TRENTON – Senator Joseph V. Doria, a prime sponsor of legislation to refund the State’s Transportation Trust Fund and ensure more oversight in spending, issued the following statement after the bill received final legislative approval in the Senate today by a vote of 25-13:
“New Jersey’s roadways are the State’s vital arteries, allowing the life’s blood of commerce to flow freely and allow our citizens to travel between work and home with relative ease.
TRENTON – Legislation sponsored by Senator John A. Girgenti, to require mattresses and box springs to meet a 30-minute open-flame resistance test was approved by the full Senate today.
“Mattresses are implicated in thousands of fires each year,” said Senator Girgenti, D-Bergen and Passaic. “These fires cause millions of dollars in property damage along with numerous injuries and even fatalities. Because mattress fires are the cause of more than twice the number of injuries and deaths than any other type of residential fire, it is important that regulations are put in place immediately to test and raise the flammability standards in order to protect the residents of New Jersey.”
TRENTON – Legislation sponsored by Senator John A. Girgenti, to require that all construction bid proposals include traffic safety requirements so that estimates for the project are more accurate, was approved by the full Senate today.
“Anyone looking to have construction work done needs to be made aware of the potential hazards at or around a construction site,” said Senator Girgenti, D-Bergen and Passaic. “Sometimes the contractors directly pay uniformed police officers to be present during the project, but the plans need to specifically note what safety controls will be at the owner’s expense. Proper safety should always be the priority on every construction site, and this measure will help buyers know the safety issues and the cost that they will need to consider, when choosing their contractors.”
TRENTON – Legislation sponsored by Senator John A. Girgenti, to require that car owners be held responsible when the driver, at the time of an accident, fails or refuses to report his involvement, was approved by the full Senate today.
“Drivers must report any car accident resulting in a death, injury or damage of at least $500, whether they are the owner of the vehicle or not,” said Senator Girgenti, D-Bergen and Passaic. “There is an unfortunate loophole in the law where owners are not required to report an accident, or disclose the identity of the responsible driver. By not sharing information with the authorities many ‘hit and run’ drivers evade punishment for their crimes.”
TRENTON – Senator Raymond J. Lesniak, the Senate sponsor of legislation, S-1470, to renew the Transportation Trust Fund, made the following remarks as the measure received final legislative approval today in the Senate by a vote of 25-13:
“We need to keep investing in our highways, our bridges, our rail lines and our buses so our residents can get to work, to stores and to school. What’s clear is that we need to take the steps necessary to make everyday life livable, productive and fulfilling.
TRENTON – Senator Shirley K. Turner welcomed final approval today by the Senate for the “School District Fiscal Accountability Act” which would set into place a process by which the State would provide loans to school districts running budget deficits, such as Willingboro School District.
“We realize that schools are run by administrators and school board members who occasionally make mistakes. But a mistake of this magnitude must come with consequences and a plan to ensure that the mistake is not repeated,” said Senator Turner, D-Mercer and Chair of the Senate Education Committee. “We are taking a measured approach to addressing local deficits and putting into place monitors and safeguards to provide fiscal stability.”
TRENTON – Legislation sponsored by Senator Ronald L. Rice, to authorize a municipality to grant two-year tax exemptions for beautification improvements on older buildings, was approved by the full Senate today.
“The purpose of the bill is to help property owners take on beautification and repair projects that they may not be able to afford without being given a break on their taxes’” said Senator Rice, D-Essex. “When you help owners clean up their places, you are actually helping provide a safe and aesthetically pleasing environment for everyone to enjoy. The improvements will certainly help enhance the municipality, and improve the overall quality of life for those in the area.”
TRENTON – The Senate passed a resolution today sponsored by Senator Nicholas Sacco that would extend the effective period of emergency truck rules put into place by the NJ Department of Transportation.
“The Department of Transportation has been working nonstop to develop comprehensive new rules for truck traffic in New Jersey,” said Senator Sacco, D-Bergen and Hudson. “In order for them to do that job as thoroughly as possible, we need to extend the time that the interim ’emergency’ regulations are in place.
TRENTON – A measure to sponsored by Senator Fred H. Madden that would ban the sale of yo-yo waterballs, which have been blamed for the strangulation deaths of hundreds of children in the United States was unanimously approved today by the full Senate.
“Taking care of our children and making sure that they grow up to be healthy and productive adults should be our number one priority,” said Senator Madden, D-Camden and Gloucester. “New Jersey ranks fourth in the entire nation for deaths caused by these dangerous toys. We, as parents and concerned legislators, must make sure that these toys are banned, so they don’t claim the lives of any more of our children.”
TRENTON – Senator Wayne Bryant, who helped write the $250 million stem cell bill now pending in the Senate, said the technical amendments approved today ensure that the $50 million facility in South Jersey will be at the Camden campus of Rutgers University.
“What’s now clarified is that the facility will be at Rutgers,” Senator Bryant said. “This is a great development for biomedical research, candidates for doctoral degrees and thousands of career-track job applicants.”