TRENTON, N.J. – Sen. Raymond Lesniak has recently announced winners from among 146
contestants from 21 New Jersey schools for the Humane State license plate design.
The Lesniak Institute for American Leadership sponsored the contest for K-12 students in New Jersey. The students wrote essay competitions and participated in the Humane State license plates design for animal welfare.
The first place winner for the license plate was Kelly Qiang from High Technology High School in Middletown Twp., who created her design based on four causes of the Lesniak Institute.
“We deserve to be called the Humane State,” said Sen. Lesniak. “New Jersey has proven to be a national leader in protecting animals from cruelty and extinction on the face of the earth.”
Sen. Lesniak hopes that when the Humane State license plates debut you will buy them to display “your compassion, your concern, and your support for making New Jersey the humane state.”
As a senator, founder and president of the Lesniak Institute, he has been instrumental in advocating for animal rights, among many other humane causes.
Sen. Lesniak was the “proud” sponsor of the initial law in the nation to ban ivory products and transactions involving ivory products and rhino horns.
– Provided photo
Since then, he has legislated for other animal rights such as Nosey’s Law, Pedlars’ Law, Puppy Mills, and Gestation Cages. These are pending bills.
He said the Humane State license plate design is an extension of these bills, and that it is “aspirational” in terms of serving as a reminder to individuals for protecting animals from abuse.
So, the ideas behind the license plate design are not only to recognize New Jersey as the Humane State, but also to promote students and citizens’ involvement.
The top two winners of the license plates designs were awarded $1,000 each in scholarships, while the top six winners for the essay contest will get $500 each in
scholarships.
The winners for the essay contest will be decided Jan. 15, 2019.
Meanwhile at the recent press conference, Brian Hackett, executive director of New Jersey Humane Society commends the students for their “fine’’ work and praised the Lesniak Institute for their efforts towards animal protection.
“We are glad to see that animal welfare and animal protection is one of the causes that the institute is taking up,” said Hackett.
He also said aid that the senator has been successful in enacting a bill that reformed how animal cruelty cases in the State are investigated and prosecuted.
Funds and proceeds from sale of the plates will go to the Animal Welfare Federation of New Jersey, and grants will go to local agencies such as the local police, animal shelters, and the Sheriff’s Department that enforces the welfare of animals, said Hackett.
The Lesniak Institute was formed at the beginning of this year. The Humane State license plate design competition was a one-time contest.
The Institute hopes the plate design will be around for a lifetime.
— Follow Michelle Dryden on Twitter @Michelle_Dryden