Sandra Cunningham

By DMUAdmin News & Releases Nicholas J. Sacco Sandra Cunningham

17 Feb: Cunningham/Sacco Bill To Strengthen Transparency Laws Governing Port Authority Of NY & NJ Clears Senate

TRENTON – Legislation sponsored by Senators Sandra Bolden Cunningham and Nicholas Sacco to strengthen transparency laws governing the Port Authority of NY & NJ by requiring the board’s meeting standards be at least as strong as the provisions contained within the “Open Public Meetings Act” was approved unanimously today by the full Senate.

The bill (S-550) would establish by state law the requirement that the port authority adequately provide notice of board meetings to the public and the news media, as well as establish clear guidelines regarding public access to meetings. Specifically, the bill would require the port authority to follow the same requirements of the “Open Public Meetings Act” of New Jersey and the “Open Meetings Law” of New York; in the event they conflict, the board would be required to adopt the provisions which provide for the greatest rights to the public and the media.

“The Port Authority handles billions of dollars of public money, and operates a massive transportation network in two states, consisting of some of the country’s busiest airports, bridges, tunnels and ports,” said Senator Cunningham (D-Hudson). “It is critical that permanent policies are in place to ensure that board actions are fully transparent and that decision-makers are held accountable to the residents who support their operations.”

“Providing the public proper access to authority meetings is vital to ensuring that residents are able to monitor how their hard-earned dollars are being spent,” said Senator Sacco (D-Hudson/Bergen), chair of the Senate Transportation Committee. “This bill will ensure that the authority meets strong transparency standards and that these standards are not only part of the bylaws, but established in state law and, therefore, cannot be changed by the board they were created to govern.”

By DMUAdmin News & Releases Nicholas J. Sacco Sandra Cunningham

07 Feb: Cunningham/Sacco Bill To Strengthen Transparency Laws Governing Port Authority Of NY & NJ Clears Committee

Senator Sandra Cunningham listens to testimony during the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee hearing.

By DMUAdmin News & Releases Sandra Cunningham

06 Jan: Cunningham Bill To Help Former Prisoners Find Jobs, Reduce Recidivism Rate Sent To Governor

TRENTON – Legislation sponsored by Senator Sandra Bolden Cunningham to help former prisoners find jobs, in turn helping to boost the economy and reduce the recidivism rate in New Jersey, was today approved by both houses of the Legislature.

The bill (S-2556) would allow county or municipal governments to establish a program setting aside a certain percentage of their contracts to be awarded to companies that employ former prisoners.

“In order for former prisoners to successfully reintegrate into the community, they have to be given a chance to be productive members of society,” said Senator Cunningham (D-Hudson). “This bill recognizes the need to create reasonable opportunities for those who have rehabilitated themselves to find work, to keep them from returning to the prison system. It also recognizes that everyone – regardless of past mistakes – should be part of the process of building a stronger economy in our state.”

Senators Ronald L. Rice, D-Essex, and Sandra Cunningham, D-Hudson, speak about legislation on the floor of the Senate

By DMUAdmin News & Releases Ronald L. Rice Sandra Cunningham

10 Dec: Rice-Cunningham Bill To Report Minority- And Women-Owned Business Contracts In School Construction Signed Into Law

TRENTON – A bill sponsored by the Chair of the Legislative Black Caucus, Senator Ronald L. Rice, and caucus member Senator Sandra Bolden Cunningham which requires the New Jersey Schools Development Authority (SDA) to report on the number of contracts awarded to minority- and women-owned businesses was signed into law yesterday by Governor Christie.

“As New Jersey residents continue to come to grips with the effects of the national and global economic crisis, it’s important that we make sure that everyone has a chance to recover,” said Senator Rice, D-Essex. “New Jersey’s policy of setting aside public contracts for minority- and women-owned businesses has been a useful tool in providing opportunities to business owners who may otherwise be disregarded because of the color of their skin or because of their gender. This new law will protect contract set-asides by ensuring public reporting and transparency of contracts for minority- and women-owned businesses.”

A view of the Senate Chambers from the 2010-2011 Senate Reorganization.

By DMUAdmin Donald Norcross Fred H. Madden Jr Jeff Van Drew Jim Whelan News & Releases Nia H. Gill Paul A. Sarlo Sandra Cunningham Steve Sweeney

08 Dec: Tax Cuts, Investment Incentives For N.J. Businesses Sail Through Senate Budget Panel

TRENTON – The Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee today released its first seven measures aimed at making New Jersey a friendlier and more competitive state for business by cutting taxes for Garden State companies and creating new incentives for businesses to stay and grow.

The bills are part of the recently unveiled “Back to Work NJ” legislative initiative to create jobs and promote the state as a better place for business.

“With unemployment stubbornly stuck above 9 percent, we need to be aggressive in our efforts to retool and reposition our economy,” said Senate President Stephen M. Sweeney (D-Gloucester/Cumberland/Salem). “This package is about creating new economic opportunities not only for business, but for working families across the state. For their sake, we can’t act fast enough.”

