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Asm. Zwicker speaking to the assembly session about NJ STEM Week.[/caption]
A few weeks ago, I had the privilege to shadow Assemblyman (Asm.) Andrew Zwicker of the 16th legislative district of New Jersey. Asm. Zwicker isn’t your average politician. He received his M.A. and Ph.D. in Physics from Johns Hopkins University and is now head of Science Education at the Princeton University Plasma Physics Laboratory. In addition to running his lab at Princeton and writing grants, he was elected to the assembly in 2016 and serves as an assemblyman in the statehouse. Serving in the legislature is considered a part-time position, so it is not uncommon for state assemblyman and senators to have other careers; however, it is uncommon to have a scientist within the assembly. This shadowing experience has left me with a newfound appreciation for what scientists can offer society besides innovative discoveries.
I started the morning off at a reception for the Governor’s STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) Scholars award. The room was filled with several students from 10th grade through PhD level who had been chosen as scholars. They all had posters displaying their research from the past year. I spoke with Jessica Binkewicz (post-baccalaureate, Caldwell University) about her studies in the antibacterial properties of therapeutic oils and to Sandeep Dhagat (undergraduate, Raritan Valley Community College) regarding his work in understanding antioxidant stability. Sandeep even designed an instrument on his own to read antioxidant concentrations in different fruit samples that were being studied. The students all had impressive projects and data spanning the STEM field and it was amazing to see their work recognized at the state level.
After the morning reception, I met Asm. Zwicker and his colleagues in the assembly caucus room. All the assemblymen and assemblywomen gather at this meeting before the session to discuss the bills that will be voted on during the upcoming session. Generally, there is very little to discuss, however, the session became very lively when Assembly Bill 99 (read A99 here) was introduced. The bill would change the management of the Police and Fireman’s Pension from the Department of the Treasury to the Board of Trustees. Although most of the legislators knew how they would vote, they would still ask questions on specifics in the bill to address concerns they may get from their constituents. After more than an hour discussing the specifics of this bill, the assemblymen and assemblywomen breezed through the remainder of the agenda. The caucus room was like a busy classroom. All the assemblymen and assemblywomen have assigned seating, but they would move around the room to discuss with each other or staffers other important business at hand.
Once the caucus session ended, I followed Asm. Zwicker to the assembly chambers. The room is a beautiful, large chamber where all the legislative magic happens; on session days, the chamber is open to the public to experience the legislation-making process. On this day, because A99 was being discussed, many firefighters and policemen could be seen in the gallery awaiting the outcome of the vote. There were several ceremonial resolutions passed at the beginning of the session, such as a resolution for women’s history awareness month in which New Jersey servicewomen were honored for all their dedication and work throughout their careers. In addition, Asm. Zwicker presented a resolution recognizing New Jersey STEM week. Asm. Zwicker presented the bill with the Governor’s STEM Scholars behind him; they were all being recognized for their impressive work as scholars and future scientists.
While I left before I could see more of the legislative session unfold, the brief glimpse I had into a day-in-the life of Asm. Zwicker gave me a better understanding of the work that goes into running our state. I believe that we need not only diverse political opinions represented in our state governments, but also diverse expertise and experiences. No legislator is an expert in everything, but a little expertise in all fields is what makes our legislator special. When you look at the profile of Asm. Zwicker, his support for renewable energy policy and education reforms are rooted in his professional background. He shares the first-hand knowledge he brings to these issues with his colleagues, and this allows for the implementation of evidence-based policy. Diverse expertise at the legislative level also allows for equal representation of the parties affected by new laws. For example, when a physicist with an understanding of renewable energy works together with a lawyer specializing in environmental regulations and a representative from a town that is interested in created green jobs, we have a better chance of an outcome that is fair and balanced for a greater number of people.
Yet, diversity and expertise become even more important at the committee level, as this is where bills get reviewed (To understand what happens in committee, click here). Committees are organized by subject matter and discuss specific policies that relate to the general over-arching subject. For example, the committee on agriculture will review all bills that relate to this category. An effective legislator in a committee could be an assemblyman or assemblywoman with many years of experience with the policy of this field, but it could also be a politician with a related profession. The result of this is that someone who has worked in this committee for ten years is just as valuable as a woman who has managed a dairy farm. Asm. Zwicker is on three committees which are a good fit given his training: Judiciary, Regulated Professionals, and Telecommunications and Utilities. Other committees that could benefit from a STEM professional include Agriculture and Natural Resources, Education, Environment and Solid Waste, and Health and Senior Services- to name a few!
The major take-away I had from this shadowing experience is that there is room and need for all types of people in government and this includes scientists on any career path. Government works best when it is collaborative, just like science. And much like in science and for scientists, the road in the beginning is hard for a junior assemblyman: days can be long, losses can be many, and wins are few. Yet, if there is anything we scientists are good at, it is having a thick skin and perseverance. I wish Asm. Zwicker the best in his career going forward.
If you have any additional questions for Asm. Zwicker and want to learn more about his work in the statehouse, let me know in the comments and I will have an update for you in the fall!
PS- This is the second of a series about my internship at the NJ statehouse. Be sure to check out my first post here!
If you need a refresher on what assemblymen/assemblywomen are and how the statehouse is structured, please click here.