TRENTON – Senator Brian P. Stack was sworn in today to a four-year term as State Senator and pledged to focus on “education reform, property tax relief and the needs of the people” of his 33rd Legislative District.”
“I’ll be monitoring the new school funding formula and working to improve it to make sure it helps all children and doesn’t pull back on serving the needs of Abbott Districts,” said Senator Stack.
TRENTON – Senator Joseph F. Vitale, D-Middlesex, the Chair of the Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee and one of New Jersey’s chief advocates of healthcare reform and universal care, today issued the following statement regarding Governor Corzine’s 2008 State of the State Address:
“Through the Governor’s comments today, it’s obvious that he recognizes that New Jersey’s finances are broken, and that we are in need of serious transformational change to fix the State’s many problem. However, the State’s health care system is just as dysfunctional, and we cannot put off the sort of reform that will protect the health and well-being for New Jersey’s citizens.
TRENTON – The state Senate today approved the “Urban Transit Hub Tax Credit Act,” a bill sponsored by Senate President Richard J. Codey (D-Essex), which is aimed at catalyzing economic development in areas surrounding urban train stations. The act is designed to foster smart growth principles and would establish a tax credit program for capital investment and increased employment in targeted transit hubs.
“This bill will help break the logjam that often occurs in urban redevelopment and stimulate sizeable job growth,” said Sen. Codey. “Sometimes, despite the best efforts of a municipality, it’s just impossible to attract investors to a property if they don’t see the potential for profit. That’s sound business sense on their part. This is sound public policy on our part.”
TRENTON – The General Assembly today approved a bill sponsored by Senate President Richard J. Codey (D-Essex) to crack down on calling card companies that cheat consumers out of the advertised minutes by imposing hidden fees and restrictions. Bill S2887 would prohibit certain types of charges and fees and require that all charges and restrictions be clearly disclosed on the cards or packaging and advertising.
“There are a lot of smaller phone card companies out there that try to stay competitive by advertising what appears to be a great deal,” said Sen. Codey. “Then the consumer gets hit with all these hidden fees and they only end up getting 50 or 60 minutes when they thought they were purchasing 100. This has to stop. If I went to a gas station and said fill it up, I wouldn’t expect to drive away with half a tank of gas.”
TRENTON – The Senate today gave final approval to a bill, S-2940, to create a tough, new “gang criminality” statute to authorize trying teenagers as adults, imposing, consecutive and mandatory sentences, and subjecting gang members to racketeering statutes used to prosecute organized crime.
“The level of violence incurred by communities from street gang thugs requires swift and certain punishment,” said Senator John A. Girgenti, a prime sponsor of the bill. “It is proper for some juveniles to be tried as adults when the level of their violence against innocent victims requires incarceration.”
TRENTON – A measure sponsored by Senators Barbara Buono and Loretta Weinberg which would strengthen State laws on hate crimes and bullying received unanimous final legislative approval today from the full Assembly.
“Too often, those choosing to commit hate crimes target victims based on who they are perceived to be, and not on facts and one-on-one relationships,” said Senator Buono, D-Middlesex. “Hate crimes epitomize ignorance, and those who choose to commit them should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
“From the very beginning of our nation’s history, different groups have endured discrimination based on simple, uninformed assumptions of character,” said Senator Weinberg, D-Bergen. “This legislation would help to educated and inform the public of the dangers of hate crime, bullying and the ignorance that fuels all related discriminatory and violent actions.”
TRENTON – A measure sponsored by Senator Loretta Weinberg which would help law enforcement personnel locate and safely return missing persons to their families received unanimous final legislative approval today from the full Assembly.
The legislation is named for Patricia Viola, a Bogota woman who disappeared from her kitchen in 2001 and has never returned. Patricia relies on medication to control her epilepsy, which makes her case of higher risk. Patricia’s husband Jim has led the fight for this legislation, said Senator Weinberg.
“When a loved one goes missing, those who love and care for them immediately go into panic mode, and their worries do not subside until that missing person is found,” said Senator Weinberg, D-Bergen. “By establishing real guidelines for law enforcement to follow when searching for missing people, this legislation gives hope to their families that police are doing everything in their power to help safely locate and return their missing loved ones.”
TRENTON – A bill sponsored by Senators John H. Adler and Joseph F. Vitale which would establish the “New Jersey False Claims Act” to protect against abuse and fraud within Medicaid and other State claims programs was approved by the Senate today by a vote of 37-0.
“New Jersey needs to do everything in its power to stop fraud and abuse of the public trust, whether by private citizens or public officials,” said Senator Adler, D-Cherry Hill. “This bill will be another weapon in the arsenal of good government.”
TRENTON – A pair of bills sponsored by Senator Bob Smith which would guarantee funding for municipal recycling programs and create a statewide electronics recycling initiative were approved by the Senate today.
“New Jersey was once a national leader in our efforts to promote recycling, but have since fallen to the back of the pack,” said Senator Smith, D-Middlesex and Somerset, the Chair of the Senate Environment Committee. “We need to do more to reenergize our State’s recycling profile, and ensure sustainable, effective programs to deal with new trends in recycled waste. These bills would put the Garden State back on the right track, and ensure a greener legacy to impart to future generations of State residents.”
TRENTON – A bill sponsored by Senators Ellen Karcher and Joseph F. Vitale which requires hospitals and health care professionals to advise pregnant women of the option to donate umbilical cord blood and placental tissue to a public or private blood bank was signed into law last week by Governor Corzine.
“New Jersey has established a record of supporting stem cell research, pushing the boundaries of our current understanding of medical science,” said Senator Karcher, D-Monmouth and Mercer, the Vice Chair of the Senate Health Committee. “Through this legislation, we will ensure that all expecting moms know that they have an opportunity to contribute to medical progress by donating cord blood and placental tissue to State-sponsored research or private blood banks. This is another move forward in our efforts to advance medical understanding and find cures for currently incurable diseases or permanent injuries.”