TRENTON – Senator Ronald L. Rice has introduced legislation that would limit the increase of property taxes to five percent from homes that undergo of redevelopment in urban areas.
“Urban redevelopment gives people the opportunity to take abandoned or dilapidated structures and rebuild them to their original appearance as a way to rejuvenate a community,” said Senator Rice, D-Essex.
TRENTON – Senator Nicholas P. Scutari, one of the Joint Legislative Committee on Public Employee Benefits Reform Committee’s co-chairs, issued the following statement in response to testimony provided to the panel by Philip D. Murphy, Chairman of the Governor’s Benefits Review Task Force.
“Having Chairman Murphy here to testify provided us with valuable insight as to how the Task Force arrived at its conclusions, and how those recommendations mesh with what we have learned thus far.
TRENTON -The Community and Urban Affairs Committee will listen to testimony from the general public on their personal experiences regarding eminent domain and redevelopment in New Jersey during two pubic hearings before the end of the month.
The first public hearing will be on Thursday, October 26th, at 6 pm in Irvington, at the Irvington Senior Citizen Community Center, located at 1077 Springfield Avenue.
TRENTON – The Joint Legislative Committee on Public Employee Benefits Reform will take testimony from Philip D. Murphy, Chairman of the Governor’s Benefits Review Task Force, on Wednesday.
The task force issued a report in December of 2005 – colloquially known as “The Murphy Report” – which was used by the joint committee as a basis for discussion and analysis of state pensions and benefits as they relate to the property tax problem.
TRENTON – A bill sponsored by Senator Bob Smith which would require the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to hold a public hearing and allow for public comment on shore protection projects was unanimously approved today by the Senate Environment Committee.
“Over the summer, we held a public hearing in Toms River on a number of shore protection issues, and one of the key points we gleaned from that was that we need to be more responsive to the people we’re trying to protect at the Shore,” said Senator Smith, the Chair of the Environment panel. “Many of those that testified were never given a proper public forum to object, despite the fact that beach replenishment was going on, in some cases right in their own backyards. We need to ensure that the public’s voice is heard before we begin fundamentally changing the way of life for those who live at the Jersey Shore.”
TRENTON – Senator Bob Smith, D-Middlesex and Somerset, issued the following statement today regarding the Senate Economic Growth Committee’s hearing today on a number of bills to promote “green buildings,” or buildings which supplement their energy needs through clean, renewable and environmentally-friendly energy collection:
“While the package of ‘green building’ bills were held today to address some of the Committee’s concerns, I am confident that the Committee supports the concept, and that we will be able to see the bills advance at the next meeting of the Economic Growth Committee.
TRENTON – A package of bills sponsored by Senators Joseph F. Vitale and Nicholas J. Sacco to reduce the number of people who use illegal commuter van services and to crack down on those who operate such services was approved by the Senate Transportation Committee today.
“Thousands of poor or immigrant workers are forced to use to use unsafe commuter vans because they have no vehicle of their own or need to work in a location that is not accessible by public transportation,” said Senator Vitale, D-Middlesex. “There is an overwhelming number of illegal van companies operating in New Jersey, and these vans are unregistered, overloaded, and unsafe.”
TRENTON – Legislation sponsored by Senators Stephen M. Sweeney and Shirley K. Turner that would require new residents to register their vehicles with the Motor Vehicles Commission (MVC) within 60 days of becoming a New Jersey resident was approved by the Senate Transportation Committee.
“We need to crack down on New Jersey residents driving cars registered in other states,” said Senator Sweeney, D-Cumberland, Gloucester and Salem. “Out of state, out of date license plates make it incredibly difficult for the police to track hit and run suspects and in turn make our streets less safe.”
TRENTON – A measure sponsored by Senator Fred H. Madden designed to amend current law to reduce fines for driving without proof of a license, registration or an insurance card was approved today by the Senate Transportation Committee.
“This legislation is designed to ease the penalties for drivers who simply leave home and forget to grab their license, registration or insurance card on the way out the door – these people aren’t hardened criminals, they’ve just made a mistake,” said Senator Madden. D-Camden and Gloucester, who also sits on the Senate Transportation panel. “As a former State Trooper, I have to say that we should not be in the business of imposing unnecessary penalties on good citizens. Instead, we must focus our energies on keeping the streets safe from criminals, and this legislation would allow officers to do just that.”
WOOD-RIDGE – Senator Paul A. Sarlo today urged the New Jersey Department of the Treasury to reverse its decision to force non-profit organizations like the YMCA to collect sales tax on the dues their members pay.
“When the Legislature voted to modernize New Jersey’s sales tax structure, it was with the understanding that organizations such as the YMCA would not be required to collect those taxes,” explained Senator Sarlo, D-Bergen, Essex and Passaic.