With the swish of his pen on November 8th, Mr. Murphy ended the untold suffering of hundreds of animals a year, for Mr. Murphy is the Governor of New Jersey!  S1726 was written into law on that day after passing UNANIMOUSLY both the state Senate and the Assembly.  The bill forbids all animal testing for cosmetics in the state going into effect in March 2022.

The efforts had been in the works since February 2020, introduced then by state Senators Joseph Lagana and Nellie Pou.  The law actually states 'Furthermore, alternative testing methods, such as the use of engineered human tissue and the use of computer models, are often cheaper and more accurate than animal testing, in addition to being cruelty-free.' Additionally it says 'Animal tests for cosmetics are frequently painful and harmful to the animals'.  New Jersey now becomes the eighth state with similar bans, California, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Nevada, New Jersey and Virginia have all banned testing of cosmetics on animals.

Vicki Katrinak, director of Animal Research and Testing at The Humane Society applauded the states move saying 'With a growing number of non-animal test methods available, there is no ethical justification to continue harming animals for the sake of shampoo, mascara, or aftershave. Thank you to Assemblyman Verrelli and Senator Lagana for their leadership on this bill and Governor Murphy for signing this important bipartisan legislation.'  Sadly cosmetic testing is typically carried out on the most servile and docile animals, because they won't fight back.  Rabbits and beagles are prime candidates.

This sort of progress happens in a democracy only when there is broad public support for an issue.  Recent surveys have indicated huge backing by the citizenry for ending this horrid practice.  A 2019 study by Cruelty Free International showed that 79% of respondents supported cruelty-free practices. Another survey from The Humane Society of the U.S. found that over 67% of respondents want an end to animal testing and would prefer researchers to find alternatives to testing cosmetics and other personal care products.

When miracles like this occur one wonders why it has taken so long for the public to recognize the indefensibility of our actions. And one is also allowed to wonder where all the other so called 'progressive' states are, such as New York and Massachusetts. In any case it was a good day for humanity and for the most harmless and kind of animals.