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Codey, Roberts Announce Legislative Task Force To Consider University Merger

TRENTON – Senate President Richard J. Codey and Assembly Speaker Joseph J. Roberts, Jr. announced today the formation of the Legislative Task Force on Higher Education and the Economy, to examine a possible merger of New Jersey’s research universities into a top-tier school that would encourage public and private investment in New Jersey’s technology and research business sectors.

“Consolidating New Jersey’s already well-regarded research schools into a national leader in technology and research would be a huge win for the State,” said Senate President Codey, D-Essex. “It would help us leverage more federal and private-sector donations to expand our research potential, and would draw the best and the brightest to the Garden State to pursue an education. It’s something we should seriously explore, to position New Jersey to become the East Coast version of Silicon Valley, and a model for research and technology well into the future.”

Adler: Slowing School Spending Key To Tax Relief

TRENTON – Senator John H. Adler, a co-chair of the Joint Committee on Public School Funding Reform, today said “slowing spending, especially in the most expensive (school) districts,” is a key to achieving affordability and excellence in public education in New Jersey.

“I won’t support drastic cuts in spending for the poorest districts, but limits should be considered for our wealthiest districts,” said Senator Adler, D-Cherry Hill.

Sarlo – Governor Should Be Able To Tell Ag, ‘You’re Fired’

TRENTON – Senator Paul A. Sarlo, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, announced today that he would introduce legislation asking voters to strip the Attorney General and Secretary of State of the constitutional protections of their offices, leaving them subject to the same terms of employment as other cabinet members.

“Constitutional protections for the Attorney General and the Secretary of State is an idea whose time has come and gone,” said Senator Sarlo, D-Bergen, Essex and Passaic. “At one point, these posts required additional job security to effectively accomplish the mission of the office. But in recent years, the hurdles to remove them have kept some people in the job a lot longer than they should have been.”

Kenny: ‘We Need To Examine Property Tax Exemptions For Real Fairness’

TRENTON – Senate Majority Leader Bernard F. Kenny, Jr., D-Hudson, the co-chair of the Joint Legislative Committee on Constitutional Reform and the Citizens Property Tax Constitutional Convention, issued the following statement today on the panel’s hearing on the State’s “Uniformity Clause,” a stipulation in the State Constitution that the tax levy issued by each municipality taxes all property on the same basis, regardless of use, and various exemptions to the property tax:

“Today’s testimony was extraordinarily helpful in outlining the quagmire of New Jersey’s property tax system, and its multitude of exemptions and numerous Constitutional amendments which are excepted from the ‘Uniformity Clause.’ Professor (Robert) Williams’s expertise on the constitutional issues of taxation help shed some light on just how complicated our system has become.

Legislative Leaders Announce Special Session Schedule

TRENTON – Senate President Richard J. Codey and Assembly Speaker Joseph J. Roberts, Jr. announced today that the joint legislative committees on property tax reform will be meeting weekly through October to resolve New Jersey’s property tax crisis.

“Months of discussion and planning have brought us to the point where we can now move forward with substantive debates and investigations that will lead to real reform,” said Senate President Codey (D-Essex). “I have every confidence that the team of top-notch legislative members helming these committees will leave no stone unturned. I encourage everyone, the general public in particular, to get involved in these debates and come forth with their suggestions. No idea is too big or too small for consideration.”

Codey Statement On Zulima Farber Resignation

TRENTON – Senate President Richard J. Codey (D-Essex) issued the following statement today on the resignation of Attorney General Zulima Farber:

“Today, both the Governor and the Attorney General have done the right thing in terms of what’s best for the people of New Jersey. Ms. Farber has set aside personal interests and stepped down, rather than draw her office into further controversy. It is now time to move forward for the state and its residents, and I look forward to an orderly transition to a new Attorney General.”

Adler – ‘Farber Must Go Now’

TRENTON – Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman John H. Adler, D-Cherry Hill, issued the following statement today regarding the report that Attorney General Zulima Farber violated the State’s ethics code when she intervened at a traffic stop on behalf of her boyfriend, Hamlet Goore:

“Today’s report from a special prosecutor, appointed by Governor Corzine to investigate the traffic-stop incident, has shattered hopes that Zulima Farber would raise the office of Attorney General to a level of integrity and excellence that we have a right to expect.

