Bob Smith

TRENTON – A bill sponsored by Senator Bob Smith which would make it easier for non-unionized employees to organize to increase their negotiating power was approved by the Senate today by a vote of 24-11, receiving final legislative approval.

“The right of employees to organize in order to protect the basic rights of the worker is a time-honored tradition that has lead to landmark employee protections that have made the working place a safer and far more fair environment,” said Senator Smith, D-Middlesex and Somerset. “Unions have been at the forefront of every major employee initiative in the last 100 plus years. We need to continue the tradition of unionization, to maintain a necessary watchdog for the working man, and give employees the ability to organize without facing retribution from non-union employers.”

TRENTON – Senator Bob Smith, D-Middlesex and Somerset, the Chairman of the Senate Environment Committee, and a prime sponsor of legislation to cut down on unhealthy emissions from diesel engines in New Jersey, issued the following statement regarding the bill’s pending consideration in the Senate and Assembly on Monday, and the bill’s fate as a ballot question in November:

“New Jersey is on the verge of cleaner skies and better breathable air. But, the fight for stronger protections from diesel emissions does not end when the bill is signed into law, and we will continue to push for public support when the protections are posed to the voters as a ballot question during this November’s election.

TRENTON – Senator Bob Smith, D-Middlesex and Somerset, the Chairman of the Senate Environment Committee and the prime sponsor of legislation which would create a State program to retrofit diesel engine with cleaner-burning technology, issued the following statement today regarding amendments approved on the Senate floor for his bill:

“The amendments adopted today represent a compromise between clean air and a healthy business climate, and that compromise will go a long way towards building a balance which we can all live with.

TRENTON – A bill sponsored by Senator Bob Smith which would require a higher recycling standard for plastic packaging sold in New Jersey to promote recycling and preserve landfill space was given a hearing by the Senate Environment Committee today, with a vote scheduled at a later date.

“New Jersey really needs to push the use of recycled plastics by our State’s manufacturers and retailers to avoid increasing the number of landfills in the State,” said Senator Smith, D-Middlesex, the Chairman of the Senate Environment Committee. “In the Garden State, where we have the distinction of being the most densely populated state in the nation, we cannot afford to give up more of our precious open space to be transformed into a dump. Increasing our reliance on recycled plastics and promoting recycling over dumping will make for a cleaner, greener tomorrow.”

TRENTON – Two bills sponsored by Senator Bob Smith were approved today by the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee. The bills, and their identical counterparts in the Assembly, which were also approved by the Assembly Environment and Solid Waste Committee today, are designed to improve New Jersey’s air quality and reduce diesel emissions in the State.

“New Jersey can breathe a little easier knowing that measures to protect and enhance the quality of air in the Garden State are moving forward in the Legislature,” said Senator Smith, D-Middlesex and Somerset, the Chairman of the Senate Environment Committee. “New Jersey has the unenviable position of being one of the worst states in the nation in terms of air quality, and that translates to real world health hazards for our residents who suffer from chronic bronchitis and asthma, as well as increasing the likelihood for instances of cancer and heart conditions in New Jersey residents. We cannot ignore the problem while hundreds of New Jerseyans die each year because of our polluted air.”

TRENTON – Senator Bob Smith, D-Middlesex and Somerset, the Chairman of the Senate Environment Committee and prime sponsor of a legislative package designed to reduce diesel emissions in New Jersey, issued the following statement today regarding critics’ claims, most notably Senator Henry McNamara, R-Bergen, that diesel emissions reduction efforts before the Legislature are flawed:

“I’ve worked with Senator McNamara for a number of years on issues affecting the environmental health of New Jersey. Sometimes we’re on the same page, and sometimes we’re not. When it comes to diesel emissions reductions, it seems we are most definitely not on the same page.