Steve Sweeney

25 Jan: Sweeney & Oliver: In Governor’s Plan To Lure Illinois Businesses, ‘Back To Work Nj’ Should Be The Red Carpet

TRENTON – Senate President Stephen M. Sweeney and Assembly Speaker Sheila Y. Oliver today said that while they appreciate Governor Christie’s effort to attract Illinois businesses to the state, he could enhance New Jersey’s business climate immediately and make his sales pitch stronger simply by signing the Legislature’s “Back to Work NJ” job creation and economic development package.

“Businesses in Illinois are going to want to see that New Jersey is as good for business as the Governor is saying it is, and signing the 30 bills on his desk would send the strongest signal possible that we’re ready, willing and able to be their new home,” said Sweeney (D-Gloucester/Cumberland/Salem). “There should not be a race to see who can make New Jersey more business-friendly first. When it comes to improving our economy, we’re all in this together.”

Senator Nicholas J. Sacco (D-Hudson)

20 Jan: Sacco-Sweeney Bill To Roll Back Tolls Dedicated To ARC Tunnel Construction Advances

TRENTON – A bill sponsored by Senate Transportation Committee Chairman Nicholas J. Sacco and Senate President Stephen M. Sweeney which would roll back toll increases intended to pay for the cancelled Access to the Region’s Core (ARC) tunnel project that Governor Chris Christie rejected late last year was approved by the Transportation Committee today by a vote of 3-2.

“To increase the tolls to pay for the ARC project, the Turnpike Authority had to have numerous public hearings in which they laid out a case for the toll increase,” said Senator Sacco. “Using the money intended for the ARC tunnel for other programs, absent a comprehensive public dialogue, undermines the public’s input and role and is disingenuous to the toll-payers who had an expectation of where their money was going. If the Turnpike Authority wants to use increased toll funding for other projects, then they should begin the hearing process anew to give the public a voice in transportation funding decisions.”

19 Jan: Sweeney Issues Statement On Comptroller’s Audit Report Of Rutgers’ Procurement Policies

TRENTON – Senate President Stephen M. Sweeney (D-Gloucester/Cumberland/Salem) today released the following statement on the State Comptrollers’ audit report concerning procurement policies at Rutgers University:

“The findings of the State Comptroller are indeed disturbing. Rutgers has no justification for failing to implement a competitive bidding process, or for, in some instances, failing to provide even the most basic kinds of oversight. Their failure to even implement their own nepotism policies would be comical if it were not so serious. That is just unacceptable.

Senator Nicholas J. Sacco (D-Hudson)

11 Jan: Senate Democrats Introduce Bill To Roll Back ARC Tunnel Toll Increase

TRENTON – Yesterday, Senate Transportation Committee Chairman, Nicholas J. Sacco, and Senate President Stephen M. Sweeney introduced legislation intended to roll back toll increases intended to pay for the cancelled Access to the Region’s Core (ARC) tunnel project that Governor Chris Christie rejected late last year.

“It’s disingenuous for the Governor to, on one hand, cancel the ARC tunnel project, and on the other, continue the funding source for the ARC tunnel into perpetuity to pay for his own transportation projects,” said Senator Sacco, D-Hudson and Bergen. “When tolls were increased along the Turnpike and Parkway in 2008, it was done so with the understanding that the funds would go to pay for the ARC tunnel, a transportation project designed specifically to alleviate congestion on our roads and improve our mass transit infrastructure. When Governor Christie cancelled the ARC tunnel, he forfeited any right to those increased toll funds.”

11 Jan: Sweeney: New Jersey Can’t Afford To Follow Christie’s Course

TRENTON – Senate President Stephen M. Sweeney released the following statement after listening to Governor Christie’s state of the state address:

“The Governor says he wants to stay the course over the coming year. I certainly hope he doesn’t mind taking an exit ramp, because New Jersey won’t be able to afford to stay a course of higher property taxes and continually high unemployment.

10 Jan: Sweeney/Madden/Greenstein Measure To Cut Income Taxes For Seniors, Retirees Clears Legislature

TRENTON – Legislation Senate President Stephen M. Sweeney and Senators Fred Madden and Linda R. Greenstein sponsored to provide New Jersey’s middle-class senior citizens and retirees with an income tax cut, allowing them to remain in New Jersey amidst the tide of rising property taxes, was today passed by the Legislature and sent to the Governor’s desk.

“Instead of simply giving the rich all the tax cuts in the hopes it will trickle down, we should be allowing seniors and retirees to keep money in their pockets so they can afford to stay in New Jersey,” said Sweeney (D-Gloucester/Cumberland/Salem). “We need to be allowing retirees to stay here for the long-term instead of taking their retirement savings elsewhere. It’s a smart move that will help small businesses and downtown New Jersey.”

06 Jan: Sweeney: Christie’s TTF ‘Solution’ Nothing Than Just More Borrowing And More One-Shots

TRENTON — Senate President Stephen M. Sweeney (D-Gloucester/Cumberland/Salem) released the following statement upon learning of the Governor’s plan for the state’s Transportation Trust Fund:

“The Governor campaigned against greater debt and spent a good part of his first year telling us how we can no longer saddle residents with more debt. I wonder when his actions will catch up to his rhetoric.

“I thought debt was a dirty word to Republicans. Unless, as with other things, GOP fashions change as the Governor says they will.

15 Dec: Sweeney Invites De Croce To South Jersey Union Hall To Meet ‘These People’

TRENTON – Still seething over the Assembly Minority Leader Alex DeCroce’s comments yesterday that scapegoated the unemployed as “these people” living a supposedly comfortable lifestyle on unemployment, Senate President Stephen M. Sweeney today invited the legislator to join him at his ironworkers union hall to meet face-to-face with the jobless residents he insulted.

“Alex may not come across too many of ‘these people’ in his wealthy suburban district, so maybe he needs a little trip to meet with the unemployed he holds in such low regard,” said Sweeney (D-Gloucester/Cumberland/Salem). “I’m at my union hall at 5:30 every morning, and I see plenty of folks who would give anything find a job and get off unemployment. I would welcome Alex to join me any day of the week to meet with ‘these people’ himself. I’m sure it would be quite an education.”