By DMUAdmin News & Releases Ronald L. Rice Sandra Cunningham

25 Oct: Rice-Cunningham Bill To Ensure Reporting Of Minority- And Women-Owned Business Contracts In School Construction Approved

TRENTON – A bill sponsored by the Chair of the Legislative Black Caucus, Senator Ronald L. Rice, and caucus member Senator Sandra Bolden Cunningham which would require the New Jersey Schools Development Authority (SDA) to report on the number of contracts awarded to minority- and women-owned businesses was approved by the Assembly today by a vote of 73-5, receiving final legislative approval.

“Particularly when our State and national economies are struggling, contract set-asides are vital to ensuring that economic recovery isn’t restricted to companies owned by white men,” said Senator Rice, D-Essex. “As we seek to build state-of-the-art educational facilities in our communities in need, we have to make sure that all contractors are given fair consideration. Too often, women and minority contractors are written off, but this bill will make sure that New Jersey is living up to its responsibility to create recovery diversity among all contractors in the Garden State.”

By DMUAdmin News & Releases Sandra Cunningham

20 Oct: Cunningham Applauds Success Of Silver Alert System

TRENTON – Senator Sandra Bolden Cunningham, a sponsor of legislation which was signed into law late last year to create a Silver Alert program to notify New Jerseyans whenever a person with Alzheimer’s or some other cognitive disorder goes missing, said she was pleased with the program’s results after less than a year of implementation, noting that Silver Alerts have resulted in successfully finding the person in question each time they were issued.

“In less than a year, New Jersey’s Silver Alert system has proven to be an invaluable tool to quickly locate missing persons who may be suffering from dementia, Alzheimer’s or some other cognitive impairment,” said Senator Cunningham, D-Hudson. “It’s absolutely crucial that we mobilize New Jersey’s good Samaritans within hours of a Silver Alert in order to prevent someone from being a danger to themselves or to others. Through this program, we’re helping to reunite families with their lost loved ones and preventing injury or even death for confused and frightened New Jersey seniors.”

Senate sponsor, Senator Sandra Bolden Cunningham speaks at the bill signing on the measure to prohibits the sale and purchase of more than one handgun per person within a 30-day period.

By DMUAdmin News & Releases Sandra Cunningham

23 Sep: Cunningham Bill To Expand Public, Law Enforcement Outreach On Human Trafficking Advances

TRENTON – A bill sponsored by Senator Sandra Bolden Cunningham which would direct the Attorney General to publicize information about human trafficking hotlines and would mandate law enforcement training on responding to the needs of victims of human trafficking was unanimously approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee today.

“For the victims of human trafficking, life can be a nightmare of abuse, forced servitude and ever-constant fear and intimidation,” said Senator Cunningham, D-Hudson. “Many of these folks have come to the United States looking for opportunity, or have fled broken homes looking for a new beginning, and instead have found victimization and slavery. We need to give them the tools to break the cycle of servitude, and give the law enforcement community the training to meet the unique needs of these people.”

Senator Loretta Weinberg, D-Bergen, discusses a measure on the Senate floor.

By DMUAdmin Loretta Weinberg News & Releases Sandra Cunningham

20 Jul: Weinberg-Cunningham Bill To Increase Public Reporting For For-Profit Hospitals Approved In Committee

TRENTON – A bill sponsored by Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee Chairwoman Loretta Weinberg and Senator Sandra Bolden Cunningham which would require privately-owned hospitals to report more financial information to the public was approved by the health committee yesterday by a vote of 7-0, with one abstention.

“Even though a hospital is privately-owned, it may still derive a large part of its funding from the taxpayers,” said Senator Weinberg. “If these facilities are the recipient of taxpayer funds in the form of charity care reimbursement or Medicaid funding, the taxpayers have a right to know about their finances. This bill would create more public scrutiny of for-profit health care facilities in order to make sure that these hospitals are still living up to their responsibility to the patients they serve.”

Senator Sandra Bolden Cunningham, D-Hudson, speaks about a bill before the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee.

By DMUAdmin News & Releases Sandra Cunningham

19 Jul: Cunningham Resolution Urging Congress To Extend Unemployment Benefits Clears Senate Committee

TRENTON – A resolution sponsored by Senator Sandra Bolden Cunningham, which would memorialize Congress to enact legislation to extend the 100% federal funding for emergency, extended and weekly unemployment insurance benefits to laid off workers, was approved today by the Senate Law and Public Safety Committee.

“This legislation is about urging Congress to act on legislation that would help to keep New Jersey’s families afloat in these tough economic times,” said Senator Cunningham, D-Hudson. “While we wait, and hope for these benefits to be reinstated, roughly 38,000 New Jerseyans have lost their benefits. We just came through a difficult budget process – one where real sacrifices had to be made. New Jerseyans cannot be called upon to undergo anymore cuts in necessary services.”

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Sandra Cunningham