TRENTON – Senator Shirley K. Turner today said New Jersey should require firms who receive subsidies and tax incentives to pay back the money if they fail to uphold commitments to create jobs and remain in the State.
“We’re the stewards of taxpayers’money, so we really have to hold these companies accountable,” said Senator Turner. “I don’t blame the firms for taking advantage of the system. I don’t expect them to bite hands that keep feeding them. The problem is that when the feast is over, they leave for another state.”
FREEHOLD – Senator Ellen Karcher, D-Marlboro, the Vice Chair of the Senate Wagering, Tourism and Historic Preservation Committee, issued the following statement regarding reports that Harrah’s Entertainment, which also owns Caesars Atlantic City casino, has alleged union intimidation in an effort to delay collective representation for the casino’s dealers:
“Unless Harrah’s can point to concrete evidence of intimidation in the vote for union representation at Caesars casino, they should withdraw any appeal that delays fair representation for casino employees.
TRENTON – Senate Majority Leader Bernard F. Kenny Jr. today announced his decision to retire from the Senate when his current term is finished next January.
“When I complete this term, I will have served in the Legislature for 20 years,” said the Hudson County Democrat. “It’s been an honor to serve in both the Assembly and in the Senate and to have been chosen by my colleagues as their Majority Leader. Hopefully, the people of the 33rd District have realized an improved quality to their lives during my time in the Legislature.
TRENTON – Senator Ellen Karcher, D-Monmouth and Mercer, the prime sponsor of legislation which was recently signed into law to establish the “New Jersey Teen Driver Safety Study Commission” issued the following statement upon being selected by Senate President Richard J. Codey to serve on the panel:
“I’m excited to be able to continue working to improve teen driver safety, as a member of the Study Commission which was signed into law last week.
TRENTON – “The 2007 New Jersey Fair and Clean Elections Pilot Project Act,” sponsored in the Senate by Senator Shirley K. Turner, was approved today in the Senate, and is pending final legislative approval in the Assembly later today.
“Clean elections are not Republican or Democratic issues, but rather issues for everyone who cares about the honesty and transparency of our democracy,” said Senator Turner, D-Mercer. “The Fair and Clean Elections Pilot Project will reduce the influence of special interest money and is a critical part of any reform effort moving forward.”
TRENTON – Senate President Richard J. Codey (D-Essex) today released the following statement on the General Assembly’s expected approval of bill A4010/S2193, which would move New Jersey’s presidential primary election up to the first Tuesday in February:
“I’d like to thank Speaker Roberts and the full Assembly for their support of this measure.
“Now, New Jersey voters will finally have a voice in what is arguably the most crucial election of our generation.
TRENTON – Senator Ellen Karcher, D-Monmouth and Mercer, issued the following statement today on the expected Assembly approval of her bill, sponsored with Senate President Richard J. Codey, to move New Jersey’s presidential primary to the first week of February:
“For far too long, the voters of the Garden State have been inconsequential in presidential politics, voting long after the major party candidates had been decided by other states.
TRENTON – Senators John H. Adler and Ellen Karcher today said enactment of their bill, S-14, to impose mandatory prison terms of up to 10 years and loss of pensions and benefits for corrupt public officials will crack down on abuses of the public trust.
“Politicians take notice – the price of corruption just went up,” said Senator Adler, D-Camden.
“This new law will help match the penalty with the crime,” said Senator Karcher, D-Monmouth and Mercer.
TRENTON – A package of bills sponsored by Senator Ellen Karcher which would protect public resources from corruption by increasing penalties for misuse of public resources and providing a mechanism to reclaim lost funds due to corruption were approved today by the Senate by a vote of 37-0.
“New Jersey taxpayers have suffered for too long from the inflated costs of corrupt government,” said Senator Karcher, D-Monmouth and Mercer, a leading watchdog for ethics reform in the State Legislature. “Public officials have taken advantage of their position for personal enrichment, and bilked taxpayers out of needed public resources. It’s high time we cracked down on those corrupt officials who have defrauded the public and wasted valuable public resources for the sake of a quick buck.”
TRENTON – A bill sponsored by Senator John H. Adler which would criminalize misusing public resources was approved by the Senate today by a vote of 37-0.
“For far too long, greedy people have gotten rich by wasting public resources,” said Senator Adler, D-Cherry Hill, the Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee. “Fraud and public corruption have increased the cost of services and caused ever higher taxes for honest taxpayers. We need tougher laws to penalize those who abuse the public trust.”
TRENTON – The full Senate today approved a package of bills sponsored by Senate President Richard J. Codey (D-Essex) and Senator John Girgenti (D-Bergen, Passaic) that would give New Jersey some of the toughest tools in the nation to crack down on the growing threat of Internet predators.
“The best way to protect our kids is to educate them, stay on top of their Internet activity, and turn these bills into law,” said Sen. Codey. “We can either leave it to Dateline NBC to try and protect our kids or we can step up to the plate now and provide law enforcement with the tools they need to effectively address this threat.”
TRENTON – A bill sponsored by Senator Bob Smith which would establish a municipal consolidation commission to recommend mergers and shared services in order to cut the cost of government in New Jersey was signed into law today by Governor Corzine.
“New Jersey’s highest in the nation property taxes are a direct result of inefficient bureaucracy and wasteful duplication of services,” said Senator Smith, D-Middlesex and Somerset, the co-chair of a panel to review regionalization and shared services during the Legislature’s Special Session. “We need the municipal consolidation commission to point out opportunities to merge and share services, because we cannot afford the many layers of government we have in the Garden State. With the commission pointing the way, there will be a greater emphasis on regionalization and shared services, and that will translate into greater savings for the taxpayers of this State.”
TRENTON – A bill sponsored by Senator Ellen Karcher which would increase penalties on home builders who misclassify construction workers in an attempt to circumvent New Jersey tax laws was approved by the Senate Labor Committee today by a vote of 4-0.
“In New Jersey, it’s an all too common practice for home building contractors to hire day laborers to cut costs on a project,” said Senator Karcher, D-Monmouth and Mercer. “However, these contractors are exploiting a tax loophole, by classifying their workers as independent subcontractors, paying nothing in income tax, disability insurance or unemployment. The day laborers are left without an adequate safety net, while New Jersey is cheated out of millions in income tax revenue, and it’s time we put an end to this fraudulent practice.”
TRENTON – A bill sponsored by Senator Ellen Karcher which would exempt active-duty military personnel serving outside of the State from New Jersey’s gross income tax was unanimously approved by the Senate Law, Public Safety and Veterans’ Affairs Committee today.
“For those brave men and women serving our country on the front lines, we need to do everything we can at home to support them,” said Senator Karcher, D-Monmouth and Mercer. “Our soldiers are sacrificing so much in the name of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, and to ask them to pay taxes in support of services they are not here to use is ridiculous. When our servicemen and servicewomen are fighting the good fight, they should be exempt from income taxes back home.”
TRENTON – Legislation sponsored by Senators Shirley K. Turner and Ronald L. Rice to create a new joint committee in the Legislature to monitor the State’s efforts in providing affordable housing to its residents became law today.
“The shortage of affordable housing is a widespread problem throughout the entire state,” said Senator Turner, D-Mercer. “This law will help us thoroughly examine the state’s affordable housing crisis and create a foundation to build a substantial amount of additional affordable housing units to meet our growing need.”