TRENTON – Senator Shirley K. Turner today proposed legislation to require illegal immigrants to post full cash bail if they are charged with crimes in New Jersey.
“When illegals commit crimes, they should be taken off our streets,” said Senator Turner, D-Mercer. “Full cash bail should crack down on the underground escape routes of illegals with nothing to lose.”
TRENTON – Senator Shirley K. Turner today said the enactment of her bill, S-2808, by Governor Corzine is “good news for Princeton taxpayers” because it removes a property tax exemption for the private Cottage Club.
“Princeton taxpayers will no longer have to subsidize an elitist and private eating club,” said Senator Turner, D-Mercer. “This is definitely a victory for local taxpayers.”
TRENTON – Senator Shirley K. Turner commended the Governor today for signing her bill, S-2448, which will establish a pilot program to detect vision impairments in second-grade students.
“The current vision screenings conducted in schools are not nearly comprehensive enough to pick up many of the vision-related learning problems. If we wait until these students show some sign that they are falling behind in school before conducting these more thorough screenings, then we are already too late,” explained Senator Turner.
TRENTON – Senator Shirley K. Turner, D-Mercer and co-sponsor of S-3005, the “Green Acres, Farmland, Blue Acres and Historic Preservation Bond Act of 2007” which would provide historic relief to flood victims in Trenton and Ewing, made the following statement today after Governor Jon Corzine signed the bill into law:
“The voters have a historic opportunity this year to provide much needed relief to those families living along the Delaware River who have seen far more flooding than they could have ever imagined.
TRENTON – Senator Shirley K. Turner, D-Mercer and Chair of the Senate Education Committee, made the following statement today after the New Jersey Department of Education released the NJ QSAC (Quality Single Accountability Continuum) monitoring reports of the state-operated and Level II districts, which indicated that the Trenton School District has failed to pass muster on all five evaluated key components:
“Today’s news that Trenton schools are failing to meet even the most basic educational guidelines is disappointing, to say the least, though you can hardly say it’s surprising.
TRENTON – A bill sponsored by Senators John Adler, Shirley K. Turner and Joseph F. Vitale which would eliminate the smoking ban exemption for New Jersey casinos and simulcasting facilities was approved by the Senate today by a vote of 35-0.
“Today’s Senate action is a huge win for New Jersey,” said Senator Adler, D-Cherry Hill. “It sends the message that the public interest, and our health, is our most important priority. With this vote, we guarantee smoke-free indoor air, not just for casino patrons, but employees who risk their health just by going to work.”
TRENTON – Legislation sponsored by Senator Shirley K. Turner that would extend income guidelines for the New Jersey Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) to reflect federal EITC levels received final legislative approval today, passing both houses right before they went into summer recess.
“Hundreds of thousands of working families in New Jersey will see much needed tax relief through the expansion of the EITC,” said Senator Turner, D-Mercer. “This is an area that New Jersey has lagged behind our neighbors for too long and is part of a commitment to reducing poverty in this state.”
TRENTON – A bill sponsored by Senators Steve Sweeney, Joseph Doria and Shirley Turner which would authorize local entities to develop wireless broadband infrastructure and contract with private Internet service providers to establish wireless community networks was approved by the Senate today by a vote of 37-0, and is scheduled for a vote in the Assembly later today.
“In today’s world, web access is not a luxury, but a necessity,” said Senator Sweeney, D-Gloucester, Cumberland and Salem. “Between paying bills electronically, performing academic research, or keeping in touch with family and friends, the Internet has changed the way we perform so many everyday activities. All New Jerseyans deserve access to broadband Internet access, regardless of their income or where they live.”
TRENTON – Two measures which would limit New Jerseyans involuntary exposure to second-hand smoke are scheduled for Senate consideration tomorrow, with a media availability with State lawmakers and representatives of NJ GASP (Group Against Smoking Pollution) following the vote.
The first bill, S-1089, sponsored by Senators John Adler, Shirley Turner and Joseph Vitale, would eliminate an exemption in New Jersey’s Smoke-Free Air Act which allows casinos to circumvent the Statewide smoking ban enacted last session. The bill would force casinos and simulcasting facilities to abide by the same smoking restrictions in place for restaurants, bars, and other workplaces in the State.
TRENTON – The Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee today approved legislation sponsored by Senate Shirley K. Turner that would require all historic sites granted property tax exemptions after 1999, including Princeton’s Cottage Club, to follow current requirements in order to keep that exemption.
“When we passed the reforms to the tax exemption in 2004, we didn’t want to place an additional burden on those sites that had been legitimately serving their communities for years. At the same time, those new requirements were meant to go into effect moving forward so that no one else could abuse the exemption and get a free ride,” said Senator Turner.