Benefits Reform Committee Calls On Governor Corzine To Expedite Contract Negotiations

TRENTON – Senator Nicholas P. Scutari and Assemblywoman Nellie Pou, the co-chairs of the Joint Legislative Committee on Public Employee Benefits Reform, wrote to Governor Corzine on behalf of the entire panel today to ask that he expedite pending contract negotiations with State employee unions to allow the committee to consider New Jersey’s contract obligations as they work to reduce the cost of State employee benefits in New Jersey.

The two legislators wrote that knowledge of the contract specifics, which would take effect next July, would allow the Committee to “best be able to execute our responsibilities” in terms of looking for cost savings in State benefits to stabilize and lower the property tax burden on New Jersey families.

Legislative Leaders Announce Web Site For Special Session On Property Taxes

TRENTON – Senate President Richard J. Codey, Assembly Speaker Joseph J. Roberts, Jr., Senate Minority Leader Leonard Lance and Assembly Minority Leader Alex DeCroce today announced the formal launch of a Web site that will promote public awareness and participation in the Legislature’s special session to address New Jersey’s runaway property taxes.

The special session link is prominently displayed at the top of the Legislature’s Web site: www.njleg.state.nj.us. For direct access, Web users may type in the following address: http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/PropertyTaxSession/specialsessionpt.asp.

Rice: By Helping Our Cities, We Are Helping The State

TRENTON – Senator Ronald L. Rice, Chairman of the Senate Community and Urban Affairs Committee, released the following statement today following the Housing Community Development Network of New Jersey’s release of a report that identifies positive and negative changes in the state’s urban areas.

“As promising as the signs of growth in our cities are, we need to recognize the fact that the quality of life for the residents of our cities is not improving. Redevelopment and growth in our cities are important but we can not allow the finical gap between rich and poor to continue to grow as well.

Doria: Legislature Should “Listen, Learn And Lead” On School Funding Reform

TRENTON – Senator Joseph V. Doria Jr. today said New Jersey needs to “make a commitment to a new school funding formula and stick with it” to ensure a quality education for children at a reasonable cost.

“We need to listen, to learn and to lead,” said Senator Doria, D-Hudson, who holds a doctoral degree in educational leadership. “We have to listen to the public, learn the needs of all aspects of the educational community and then lead by offering solutions to the challenges of providing educational fairness to all children.”

Community & Urban Affairs Panel To Hear New Home Horror Stories On Thursday

GLASSBORO- Senator Fred H. Madden announced today that the Senate Committee on Community and Urban Affairs will hold a public meeting at Rowan University this Thursday to hear testimony on a package of bills aimed at curbing the frequency of defects occurring in newly built homes.

The committee meeting will begin at 10:00 a.m., August 10, 2006 in the Eynon Ballroom of the Rowan University Center located at 201 Mullica Hill Road in Glassboro.

Scutari Statement On First Meeting Of Benefits Reform Committee

TRENTON – Senator Nicholas Scutari, D-Middlesex, Somerset and Union and co-chair of the Joint Legislative Committee on Employee Benefits Reform made the following statement today following the Committee’s first meeting:

“I’m going to be blunt with the public – our pensions and benefits system in New Jersey is broken. Costs are soaring out of control and our liabilities are skyrocketing. This committee is going to have to work hard and think creatively to rein in the system.

Acting Governor Codey Offers Condolences To Family Of Slain Officer

ORANGE – Acting Governor Richard J. Codey issued the following statement today following the fatal shooting of Detective Keiran Shields, a five-year veteran of the Orange Police Department, who was gunned down last night while investigating reports of gunfire at a Taylor Street home.

“I want to offer my deepest sympathy to the family of Detective Shields. I personally knew the family, and I pray that they have the strength to get through this tragedy.

Codey Urges Bpu And Exelon To Jumpstart Negotiations

TRENTON – Senate President Richard J. Codey, D-Essex, urged the Board of Public Utilities (BPU) to jumpstart stalled negotiations with Exelon in their bid to acquire PSEG and work quickly towards a final decision as to whether or not a merger is in the State’s best interest..

“I am a firm believer in the art of negotiation and its ability to develop the best solution,” said Senator Codey, D-Essex. “In the end, further negotiations will either lead to an agreement or they will lead to no merger at all. But in my experience, if the resolution is one where both the BPU and Exelon are unhappy, the ratepayers of New Jersey are going to be the winners.”