Media Advisory – Codey/Karcher Ethics Reform Package Moving Forward In Senate

TRENTON – Senator Karcher applauded the Senate approval today of a number of measures designed to increase transparency and ethical controls in State government, including her own bill to ban political contributions from public agencies.

“The Senate made a bold statement today about our commitment to stronger protections against corruption and abuse in our own house,” said Senator Karcher, D-Monmouth and Mercer, a leading ethics advocate in the Legislature. “Allegations or political favoritism and influence peddling taint the process, and taint the hard work that we do every day to serve the public interest. I’m happy that the Senate has taken these steps towards more ethical government, and I look forward to working towards a higher standard.”

TRENTON – A bill sponsored by State Senator Ellen Karcher which will completely prohibit State and local public agencies from making political contributions was signed into law last night.

“New Jersey taxpayers are suffering under the high cost of government in this State,” said Senator Karcher, D-Monmouth and Mercer, the leading champion of tougher ethics reform in the State Legislature. “We simply cannot afford to allow public agencies to waste taxpayer dollars by funding the political machinery in the Garden State. Government funding should be used for legitimate government purposes, not to butter up elected officials and win political favors.”

TRENTON – A bill sponsored by Senator Ellen Karcher which would prohibit any State or local public agencies from making campaign contributions using public dollars was unanimously approved by the Senate State Government Committee today.

“We need to ensure that public dollars go towards public interests, not private campaign accounts,” said Senator Karcher, D-Monmouth and Mercer, a leading ethics advocate in the State Senate. “The idea that government agencies feel they need to influence lawmakers with campaign donations to receive favorable treatment is ridiculous. The public budgets of governmental organizations are not intended to subsidize the political process.”

TRENTON – Senate measures intended to crack down on corrupt politicians and introduce increased transparency in State government are scheduled for consideration by the Assembly on Monday and, if approved, would be sent to the Governor to be signed into law.

A package of bills sponsored by Senator Ellen Karcher, D-Monmouth and Mercer, would prohibit political contributions from all State and local public agencies (S-222, sponsored with Senator Barbara Buono, D-Middlesex); establish the crime of corruption of public resources which are diverted from their original purpose (S-1192, sponsored with Senator John Adler, D-Cherry Hill); and establish the “Public Corruption Profiteering Penalty Act,” which would allow prosecutors to assess civil damages against corrupt politicians (S-1318, sponsored with Senator Fred Madden, D-Gloucester and Camden).

TRENTON – A bill sponsored by Senators Ellen Karcher and Barbara Buono which would prohibit any State or local public agencies from making campaign contributions using public dollars was unanimously approved by the Assembly State Government Committee today.

“With New Jersey’s highest-in-the-nation property taxes, the people of the Garden State cannot afford to subsidize a politician’s campaign war chest,” said Senator Karcher, D-Monmouth and Mercer. “However, through a loophole in current law, public funds have been diverted into the campaign coffers of well-connected lawmakers, at the expense of accountable government. We need to close this loophole, and ensure taxpayers’ dollars aren’t wasted currying favor through the pay-to-play process.”

TRENTON – The full Senate today overwhelmingly approved four bills that are part of a comprehensive ethics reform package sponsored by Senate President Richard J. Codey (D-Essex) and Senator Ellen Karcher (D-Monmouth, Mercer). The bipartisan measures, which now head to the Assembly for approval, are aimed at restoring the public’s confidence in government and creating greater transparency and efficiency.

“This is a real win for the taxpayers of New Jersey,” said Sen. Codey. “It signals that we are serious about restoring faith in government by cracking down on abuses and creating a more open and transparent budget process. I want to thank my colleagues in the Senate for the bipartisan support that helped push these measures through.”

TRENTON – The Senate State Government Committee today approved five bills that are part of a comprehensive ethics reform package introduced by Senate President Richard J. Codey (D-Essex) last month. Co-sponsored by Senator Ellen Karcher (D-Monmouth, Mercer), the bipartisan measures are aimed at restoring the public’s confidence in government and creating greater transparency and efficiency.

“We cannot realistically expect to stem the rising tide of property taxes without reining in spending and abuses,” said Sen. Codey. “This is not a Democratic principle or a Republican principle. It’s a simple truth – one that is recognized on both sides of the aisle and has already received bipartisan support from my colleagues.”

TRENTON – A package of bills sponsored by Senator Ellen Karcher which would protect public resources from corruption by prohibiting public entities from making campaign contributions, increasing penalties for misuse of public resources and providing a mechanism to reclaim lost funds due to corruption were unanimously approved by the Assembly today, and now go to the Governor to be signed into law.

“New Jersey’s honest, hard-working taxpayers deserve a government that’s free of ethical lapses and wasted public funds,” said Senator Karcher, D-Monmouth and Mercer, a leading watchdog for ethics reform in the State Legislature. “They deserve elected representatives who serve as honest, ethical stewards of the public trust. These bills would go a long way to restoring integrity in the system, by penalizing corrupt politicians, prohibiting unethical behavior and calling for a higher standard from government.”