State lawmakers are considering new legislation that would allow people with criminal convictions in New Jersey to serve on juries.

Supporters of the measure say the ban has created racial disparities in jury pools.

“Excluding all of those people for prior convictions — it just seems like we’re doubl[ing] down, even though you’ve served your time and now you should be able to participate in the judicial system like everyone else,” said Assemblywoman Verlina Reynolds-Jackson (D-Mercer).

“A quarter to a third of the entire Black population of New Jersey is banned from this space,” said Emily Schwartz, the senior counsel for the New Jersey Institute for Social Justice. “So we’re whitewashing these jury pools.”

Sen. Jon Bramnick (R-Union) says Republican support is unlikely and that the measure could interfere with the jury selection process. “… the bill, in my judgment, was not ready for prime time,” he said.

Sen. Brian Stack (D-Hudson), one of the sponsors of a previous bill, with exceptions, recently pulled his sponsorship of the original bill.