TRENTON – A key Senate committee today approved a bill sponsored by Senator John A. Girgenti that would imprison those convicted of sex offenses against children for up to five years if they are found to have taken positions in youth organizations involving children under the age of 18.
“The message here for sex offenders is obvious – we don’t want you near our children,” said Senator Girgenti, Chairman of the Senate Law, Public Safety & Veterans Affairs Committee which approved the bill, S-532.
TRENTON – Legislation sponsored by Senator Jeff Van Drew, to honor the hospitalized veterans in the State of New Jersey was approved by the Senate Law, Public Safety and Veterans’ Affairs Committee today.
“It’s important to pay tribute and express our appreciation to hospitalized veterans who served and protected our nation,” said Senator Van Drew, D-Cape May, Atlantic and Cumberland. “ During the ‘Salute To Hospitalized Veterans Week’ the New Jersey Department of Military and Veterans’ Affairs would invite individuals, veterans groups, military personnel, civic organizations and members of the community to participate in a variety of activities at their nursing homes and medical centers”.
TRENTON – A bill sponsored by Senator John H. Adler which would allow municipalities which share courtroom facilities and support staff to maintain separate judges was unanimously approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee.
“Service-sharing should be encouraged at every level of government in New Jersey to help control soaring costs and protect burdened property taxpayers,” said Senator Adler, D-Cherry Hill. “However, thanks to a quirk in the current setup, municipalities have been hesitant to share court services, because it would mean giving up local control of municipal judges. Under this measure, we’re paving the way for shared services for towns which might be leery about giving up their local judges.”
TRENTON – With Valentine’s Day upon the Statehouse, two leading Senate Democrats urged the legislature to shift the focus from getting hearts to giving hearts this year, by backing a bill aimed at increasing organ donation. The pioneering legislation, sponsored by Senate President Richard J. Codey and Senate Deputy Majority Leader Joseph F. Vitale, was approved by the Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee today.
Bill S755, also known as the “New Jersey Hero Act,” would make New Jersey the first state in the nation to require two key components – organ donation decisions before applying for a driver’s license and mandatory high school education.
Adler Announces Legislation To Protect Consumers From Financial Planner Deceptions
TRENTON – A measure sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Steve Sweeney, which would regulate the way tax preparers handle their clients’ tax returns has been signed into law.
“This legislation is about making sure that people who are entrusted with the task of preparing other people’s taxes handle the files property, and do not take advantage of those they are being paid to help,” said Senator Sweeney, D-Gloucester, Cumberland and Salem. “The new law also directs tax preparers to explain the forms to their clients and make sure that they understand all forms and fees.”
TRENTON – Senators John Adler and Robert Singer and Assemblywoman Linda Greenstein will join Patrica Kelmar of NJAARP tomorrow to introduce new legislation that will provide consumers with new protections against hard-sell pitches from the insurance industry.
Also on hand will be Kathleen Statue, the daughter of Edith Baker, a Flemington woman who was deceived by a financial planner into buying an unnecessary annuity.
SEASIDE HEIGHTS, NJ – Senators Sean Kean and John H. Adler today pledged support for Congressman Frank Pallone’s efforts to ensure flexibility and fairness in federal fish conservation guidelines, and announced that they will introduce a resolution in the State Senate to call for action on Congressman Pallone’s bill.
“Fishing is essential to maintaining our quality of life and our economic well being,” said Senator Kean, R-Monmouth. “This bill would provide necessary flexibility to strike a balance between the need to preserve our fishing industry and the obligation to prevent the depletion of our marine fisheries.”
TRENTON – Senator Barbara Buono today called for a state probe of overtime spending after a published report revealed that a payroll supervisor at the Juvenile Justice Commission secured more than $425,000 for herself in unapproved overtime.
“Taxpayers are justifiably at the brink of revolt against this type of unchecked spending of their money,” Senator Buono wrote in a letter to State Auditor Richard L. Fair requesting that he conduct an immediate probe of the overtime practices at the JJC and the Departments of Corrections and Human Services.
EAST WINDSOR – At a meeting of the State Health Planning Board today at which the board voted to recommend the closure of Greenville Hospital, Senator Sandra Bolden Cunningham said that the closing of the hospital in Jersey City will leave the community without “access to adequate, timely and necessary health care.
Senator Cunningham noted that, even though the State Health Planning Board decided to allow Greenville Hospital to close, the Commissioner of Health has 120 days to make a final decision. She said that she will continue to make the case for the facility to the Commissioner.
“Despite its economic problems, Greenville hospital operates as a valuable first point of care for so many Jersey City residents,” said Senator Cunningham, D-Hudson. “A hospital’s worth cannot be judged solely by the dollars it brings in, but by the people it serves. I implore State regulators and hospital administrators to find some alternative to shutting the doors on Greenville Hospital, so that the facility can continue to provide the community with access to local, high quality health care.”
TRENTON – Senator Jim Whelan, Chairman of the Senate Wagering, Tourism & Historic Preservation Committee, made the following comments when asked about the Senate prospects for the sports wagering bill which passed today in the Assembly.
“I don’t have a problem moving the bill forward in the Senate by hearing it in committee. It’s something I’ve supported for Atlantic City for quite sometime. The big obstacle to making it a reality, though, is the federal ban on sports betting for New Jersey which won’t go away just by our passing a bill in the State House. I believe New Jersey voters would support having state-regulated sports betting in casinos, but I don’t want to create false hopes. To give sports betting real traction, the federal ban has to be lifted.”
TRENTON – Senator Loretta Weinberg has introduced legislation which would fine campaign groups who choose to post signs on public property.
“The proliferation of campaign signs on public property is not only an eyesore, but it pollutes the environment because some groups do not go back and remove the signs once elections are over,” said Senator Weinberg, D-Bergen. “More importantly though, this is an issue of safety. Many of the campaign signs are put up at dangerous intersections. In my District, Route 4 doesn’t have a median, but I always see campaign signs up and down the road. I would hate for someone to get hit trying to put up a campaign sign on the highway.”
TRENTON – Senate President Richard J. Codey (D-Essex) today hailed New Jersey’s move in the Presidential primary as a triumph for voters who for years had been disenfranchised by New Jersey’s last-in-the-nation primary day status.
“Clearly, our move to February 5th has emboldened voters,” said Sen. Codey. “The eyes of the nation are on us this week, and for the first time in almost 25 years, we have the chance to really impact the course of our nation. I think we’re going to see that this move has awakened a sleeping giant – that large part of our electorate that had felt disenfranchised by the irrelevance of our June primary.
TRENTON – Senate President Richard J. Codey (D-Essex) today proposed seeking voter approval of a constitutional amendment to explore the opportunity of leasing the New Jersey Lottery to a private operator in order to maximize revenue potential and help address the state’s fiscal needs.
“I think we need to keep all of our financial options open at the moment,” said Sen. Codey. “If we can get the ball rolling on this now, and get it on the ballot in November, then at least we will have the legal means to explore this option in the future.”
TRENTON – Senator Bob Smith, D-Middlesex and Somerset, the Chair of the Senate Environment Committee, issued the following statement regarding today’s Committee hearing regarding ongoing State environmental projects and the direction that New Jersey’s environmental policies should take this year:
“I think we had a very productive dialogue today regarding where we are with the implementation of the State’s environmental priorities, and where we should be going in the coming year.