News & Releases

TRENTON – A bill sponsored by Senator Joseph F. Vitale which would move New Jersey’s presidential primary date to the last Tuesday in February in order to make New Jersey relevant in national elections was signed into law today by Governor Codey.

“The issues facing New Jerseyans every day are the same issues playing out in our nation’s capital, and across the United States,” said Senator Vitale, D-Middlesex. “We are, in so many ways, a microcosm of the larger national picture, and as such, we deserve to have a voice in the national decision-making involved in picking a party’s presidential candidate. In the next presidential election, candidates from both parties will have to discuss the needs of New Jersey if they are going to secure the support of their respective political parties to run.”

TRENTON – A bill sponsored by Senators Joseph F. Vitale and Bob Smith to authorize local governments to issue five-year bonds for the reimbursement of an ambulance, rescue vehicle or similar public safety vehicle was approved by the Senate yesterday by a vote of 36-1.

“The fleets of public safety vehicles that serve New Jersey residents are a vital component in the State’s network of rapid response health care,” said Senator Vitale, D-Middlesex. “A state of the art ambulance or rescue vehicle can mean the difference between life or death for patients being transported to a hospital or other primary care facility. Municipalities need to have access to greater bonding ability to keep their rescue vehicles and ambulances in top condition.”

TRENTON – A bill sponsored by Senator Joseph F. Vitale which would require a court order for admittance into the Moderate Security Unit (MSU) at the New Lisbon Developmental Center was approved by the Senate by a vote of 36-0.

“The MSU is specifically intended as an alternative to imprisonment for special needs prisoners with developmental disabilities, and we need safeguards in place to ensure that individuals who are incarcerated at the MSU belong there,” said Senator Vitale, D-Middlesex, the Chairman of the Senate Health Committee. “The MSU is not a traditional treatment facility, and the regimented treatment and care provided is not necessarily appropriate for every individual with developmental disability. We need to ensure that the facility is not abused, and that developmentally disabled New Jerseyans have access to the appropriate care.”