TRENTON – Senator Nicholas J. Sacco said he was pleased that Acting Governor Codey today signed his bill, S-500, to permit local school districts to give random drug tests to student athletes.
“This new law is important for school districts to have the tools to test athletes for steroids and other performance enhancing drugs,” said Senator Sacco, D-Hudson and Bergen, a professional school district administrator.
NORTH BERGEN – Senator Nicholas Sacco, an outspoken leader in addressing drug abuse in our schools and prime sponsor of S-500, which would outline the procedures used by schools in random drug testing, made the following statement today following Governor Codey’s signature of Executive Order 46 creating the Governor’s Task Force on Steroid Use and Prevention:
“I applaud Governor Codey’s commitment to tackling the complex issue of steroid abuse by our student-athletes in such a holistic manner.
TRENTON – Legislation sponsored by Senators Nicholas Sacco and Joseph Doria that would increase state aid to school districts bordered by three or more Abbott school districts was signed into law over the weekend by Governor Codey.
“These are school districts that look like Abbotts, face many of the same problems as Abbotts, but do so without the State assistance we designate for Abbott districts,” said Senator Sacco, D-Hudson and Bergen. “The local school officials in these near-Abbotts are battling overcrowding, widespread poverty and increased dropout rates, and despite their best efforts, they cannot compete without some sort of additional State aid. If we were to turn our backs and leave these districts to their own problems, we would quickly find ourselves dealing with a regional educational crisis that would be much harder to address.”
TRENTON – Legislation sponsored by Senators Nicholas Sacco and Joseph Doria that would increase state aid to school districts bordered by three or more Abbott school districts was approved by the Assembly today.
“Just because a school district doesn’t meet all of the qualifications of the Abbott districts doesn’t mean it is without the economic and social challenges that Abbott districts face,” said Senator Sacco, D-Hudson and Bergen. “The needs of our districts are not as black and white as the funding formula would suggest. These ring districts face many of the same challenges as their Abbott neighbors – they also share low income levels, high numbers of students in English as a second language classes and the need to provide more social services like free lunches. These districts are struggling to provide their students with the programs and services to combat these challenges and these additional funds will help provide their students with a high quality education.”
TRENTON – Legislation sponsored by Senators Nicholas Sacco and Joseph Doria that would increase state aid to school districts bordered by three or more Abbott school districts was approved by the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee today.
“Just because a school district is not labeled an ‘Abbott’ district doesn’t mean it is free from the economic and social challenges that Abbott districts face,” said Senator Sacco, D-Hudson and Bergen. “Those districts with Abbott neighbors often share more than just borders – they also share low income levels, high student mobility rates and the need to provide more social services like free lunches. This bill will help provide those districts with the resources they need to address these challenges and provide their students with a high quality education.”
TRENTON – Legislation sponsored by Senators John A. Girgenti and Nicholas Sacco, which would extend the law and allow more New Jersey law enforcement officers to access juvenile records, was approved by the full Assembly today.
“The additional access to a juvenile’s record will help the law enforcement officers throughout the State prevent and solve more crimes that are committed by those under 18,” said Senator Girgenti, Chairman of the Senate Law, Public Safety and Veterans Affairs Committee. “The more information that officers have on the history of a juvenile who committed a crime, the better equipped they are to handle the situation accurately and compassionately. Neighboring municipalities need access to the juvenile records of nearby communities so that they can properly investigate crimes and check into juvenile offenses that occur.”
TRENTON – Senator Nicholas J. Sacco’s legislation to permit local school districts to implement random drug testing policies for student athletes was approved by the full Senate today.
“We need to do everything in our power to reduce the prevalence of drug use among students in our schools,” said Senator Sacco, D-Bergen and Hudson. “It concerns me that our student athletes see professional athletes using steroids and other performance enhancing drugs and feel they must follow suit to stay ahead of the curve. We need to empower our schools with the ability to curb this problem before it starts and provide students already abusing drugs to get the help they need.”
TRENTON – A bill sponsored by Senators Nicholas J. Sacco and Joseph V. Doria which would require additional verification of a prospective pilot’s identity before he or she can rent an airplane was signed into law yesterday by Governor Codey.
“We’ve witnessed first-hand the destruction caused when terrorists use airplanes as weapons against targets in the United States,” said Senator Sacco, D-Hudson and Bergen, the Chairman of the Transportation Committee. “The sheer devastation caused by the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon on September 11, 2001 has rallied legislators to take a much closer look at perceived threats to our homeland security. Closing the identity verification loophole for pilots in New Jersey will keep the skies safer above the Garden State.”
TRENTON – A bill, sponsored by Senator Joseph V. Doria, Senate Majority Leader Bernard F. Kenny, Jr. and Senator Nicholas J. Sacco, which would allow the New Jersey Transit Authority to acquire and operate passenger ferries was signed into law yesterday by Governor Codey.
“The ferry is a crucial transportation link between Northern New Jersey and New York City, and must be protected for the sake of the thousands of commuters that ride the ferry every day,” said Senator Doria, D-Hudson. “New York Waterway’s financial troubles had threatened to jeopardize the integrity of the entire North Jersey transportation infrastructure, but now, New Jersey transit has the tools to turn the ferry’s economic plight around. With new management from an organization that has a history of success with mass-transit in New Jersey, the ferry is now in good hands.”
TRENTON – Senator Nicholas J. Sacco’s legislation to permit local school districts to implement random drug testing policies for student athletes was approved by the Senate Education Committee today.
“The use of any drug, whether it be steroids, marijuana or narcotics, at an early age can have serious long-term consequences for our students,” said Senator Sacco, D-Bergen and Hudson. “I fear that as our high school athletes see steroid abuse become more common among professional athletes, they will see it as a necessary part of staying ahead of the curve in sports. We need to empower our schools with the ability to curb this problem before it starts and provide students already abusing drugs to get the help they need.”