Tom Mastrangelo is the Morris County Commissioner and is running a Republican primary campaign against state Sen. Joe Pennacchio.

It’s frightening to see that Gov. Murphy has unleashed the state attorney general on the School Board and the parents of Hanover Township over an issue that the woke governor is manufacturing in order to pander to the extremists in his party.

This is wrong. It is a threat to our liberties and an attack on parental rights regarding the education of our children and the operation of school districts. This is an attempt by the state government to bully parents and attack local values. On May 16, the Hanover School Board approved policy 8463, which covers a wide range of concerns that the school board, teachers and parents have about children’s welfare. One day after the policy was approved the state filed suit. Clearly, this was pre-planned attack on suburban school parents and a violation of parental rights.

In his press release announcing the lawsuit against Hanover, the attorney general said: “We will always stand up for the LGBTQ+ community here in New Jersey and look forward to presenting our arguments in court in this matter.” How about standing up for rights of parents to govern their schools and protect their children. I stand with the parents and board members of Hanover Township at this critical time. I also support the parents of Roxbury, who are now the subjects of a lawsuit for not wanting inappropriate books in school libraries.

The intimidating action of the governor and the AG are a warning sign to parents and school districts throughout the state. Either toe the line on the governor’s extreme views on sexual orientation or face the full weight of government intervention in their lives. This is not democracy; its totalitarianism and I reject it. What’s next? Will the governor have the State Police investigate parents who oppose his education policies?

When people ask me why we need to change who we elect to the state legislature, this incident is why. As Republicans, we can either elect people who go to Trenton and get nothing done, or we can elect people who will fight for our rights and do not stop until we win. I will fight until we win and no amount of state bullying will stop me.