Richard J. Codey

TRENTON – Senate President and former Governor Richard J. Codey, D-Essex, today announced that he will introduce a package of bills that would make New Jersey a national leader in the fight to crack down on online sexual predators by providing the state with nearly unparalleled authority to monitor or restrict Internet access by convicted sex offenders and impose severe penalties for those convicted of using the Internet for luring.

“We see online sexual predators all over the news these days,” said Sen. Codey. “Their presence has infected the Internet like an out of control computer virus. Essentially, these bills will create a firewall between our children and predators.”

TRENTON – New Jersey’s stem cell agenda moved forward with resounding approval today as the full Senate voted 29 to 10 to approve S-1471, a bill sponsored by Senate President Richard J. Codey, D-Essex, which would allocate funding to build a world-class stem cell institute. The legislation, which is co-sponsored by Sen. Barbara Buono, D-Middlesex, allocates $250 million in unused bond capacity for construction of a $150 million stem cell institute in New Brunswick, a $50 million joint biomedical research facility in Camden, and a $50 million adult stem cell research facility at the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) in Newark.

“New Jersey’s stem cell institute can be the place where hope translates into real therapies,” said Sen. Codey. “New Jersey has a lot of advantages in the race for a cure, with our first rate universities and some of the world’s leading pharmaceutical and bio-tech companies. This bill has the potential to secure New Jersey’s place as a leader in the life science industry, ease suffering and save countless lives. But, right now there are only a handful of first-rate stem cell scientists and they are waiting on the edge of their seat to see who makes the first serious investment. Every day we wait potentially puts us a day behind.”

TRENTON – Senator Barbara Buono, D-Middlesex, made the follow statement today after the Senate passed her bill, S-1471, which would authorize $250 million to build stem cell research and biomedical research facilities in New Jersey:

“”New Jersey is a global leader in developing advanced medical cures that save countless lives. The stem cell research centers will allow us to maintain this lead while working with researchers from around the world to realize the potential that stem cell research has. For those living with diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, cancer or numerous other diseases, the stem cell research centers will be a symbol of hope.

TRENTON – New Jersey’s stem cell agenda took another step forward today with the Senate Budget Committee approving a bill sponsored by Senate President Richard J. Codey, D-Essex, which allocates $150 million to build a world-class stem cell institute. Sen. Codey testified before the committee, saying the bill, S1471, “has the potential to chart a new course in New Jersey history and the history of medical treatment all over the world.”

The legislation, which is co-sponsored by Sen. Barbara Buono, D-Middlesex, allocates $200 million in unused bond capacity for construction of a stem cell institute in New Brunswick, as well as $50 million for a joint biomedical research facility in Camden. The stem cell institute would be located in the heart of New Jersey’s world-renowned life sciences industry and would be jointly operated by Rutgers University and the UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.

TRENTON – Senate President Richard J. Codey, D-Essex, issued the following statement today on the state Assembly’s unanimous approval of bill S-213, sponsored by Codey, which will require health care professionals to provide information and screening for postpartum depression (PPD). The bill passed the full Senate on Monday and now heads to Governor Corzine to be signed into law.

“I know, first hand, the grief caused by postpartum depression. It’s my hope that this bill will continue to shed light on the issue and ensure that postpartum depression gets treated like most other illnesses – with the attention and care it deserves.