TRENTON – The Senate today amended legislation, sponsored by Senator Joseph V. Doria Jr., to save the financially troubled Marcal Paper Mills Inc. of Elmwood Park.
“This bill will help save 850 union jobs and the concerns of countless families who have been associated with a proud family business for a long time,” said Senator Doria, D-Hudson. “We should do what we can to help companies who want to stay in business, especially one like Marcal which has been a key part of the community of the North Jersey region for some 75 years.”
TRENTON – State Senator Joseph F. Vitale, D-Middlesex, the Chair of the Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee, issued the following statement today regarding his panel’s joint hearing with the Senate Community and Urban Affairs Committee on the state of transitional housing and homeless shelters in New Jersey:
“In New Jersey’s urban centers, homelessness and rampant poverty have overcome the meager support system that’s in place to protect our economically disadvantaged. While our State benefits from a network of committed advocates and grassroots support, we need to invest more in ensuring that even the poorest among us has a warm place to sleep, and safe shelter over their heads.
TRENTON – A bill sponsored by Senator Joseph V. Doria which would remove a loophole in the current prevailing wage law which denies contractors working under private contracts on public land a fair living wage was approved by the Senate Labor Committee today by a vote of 4-0.
“New Jersey adopted the prevailing wage law as a means to ensure our State’s building contractors are fairly compensated for their work,” said Senator Doria, D-Hudson, a member of the Labor panel. “However, as we’ve seen in practice, confusion over the language and loopholes which violate the spirit of the law have allowed some employers to shirk their responsibilities of fair wage and benefits for contractors. This bill addresses the ambiguity in the current law, and ensures that we live up to our commitment as detailed by the promise of the original prevailing wage.”
TRENTON – A measure sponsored by Senators Joseph Coniglio and Ronald L. Rice which would honor New Jersey’s first black legislators, Assemblyman Walter Gilbert Alexander, R-Orange, and Senator Hutchins F. Inge, D-Newark, was unanimously approved today by the full Senate.
“This bill is not just about honoring two men who made history in New Jersey as the first African-Americans elected to the State legislature, but it’s also about honoring the their respective terms which spanned through the early depression and the Civil Rights movement,” said Senator Coniglio, D-Bergen.
TRENTON – By a vote of 28 to 10, the full Senate today approved the centerpiece of the legislature’s six-month long special session on property tax reform – a measure that will provide $2.3 billion in property tax relief to homeowners and renters, while mandating a four percent cap on local tax levy increases. Bill S-20/A-1, sponsored by Senate President Richard J. Codey (D-Essex) and Senate Majority Leader Bernard F. Kenny, Jr. (D-Hudson), will provide homeowners with the largest level of relief in state history, while also helping to stem property tax growth in the years to come by providing one of the most far-reaching spending controls.
“When the dust settles, what will be remembered is that we did in fact deliver on our promise to provide property tax relief and reform,” said Sen. Codey. “I want to thank the Governor for his stewardship of this process. The people of New Jersey can now look forward to unprecedented property tax relief that will be sustained by the four percent tax levy cap. I’m confident that in the long-run, these caps will help change our culture of unchecked spending.”
TRENTON – Senator Barbara Buono today said the State should continue seeking an accord on a new school aid formula to help suburban districts who have been hurt by flat funding for the last five years.
“This is no time to surrender on finding a new school aid formula,” said Senator Buono, D-Middlesex. “I’ve heard too many horror stories from concerned parents to give up at this point.”
TRENTON – The Senate will take up key components of the Property Tax special session recommendations, including legislation that will commit $2 billion in property tax credits for 95% of New Jersey homeowners, when it meets on Monday.
Senate President Codey said the session should lead to historic levels of property tax relief for New Jersey residents.
TRENTON – With Super Bowl weekend serving as a back-drop, Senator Ray Lesniak announced today that he will be pushing efforts to allow voters to decide if they want to legalize sports betting in the State of New Jersey.
