Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Nicholas P. Scutari, D-Union, Middlesex and Somerset, addresses his colleagues on the floor of the State Senate.
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Nicholas P. Scutari, D-Union, Middlesex and Somerset, addresses his colleagues on the floor of the State Senate.
Joint Hearing on Important Environmental Issues Facing the Jersey Shore
LACEY TOWNSHIP – Senator Bob Gordon, D-Bergen, and a member of the Senate Environment Committee, issued the following statement today regarding the joint hearing between the Environment Committee and the Assembly Environment and Solid Waste Committee on the environmental conditions facing the Barnegat Bay and Little Egg Harbor estuaries and other important issues facing the Jersey Shore:
“I applaud everyone who came out today and testified on the need to control runoff contamination in the Barnegat Bay and elsewhere in New Jersey. This is not a regional problem or a Shore problem, but a Statewide problem, and unless we begin to adopt better pollution control legislation and more sensible land use regulations in New Jersey, we’re going to lose one of our State’s biggest economic assets.
TRENTON – Summer may have just officially started, but the full Senate is preparing for winter, approving a bill sponsored by Senators Nicholas Sacco and Robert Gordon, which is aimed at increasing safety on the roads by requiring all drivers to remove ice and snow from their vehicle before heading out on the roadways.
“I see so many cars on the roads in the winter that have nothing but a small sliver of windshield cleared,” said Senator Sacco (D-Bergen, Hudson). “This is downright dangerous for both the driver and other passengers on the road. This is about encouraging people to be mindful of their own safety and the safety of others during the winter months.”
TRENTON – A bill sponsored by Senators Bob Gordon and Christopher “Kip” Bateman, both members of the Senate Environment Committee, which would require prompt parental notification when hazardous materials are found on school property was unanimously approved by the Environment panel today.
“School officials have a moral responsibility to guarantee a safe, productive learning environment for their students,” said Senator Gordon, D-Bergen. “When hazardous, dangerous substances are found on school grounds, those officials must do everything in their power to ensure prompt, thorough notification to the parents of children who may be affected. This should be common sense, but unfortunately, there are some school bureaucrats out there that are so afraid of bad publicity that they’re willing to take an ostrich-with-its-head-stuck-in-the-contaminated-sand approach when it comes to pollution and contamination on school grounds.”
HACKENSACK – A measure sponsored by Senators Loretta Weinberg and Robert Gordon, which would give administrative authority of Historic New Bridge Landing State Park to the Historic New Bridge Landing State Park Commission has been signed into law. The bill signing took place at the New Bridge Landing’s Steuben House.
“Today is a great day for the people of Bergen County and for New Jersey as a whole,” said Senator Weinberg, D-Bergen. “This new law gives the Commission more authority over administering the funds that are allocated within the State budget for the Park. Historic New Bridge Landing State Park is a piece of New Jersey’s history, and it’s good to have this funding where it belongs.”
TRENTON – A bill sponsored by Senator Bob Gordon, a member of the Senate Environment Committee, which would require prompt parental notification when hazardous materials are found on school property was given a hearing by the Senate Environment Committee, with a vote to come at a later date.
“When an environmental hazard is discovered on school grounds, the school district has a responsibility to let parents know as soon as possible,” said Senator Gordon, D-Bergen. “This bill would codify that responsibility, and set an appropriate timetable for full disclosure of contamination to all appropriate parties. Parents and school staff need to be made aware of any potential health risks on school grounds, so they can take whatever actions are necessary to protect themselves and their kids.”
TRENTON – A bill sponsored by Senators Loretta Weinberg and Bob Gordon which would amend State statute regarding the process for Horizon’s conversion from a not-for-profit health care insurance provider to a domestic stock insurer was approved by the Senate Commerce Committee today by a vote of 3-0, with two abstentions.
“As the largest health insurer in the State of New Jersey, Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield is responsible for providing access to care for millions of State residents,” said Senator Weinberg, D-Bergen, and Vice Chairwoman of the Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee. “Any conversion of Horizon from a non-profit to for-profit status could have drastic and far-reaching consequences on the availability and accessibility of care in New Jersey. We must tread very carefully in allowing Horizon to convert to for-profit status, and we must ensure that New Jersey’s Horizon subscribers are not put in jeopardy to benefit the bottom line of a health care corporation.”
A pair of bills that would regulate the operation of snowmobiles and all-terrain vehicles and designate sites in New Jersey for ATV and off-road vehicle usage were approved today by the Senate Environment Committee.
Sen. Shirley Turner (D-Mercer) is the sponsor of a bill (S-1059) that would require the Commissioner of Environmental Protection to designate three sites within New Jersey for use by all-terrain vehicles, dirt bikes, and snowmobiles. The sites would be located in the northern, central and southern parts of the state and would be made available for the use of ATVs, snowmobiles, dirt bikes and other off-road vehicles.
TRENTON – A measure sponsored by Senator Robert Gordon which would amend the “Predatory Towing Prevention Act” to help give more rights to motorists and help prevent dishonest towing companies from preying on drivers has been signed into law.
“The focus of this new law is to clarify the rights of motorists,” said Senator Gordon, D-Bergen. “While parking rules and regulations are absolutely necessary to help keep order on our roadways, dishonest towing companies will not be permitted to make their money by patrolling parking lots without permission, and charging excessive rates to release impounded vehicles. This law will ensure that property owners have the final say over vehicles that are parked, legally and illegally, on their property.”
PISCATAWAY – A bill sponsored by Senators Teresa Ruiz and Bob Gordon which authorizes the Board of Public Utilities (BPU) to invest in energy cost savings programs for industrial and commercial energy consumers was signed into law today by Governor Corzine at a public bill signing ceremony at the Busch Cogeneration Facility at Rutgers University’s Busch campus.
“Clean, renewable energy and co-generation grants make New Jersey much more attractive to business investors and represent the future in environmentally-friendly energy production,” said Senator Ruiz, D-Essex and Union, and a member of the Senate Economic Growth Committee. “Particularly as we work to encourage businesses to locate to the Garden State, these programs will reduce our carbon footprint and lower energy costs for consumers across the board. I applaud the Governor for working with us to promote energy alternatives and for making New Jersey a national leader in low-impact energy production which will revitalize our economy and preserve our natural resources for future generations.”