TRENTON – A bill sponsored by Senator Joseph F. Vitale which would amend the State’s charitable immunity clause to allow sexual assault victims to sue charitable organizations when those organizations negligently hired or retained in their employment a sexual predator, was approved today by the Assembly by a vote of 63-5, with 9 abstentions.
“This is a victory that’s been a long time coming for the victims and their families who have had to live through the nightmare of sexual abuse,” said Senator Vitale, D-Middlesex, the Chairman of the Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee. “For too long, we’ve given charitable organizations a shield from litigation, even when the charity has negligently put the lives and psychological well-being of children at risk. Now, we are one step away from justice for those who have suffered long enough.
TRENTON – Senator Joseph F. Vitale, D-Middlesex, today released the following statement regarding today’s scheduled Assembly vote on S-540, the which modifies the Charitable Immunity Act:
“For the past year and a half, the men and women standing here today, along with countless others, have worked tirelessly to create legislation that will finally give all victims of childhood sexual abuse the right to hold those responsible for those crimes accountable, no matter when the abuse occurred. Today that hard work comes to an end as the General Assembly votes to give the bill final approval.
TRENTON – A bill sponsored by Senator Joseph F. Vitale which would enact a number of protections for gift card consumers, including a provision requiring that gift cards could not expire within a two-year period after purchase, was approved by the Assembly today, receiving final legislative approval.
“During this time of year, the need for a bill like this is never more apparent,” said Senator Vitale, D-Middlesex. “Tis the season for gift-giving, but we want to have protections in place so that, even though it’s the thought moreso than anything that counts, we don’t gyp people who receive gift cards this holiday season. This bill would ensure that the value of a gift cannot decay due to arbitrary deadlines set by the retailers.”
TRENTON – The Senate Commerce Committee passed legislation today sponsored by Senator Shirley K. Turner that would prohibit telemarketers from using technology to disguise their identity.
“When we passed the original “Do Not Call’ legislation, we made it illegal for telemarketers to deceive residents by blocking their number from caller ID boxes,” said Senator Turner, D-Mercer. “Since that time, the telemarketing industry has developed caller ID spoofing equipment that allows them to circumvent the law. This practice violates the spirit of the law and now it will violate the letter of the law.”
TRENTON – A bill sponsored by Senator Ellen Karcher and Assemblymen Bob Morgan and Mike Panter which would require the State Board of Education to include two hours of instruction in suicide prevention as part of the professional development requirement for teaching staff was unanimously approved today by the Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee.
“Suicide is the third leading killer of teens, but it shouldn’t be the case,” said Senator Karcher, D-Monmouth and Mercer. “Often, there are warning signs that should raise a red flag to trained individuals, but the problem is that teachers, who spend a lot of time with students in the course of a week, do not have the proper tools to identify these warning signs. This training will allow teachers to intervene early, and ultimately, it will save lives.”
TRENTON – A resolution sponsored by Senator Joseph F. Vitale which would provide for an independent study of New Jersey’s Emergency Medical Services was unanimously approved today by the Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee.
“Our EMS system in New Jersey is absolutely vital to the continued health and well-being of the State,” said Senator Vitale, D-Middlesex, the Chairman of the Senate Health Committee. “The moments after the onset of severe medical trauma are crucial to the survival of the patient, and rapid and high-quality response is a must to improve the survival rate of what would otherwise be fatal illnesses. We should constantly be reviewing the strengths and weaknesses of our EMS, to know how to provide the best possible emergency response to medical crises in the Garden State.”
TRENTON – A measure sponsored by Senator Fred H. Madden that would ban the sale of “yo-yo waterballs,” which have been blamed for the strangulation deaths of hundreds of children in the United States was approved today by the Senate Commerce Committee.
“According to Consumer Product Safety Commission reports, parents have reported more than 375 injuries due to these ‘waterballs’, and 263 of them have involved suffocation due to strangulation,” said Senator Madden, D-Camden and Gloucester. “These toys are clearly dangerous and should be banned. The safety of our children must be our top priority,” said Senator Madden.
TRENTON – Senator Joseph Vitale, D-Middlesex, sponsor of Senate Bill 1987, which would allow municipalities to enact pay-to-play ordinances that are stricter than state law, made the following statement today following the passage of the bill by the Senate:
“When the Senate last year passed S-2, the legislation which curbed the practice of pay-to-play in New Jersey, it was done with the promise that we would pass a subsequent bill to allow municipalities to pass local ordinances that limited the practice either further.
TRENTON – Senator Ellen Karcher, D-Monmouth and Mercer, a leading advocate on State ethics reform and banning developers’ influence in government, issued the following statement regarding today’s Senate approval of a bill allowing municipalities to pass stronger bans on pay to play, or the practice of trading campaign contributions for lucrative contracts of government favors:
“For government ethics watchdogs, pay to play has long been considered a cancer on the good work and achievements of government at all levels. It is unrelenting and undiscerning, affecting officials on the municipal, county and State level with equal voracity.
TRENTON – Senator Shirley K. Turner, co-sponsor of the bill to authorize local governments to enact strong ordinances banning pay-to-play practices in their communities, said it will clean up the corrupting influence of money in political campaigns throughout New Jersey.
The bill, S-1987, passed in the Senate by a 34-0 vote and now goes to the Governor.
TRENTON – Senator Barbara, D-Middlesex, co-sponsor of Senate Bill 1987, which would allow municipalities to enact pay-to-play ordinances that are stricter than state law, made the following statement today following the passage of the bill by the Senate:
“As co-sponsor of S-1987, I am pleased that the Senate passed this critical piece of legislation in the fight to end pay-to-play in New Jersey.
TRENTON – Senator Loretta Weinberg, D-Bergen, released the following statement today, regarding the Senate’s passage of S-1987:
“I am very pleased that my first vote as a Senator was one to help enable meaningful ‘Pay to Play’ legislation at every level of government. As a co-prime sponsor of the Assembly’s version of the bill, I made a commitment to help ensure that public contracts are awarded to deserving and qualified businesses, not just those with an inside financial track. I have seen this legislation come full circle; from its first committee meeting to its final Legislative vote today. I am, and will always be, proud to have sponsored legislation committed to ending the preemption of local government awarded contracts by dishonest, self-serving politicians.”
TRENTON – The Senate today unanimously approved “NJ STARS II,” a measure sponsored by Senator Wayne R. Bryant that would allow some of the State’s top students to earn Bachelors degrees, free of cost.
“By allowing these students to earn their Bachelors degrees free of cost, New Jersey would be sending them a clear message that their years of hard work and academic success have indeed paid off,” said Senator Bryant, D-Camden and Gloucester, who chairs the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee and serves as a member of the Senate Education panel. “As a State we have an obligation to help these students reach their full academic potential. New Jersey cannot and will not allow financial barriers to determine their future successes.”
TRENTON – The Senate approved legislation today sponsored by Senator Shirley K. Turner that would enact new nutritional standards for food sold in public schools, limiting the availability of high-calorie beverages and foods high in sugar or fat to students during school hours.
“Obesity is a problem facing far too many school-aged children today,” said Senator Turner, D-Mercer. “The eating habits they learn while young will stay with them throughout their lives, so we must begin to expose them to healthy choices now, while they are still in school.”
TRENTON – The Senate today approved a bill, sponsored by Senator Barbara Buono, to modernize New Jersey’s horse wagering industry and make it competitive with other states.
“It’s clear that New Jersey’s horse horse racing industry has to be competitive with our neighboring states and it has to be compatible with modern technology,” said Senator Buono, Chair of the Senate Wagering, Tourism & Historic Preservation Committee.