(TRENTON) – Senate President Richard J. Codey and Assembly Speaker Joseph J. Roberts, Jr. today announced that they will make a united push for loophole-free pay to play reform, a wheeling ban, clean elections renewal, an overhaul of the legislative ethics committee, and a modernized legislative ethics code in the new session beginning January 8.
The Legislature’s presiding officers also said they will make it a priority to pass a paid family leave insurance bill and legislation to promote affordable housing in 2008.
Codey and Roberts said the infusion of 40 new members in the Legislature will improve the prospects for significant progress on ethics reform and they expect bipartisan support will be provided for the reform measures they advance in the new year.
“We’ve got a combination of experienced veterans and bright new leaders ready and eager to tackle the challenges that lie ahead,” said Codey (D-Essex). “We’ve made great progress, but there’s still a lot more work to be done. Now it’s time to get to it. Tougher campaign finance and ethics laws are a fundamental component of a more transparent and efficient government.”
“We have a unique opportunity to restore the public’s confidence about the integrity of their government institutions and their elected officials,” said Roberts (D-Camden). “We need to harness the Legislature’s sweeping membership turnover as a vehicle for establishing higher ethical standards and new laws to fight corruption, malfeasance, and influence peddling.”
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