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Engaging Legislators
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The Middletown Press: 10/27/2007
The Complications of Performing Marriages Sloan Brewster. Published 12:00 am EDT, Saturday, October 27, 2007 HADDAM – For a Justice of the Peace the first interview with a couple can resemble an audition. “When they come to your house, you’re not interviewing them,” Eleanor Tomazewski a Middletown JP said to a captive audience. “You’re on audition; they’re interviewing you.” Tomazewski, who is 78 shared some tidbits of her 20 years as a JP with about 30 of her fellows at the Annual Conference for the Justices of the Peace at the Haddam Firehouse Saturday. The moral of her tales was simple, have a […]
COVID Advocacy in Massachusetts
Updated August 10, 2020 States and municipalities are reeling, trying to establish systems for what used to be routine business of government. Included in the mix is the processing of legal marriages. In Massachusetts, there has been a lack of direction or guidance – for JPs, clerks and couples. Many marriages have already been planned and need to be postponed. Other times, marriages are essential (health benefits, immigration issues, emotional duress), and need to proceed. There needs to be a plan to address both circumstances. Responsible, professional JPs have been role models. They completed COVID training certification for marriage officiants, and […]
NH 1599 – What Happened 2020
Updated July 13, 2020 When it comes to amateur officiants in New Hampshire, the Justice of the Peace Association fights diligently on behalf of our members.That is because logic and righteousness are on our side. We’ve done the research. We’ve explored alternatives. We’ve built allies. And we played by the rules. A Quick Summary In June 2019, the legislative session ended with an upset. The special marriage officiant bill died after the Senate President blocked it – based on the problems raised by JPus. While we were successful, we also knew that our work wasn’t done. The bill would be […]
The Sun Journal: 9/25/2005
9/25/05 Justices of the Peace Prepare to Marry Gays Connecticut’s new law allowing same-sex civil unions takes effect next weekend, and justices of the peace are still learning how to handle the new ceremonies. “On Oct. 1, civil unions become law in Connecticut, but there is not a JP in that room who knows what to do with it,” said Saul Haffner, president of Justices of the Peace of Connecticut, which held a conference Saturday on the law. “It’s going to be a mess.” Read article here.
8 Things to do During COVID-19 Marriages
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Press Release: 1/13/2019
Changes to 1-Day Solemnizer Rule Recommended FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 13, 2019, Fairfield, CT. Significant problems with the state’s one-day solemnizer rule were identified by the Justice of the Peace Association in a white paper submitted to Governor Charlie Baker’s office last week. The Governor appoints Justices of the Peace to perform marriages and process the paperwork required to make the relationship legal. The one-day solemnizer rule allows friends and family to officiate, oftentimes with troublesome results. Most people think when the officiant says “I now pronounce you…” is the most important part of the marriage. But in reality, witnessing […]
Intentionally Inclusive Interviewing
Intentionally Inclusive Interviewing for Marriage Officiants: Recognizing and Respecting Diversity This training provides marriage officiants a framework to better understand and prioritize their clients’ identities and experiences. This will improve officiants’ interactions with couples and their wedding guests, leaving all parties feeling more empowered and included. This webinar includes examples that depict a variety of scenarios in which unconscious bias may occur and its impact on connections. Learning Objectives Define unconscious bias and the many forms it can take. Increase awareness of your own perspective, and how that perspective might influence relationship building, the ceremony, and the couple’s and guests’ […]
Press Releases: 3/1/2021
Virtual Conference for Marriage Officiants on March 13, 2021 In anticipation of the Justice of the Peace Association’s Virtual Conference on March 13, 2021, JPus sent out variations of a press release highlighting member and speakers at the event. Following is a compilation of some that received attention. The Hartford Courant: March 5, 2021 Justices of the Peace gathering virtually for conference STATEWIDE — Justices of the Peace will be gathering virtually on March 13 to boost their ceremony-performing skills and keep up with policies impacting their services. The Fairfield based Justice of the Peace Association is hosting the conference, […]
Union Leader: 7/17/2020
The following op-ed was published in the New Hampshire Union Leader on July 17, 2020. It calls for Governor Sununu to issue an executive order to undo the temporary marriage officiant authorization. Loretta Jay: Amendment undermines marriages… literally ON THE second to last day of the session, the New Hampshire Senate tacked an unrelated amendment onto a guaranteed-to-pass bill. This move, done without notifying constituents, gives anyone temporary authorization to officiate a marriage. This will increase the risk of coronavirus spread. The House passed the bill the next day. New Hampshire needs Governor Sununu to step in and halt this […]
Officiant Survey – JP Appointment Process
In 2022, the Justice of the Peace Association released a survey to support its research on the qualifications of civil officiants and the way they are appointed. One hundred seventy-eight people answered our survey. Minimum Qualifications Only five percent of survey respondents thought that marriage officiants should not have any minimum qualifications to perform a marriage ceremony. All others thought officiants should meet certain qualifications. 86% think officiants should take an oath of office. 79% want a criminal background check or other means to verify the officiant is of good character. 63% believe training is needed before becoming an officiant. […]
Advocacy
the When legal or social issues affect our membership’s marriage-related duties, JPus gets involved. JPus represents membership, advocating on their behalf: Supporting legislation, engaging the media, training officiants Are there policies or legislation brewing in your community that affect justices of the peace? Let JPus know – we’re here to support you! At the Justice of the Peace Association, we work for the change we want to see. We are an inclusive organization that believes in the equality of all people. Our activities reflect our core values. Amateur Marriage Officiants Lay-officiants give professional JPs a bad name. This includes state-sanctioned […]
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