News & Releases

TRENTON – At a news conference today in the Statehouse, State Senator Ellen Karcher revealed a reform plan today for New Jersey’s childhood mental health system, which she said was “in need of major improvements.”

“We’ve really pushed the envelope in terms of our attention to the plight of the mentally ill, and that’s in no small part due to reforms instituted by Governor Codey,” said Senator Karcher, D-Monmouth and Mercer, the Vice Chair of the Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee. “However, there’s one area where we can do so much more, and that’s in the arena of childhood mental illness. By implementing these reforms, we can help our most vulnerable kids and adolescents overcome the specter of mental illness, through early diagnosis, and a coordinated model of support and treatment.”

HOBOKEN — The office of Senate Majority Leader Bernard F. Kenny Jr. today announced that it had served 300 senior citizens at the 14th Annual Columbus Day Senior Luncheon held at the Hoboken Elks Lodge on Washington Street on Wednesday, Oct. 19th.

Senator Kenny’s Chief of Staff, Kathy Perry-Cardino, said Senator Kenny personally served up the luncheon fare of antipasto, macaroni and sausuge along with cannolis for dessert. The Senate Majority Leader received help serving the lunches from Hoboken Mayor and Luncheon Co-Host Dave Roberts while Ms. Cardino and Legislative Assistant Susan Flynn staffed the kitchen.

TRENTON – Senator Wayne R. Bryant, D-Camden & Gloucester, Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee Chair and a member of the Senate Education Committee, released the following statement today after a news conference held by the New Jersey Council of Community Colleges discussing the role of community colleges in economic and workforce development now and during the upcoming gubernatorial administration:

“Our local community colleges play a pivotal role in helping to prepare today’s students for tomorrow’s workforce. Workforce training must be a central element of maintaining a progressive and viable economy. I believe in New Jersey’s community colleges and the positive work they are doing for the roughly 350,000 students who are enrolled Statewide. I believe that higher education trains students to be successful members of society, which is why I sponsored the “NJ STARS” law to allow students who finish in the top 20% of their high school graduating class to attend a community college for free. This year I also sponsored the “NJ STARS II” law to extend the provisions of “NJ STARS” and allow students already enrolled in the program with a GPA of 3.0 and above to continue in the program. Our community colleges work, which is why I’ve always made it a point to fight for increased budget funding for these schools. I am now calling on whoever is elected in November to work with legislators to make supporting the State’s community colleges a top priority. It is imperative that the Legislative and Executive branches continue to support the community college system and New Jersey’s exceptional students through both financial and moral support – we owe it to ourselves, our children and the future of New Jersey’s economy.”

TRENTON – Senator Joseph V. Doria Jr. today said the key to reforming the bankrupt school construction program in New Jersey is to place ultimate decision-making responsibility with the State Education Commissioner.

“We need to make one person accountable for the ultimate decisions and that should be the person most responsible for the education of our children – the Education Commissioner,” said Senator Doria, D-Hudson, and a member of the Joint Committee on the Public Schools.