Buono Hails Passage Of 2% Cap As ‘First Broad Stroke’ In Writing Property Tax Reform

TRENTON – Senate President Stephen M. Sweeney today hailed Governor Christie’s signing of the two-percent property tax cap as marking only the beginning of what will be a larger and comprehensive effort to provide property tax relief to New Jersey taxpayers.

Sweeney, who forged the compromise legislation with the Governor ten days ago, released the following statement:

TRENTON – Legislation Senate President Stephen M. Sweeney sponsored to enact a statutory 2.9 percent cap on property taxes was today passed by the Senate.

The bill (S-29) seeks to build upon the success the state’s current property tax cap has had in slicing annual levy increases by more than half over the past three years. It passed the Senate 23-17, and is awaiting a vote this evening in the Assembly.

“The Governor is finding out that facts are stubborn things, and the fact is the state’s current cap has been successful in stemming the growth in property taxes,” said Sweeney (D-Gloucester/Cumberland/Salem). “By lowering the cap further and tightening other parts of the law, we can continue to drive down property taxes across the board.”

TRENTON – Legislation sponsored by Senator Shirley K. Turner that would require all voting machines to produce an individual paper record for each vote cast passed the full Assembly and the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee today.

“Every November, the millions of New Jersey residents go to the polls to exercise their basic right to vote and make their voices heard,” said Senator Turner, D-Mercer. “Those people want assurances that each individual vote is counted every single time they go to the polls. While New Jersey has not faced the voting irregularities that have plagued Ohio and Florida in recent years, without a paper trail, there are no guarantees that the results reported at the end of the night reflect the votes of the people.”

TRENTON – Legislation sponsored by Senator Shirley K. Turner that would require all voting machines to produce an individual paper record for each vote cast passed the full Assembly and the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee today.

“The right to vote is perhaps the most sacred right for any American,” said Senator Turner, D-Mercer. “When people take the time to exercise this rights, they deserve to know that each individual vote is counted every single time. While New Jersey has not faced the widespread voting irregularities that have plagued Ohio and Florida in recent years, we shouldn’t wait until that happens to take action. Voter verifiable balloting is needed now so that New Jersey voters are assured that the results reported at the end of the night reflect the votes of the people.”

TRENTON – Legislation sponsored by Senator Shirley K. Turner that would require all voting machines to produce an individual paper record for each vote cast passed the Senate State Government Committee today.

“At the core of American society is the ability of the people to go to the polls each year and have their voices heard,” said Senator Turner, D-Mercer. “There is nothing more important to our system of democracy than the knowledge that each individual vote is counted. Without a paper trail, there are no guarantees that the results reported at the end of the night reflect the votes of the people.”

TRENTON – Legislation sponsored by Senator Shirley K. Turner that would require all voting machines to produce an individual paper record for each vote cast was signed into law today by Governor Richard Codey as part of a package of bills to enact needed voting reforms.

“The American people have fought hard during our history to secure the right to vote for all adult citizens,” said Senator Turner, D-Mercer. “When our constituents take the time to exercise this right, they deserve the assurance that their vote will be counted each and every time, without fail. It has become clear with the voting problems we have seen in other states that we need to ensure that every vote is recorded on a piece of paper that can be verified by the voter before leaving the polling booth and can be manually counted by election officials if needed.”

TRENTON – A bill sponsored by Senator Nia H. Gill which would require voting machines in New Jersey to provide a voter-verified paper trail to ensure the accuracy of the vote was signed into law today by Governor Codey.

“The right to vote is the most precious one afforded to American citizens, because it holds government accountable to the will of the people,” said Senator Gill, D-Essex and Passaic. “The history of American democracy, from the Boston Tea Party to the civil rights marches of the 1960’s, has always been inextricably tied to the continued demand for fair and equal representation, but when the integrity of the democratic process is questioned because of programming errors and computer glitches, we must act to restore that integrity. A voter-verified paper trail will assure voters that their votes were accurately received, and that their part in the democratic process was protected from electronic error and abuse.”

TRENTON – Senator Jim Whelan, D-Atlantic, a primary sponsor of S-29, legislation which will cap local spending at 2.0 percent of the previous year’s spending levels, issued the following statement today regarding the Governor signing the bill into law:

“The property tax cap bill which was signed into law today represents New Jersey state government’s best attempt to control runaway local property taxes. For far too long, New Jersey residents have had to endure tax increase after tax increase, to the point where many have been driven out of their homes by the high cost of living in the Garden State.