“With the biggest sporting event of the year taking place this weekend, it’s naive to think that sports betting isn’t taking place right now in the Garden State,” said Senator Lesniak, D-Union. “But because of an act of Congress, we’ve surrendered sports betting to organized crime, off-shore casinos and Las Vegas. Why should millions of dollars go to Las Vegas, off-shore casinos and the mob? I believe New Jersey voters will want a say on this.”
JERSEY CITY – State Senator Joseph V. Doria is pushing for swift Senate action on a package of bills intended to curb escalating gang violence in New Jersey’s urban areas, including Jersey City in his district.
“Gangs are running rampant on the streets of Jersey City and other urban centers in New Jersey, and kids are forced to either enter gang life, or face the consequences,” said Senator Doria, D-Bayonne. “While I think we’ve been successful in putting a focus on this problem, we need to do more to discourage gang violence, and give kids a positive alternative.”
TRENTON – A resolution sponsored by Senators Joseph V. Doria and Nia H. Gill which would urge the insurance industry to quickly and fairly settle any outstanding insurance claims stemming from the World Trade Center terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001 was approved today by the Senate by a vote of 36-0.
“September 11, 2001 changed the world as we know it, and we’re still feeling the impact more than five years after the despicable attacks occurred,” said Senator Doria, D-Hudson. “As a resident and mayor of a city overlooking the New York skyline, we’re reminded every day of what was taken from us on that fateful date – not just in terms of a recognizable landmark, but also the thousands of lives lost to terrorism. While I don’t think America will ever fully heal from the September 11 terrorist attacks, we’re beginning to pick up the pieces, and move on in this new world.”
TRENTON – Senator Raymond J. Lesniak today unveiled a landmark legislative proposal to authorize leasing the operations of the New Jersey Turnpike Authority, a plan he believes will promote economic growth, encourage investment and dramatically reduce the total State debt which now exceeds $50 billion.
“New Jersey is at a crossroad,” said Senator Lesniak, D-Union, and Chairman of the Senate Economic Growth Committee. “We cannot raise taxes or increase our debt, but we have obligations to invest in our future that we must make, or we will go backwards as a state.”
TRENTON – Senate President Richard J. Codey made the following comments today concerning the proposal by Senator Raymond J. Lesniak, D-Union, to lease the operations of the New Jersey Turnpike Authority to a private company or to the Authority itself.
“I’ve always said we have to keep our options open and explore all viable opportunities when it comes to the revenue potential of our State’s assets. Senator Lesniak’s proposal should generate a good conversation on a creative way to improve our fiscal situation. We shouldn’t reject out of hand any ideas that could lead to a $15 billion reduction in our debt obligations.”
BAYONNE – Senator Joseph V. Doria, Jr., D-Hudson, issued the following statement today regarding the first day of Black History Month, and the need to recognize and respect the achievements and struggles of African Americans in New Jersey:
“As we take a moment to reflect on the beginning of Black History Month in February, I hope that we can take time to appreciate the unique needs and struggles of African Americans in the Garden State.
TRENTON – Senator Raymond J. Lesniak, D-Union, will hold a news conference at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 31st., in Room 103 of the State House, to discuss the bill he is introducing to create a process for leasing the New Jersey Turnpike.
Senator Lesniak, Chairman of the Senate Economic Growth Committee, will discuss the financial benefits to New Jersey as well as the built-in safeguards relating to homeland security and highway maintenance contained in his proposal.
TRENTON – Senator Ellen Karcher, D-Monmouth and Mercer, a leader in ethics reform in the State Legislature, issued the following statement on reports today that massive administrative failures in four of the State’s Abbott school districts led to “reprehensible waste of taxpayer dollars”:
“The news today that administrative failures have run up costs in four of the State-subsidized Abbott school districts is a shocking example of taxpayer dollars going to waste. At a time when legislators in Trenton are trying to trim the size of government and maximize efficiencies in State and local services, we need to crack down, hard, on those Abbott officials who, whether through incompetence or intentional fraud, have cost taxpayers across the State thousands, if not millions.