, then let’s have an honest conversation about combating hate on college campuses. We can do that without defunding and destroying our colleges and universities,” added Brennan.
The duo added that “in the Assembly, we’ll have Rutgers’ back,” emphasizing the “unlawful freezing” of billions of dollars in previously awarded federal grants to top universities threatens critical health studies, medical treatments, and scientific research.
Bhalla and Brennan also expressed strong support for the faculty-led proposal to establish a “Mutual Academic Defense Compact” among members of the Big Ten Academic Alliance.
This would provide legal, expert, and public affairs support to institutions facing pressure from the Trump administration. The faculty senates of least four other Big Ten schools have since come out in support of the proposal.
“The Rutgers administration and faculty are showing exactly the type of leadership we need right now. Their courage in standing up to Trump and his attacks on higher education truly represent the best of New Jersey’s values. The lesson here is that we’re all stronger when we stand together,” Brennan continued.
“If we let Trump shake down one institution, he can shake down any institution. We all have to look out for one another,” noted Bhalla.
Furthermore, both candidates pledged to partner with both university leadership and faculty to create robust protections for New Jersey’s higher educational institutions.
The Democratic primary in LD-32 is shaping up to be a barnburner, with Assemblywoman Jessica Ramirez and Jersey City Ward D Councilman Yousef Saleh running on Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop’s gubernatorial slate.
Additionally, Hoboken Public Library Director Jennie Pu and Jersey City Director of Buildings and Street Maintenance Crystal Fonseca are running with the support of the Hudson County Democratic Organization (HCDO).