SENATE COMMUNITY AND URBAN AFFAIRS COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION No. 169

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:  NOVEMBER 10, 2025

      The Senate Community and Urban Affairs Committee reports favorably Senate Joint Resolution No. 169.

      As reported, this resolution designates November 13th of each year as “Day of Civility” in New Jersey to coincide with “World Kindness Day.”  In recent years, American political and social discourse has been fraught with divisive rhetoric.  “Civility,” which means courtesy or politeness, would greatly enhance social relations among Americans and improve political leaders’ ability to govern.  A vast majority of Americans consider incivility to be a problem, and many blame politicians for the erosion of civility in our society.  Most Americans have experienced incivility and in a wide variety of places and settings.  Among those Americans who have reported experiencing incivility, such encounters are frequent.  Most Americans believe that incivility leads to intimidation, threats, harassment, discrimination, violence, and cyber-bullying, and that civility benefits society by building national pride and by easing tension and conflict.