New Jersey legislation · 2026-2027 Regular Session
New Jersey AR159: Italian-American Heritage Mo-recognize, concerns hist lynchings of Sicilians
Status: In committee, October 19, 2026
Acknowledges historical lynchings of Sicilians in New Orleans and recognizes Italian-American Heritage Month.
What the bill says
From the introduced text, October 19, 2026:
AR159 ASSEMBLY RESOLUTION No. 159 STATE OF NEW JERSEY 222nd LEGISLATURE INTRODUCED OCTOBER 19, 2026 Sponsored by: Assemblywoman DAWN FANTASIA District 24 (Morris, Sussex and Warren) Assemblyman CHRISTOPHER P. DEPHILLIPS District 40 (Bergen, Essex and Passaic) Co-Sponsored by: Assemblymen Sauickie, DiMaio, Barlas, Inganamort, Auth, McGuckin, Assemblywoman Flynn, Assemblymen Kanitra and Azzariti Jr. SYNOPSIS Acknowledges historical lynchings of Sicilians in New Orleans and recognizes Italian-American Heritage Month. CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT As introduced. An Assembly Resolution acknowledging the historical lynchings of Sicilians in New Orleans and recognizing Italian-American Heritage Month. Whereas, Considered the largest mass lynching in the American South, 11 Italians were lynched in New Orleans on March 14, 1891, taking place just one day after nine of the men were acquitted in a trial for the murder of the New Orleans police chief David Hennessy; and Whereas, These men were working-class immigrants employed as dockworkers, cobblers, fruit vendors, and tinsmiths, and were ordinary immigrants who arrived in the United States to build a better life for themselves and their families; and Whereas, Salacious newspaper accounts vilified the acquitted men as monsters worthy of mob violence, echoing the mainstream belief that Italians were savages; and Whereas, It was during this hostile climate that mafia was introduced into American English, a term that remains negatively associated with Italians and Italian-Americans to …
Sponsors
- Dawn Fantasia (R, 24) · primary sponsor
- Christopher P. DePhillips (R, 40) · primary sponsor
- Alex Sauickie (R, 12)
- John DiMaio (R, 23)
- Al Barlas (R, 40)
- Michael Inganamort (R, 24)
- Robert Auth (R, 39)
- Gregory P. McGuckin (R, 10)
- Victoria A. Flynn (R, 13)
- Paul Kanitra (R, 10)
- John V. Azzariti Jr., M.D. (R, 39)
- Kevin P. Egan (D, 17)
Latest actions
- : INT 1RA REF ASL
Subjects: COMMEMORATIONS
Common questions
- What is AR159?
- AR159 is a bill in the New Jersey Legislature (2026-2027 Regular Session): Italian-American Heritage Mo-recognize, concerns hist lynchings of Sicilians.
- What does AR159 do?
- Acknowledges historical lynchings of Sicilians in New Orleans and recognizes Italian-American Heritage Month.
- What is the status of AR159?
- In committee as of October 19, 2026. Latest action: INT 1RA REF ASL (October 19, 2026).
- Who sponsored AR159?
- Dawn Fantasia (R, 24), with 11 co-sponsors.
- Where is the official record for AR159?
- On the New Jersey Legislature website: https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/bill-search/2026/AR159
Source: official New Jersey record. Tracked by Delilah, AI for legislation across all 50 states and Congress.