TRENTON – A bill sponsored by Senators Ellen Karcher and Nicholas P. Scutari which would allow municipalities to increase fines on trucks that deviate from established truck routes and travel more dangerous shortcuts was approved by the Senate yesterday by a vote of 37-0.
“A successful trucking industry relies on the proper infrastructure to allow trucks to operate safely,” said Senator Karcher, D-Monmouth and Mercer. “However, in some instances, truckers are cutting corners and using shortcuts that were neither designed to nor can handle traffic from large trucks, and the result is a higher incidence of traffic accidents, some of which can be fatal. We need to allow municipalities to apply strict penalties, to keep trucks on designated routes and away from unsafe roadways.”
TRENTON – A bill sponsored by Senators Joseph V. Doria and Barbara Buono which would authorize the Secretary of State to establish a nonprofit organization known as the Asian American Study Foundation to promote the culture and contributions of New Jersey’s significant Asian American population was approved by the Senate yesterday by a vote of 38-0.
“New Jersey’s Asian-American population has a rich culture and heritage, and that has contributed so much to our State’s diversity,” said Senator Doria, D-Hudson. “Yet, the community has constantly had to deal with the specters of intolerance and prejudice from ignorant individuals intent on putting down what they do not understand. An Asian American Study Foundation would go a long way towards dispelling many of the myths surrounding the culture and promote greater overall tolerance of diversity in New Jersey.”
TRENTON – A bill sponsored by Senators Joseph F. Vitale and Bob Smith to authorize local governments to issue five-year bonds for the reimbursement of an ambulance, rescue vehicle or similar public safety vehicle was approved by the Senate yesterday by a vote of 36-1.
“The fleets of public safety vehicles that serve New Jersey residents are a vital component in the State’s network of rapid response health care,” said Senator Vitale, D-Middlesex. “A state of the art ambulance or rescue vehicle can mean the difference between life or death for patients being transported to a hospital or other primary care facility. Municipalities need to have access to greater bonding ability to keep their rescue vehicles and ambulances in top condition.”
TRENTON – A bill sponsored by Senator Joseph F. Vitale which would require a court order for admittance into the Moderate Security Unit (MSU) at the New Lisbon Developmental Center was approved by the Senate by a vote of 36-0.
“The MSU is specifically intended as an alternative to imprisonment for special needs prisoners with developmental disabilities, and we need safeguards in place to ensure that individuals who are incarcerated at the MSU belong there,” said Senator Vitale, D-Middlesex, the Chairman of the Senate Health Committee. “The MSU is not a traditional treatment facility, and the regimented treatment and care provided is not necessarily appropriate for every individual with developmental disability. We need to ensure that the facility is not abused, and that developmentally disabled New Jerseyans have access to the appropriate care.”
TRENTON – In response to the U.S. Supreme Court’s narrow ruling last week which expands the scope of eminent domain, a bipartisan bill sponsorsed by Senators Nia H. Gill and Diane Allen was introduced to protect New Jersey residents from being ousted from their homes under the controversial condemnation proceedings.
“Taking private property from one private owner and transferring it to another seriously jeopardizes the security of all private property ownership,” said Senator Gill, D-Essex and Passaic. “Being able to own property is part of the American Dream that is undeniably desired by everyone. It is a dream which must be protected.”
TRENTON – A bill sponsored by Senators Ronald Rice and Nia H. Gill to create a 26-member Gangland Security Task Force to examine how to redirect the negative activities of adult and youth gangs to positive community involvement was signed into law today by Governor Codey.
Senator Rice said he wanted the Task Force to study the relationships between gangs, prison inmates and parolees while Senator Gill stressed the need to redirect children away from gang membership to positive community activity.
TRENTON – Legislation sponsored by Senators Nicholas Sacco and Joseph Doria that would increase state aid to school districts bordered by three or more Abbott school districts was approved by the Assembly today.
“Just because a school district doesn’t meet all of the qualifications of the Abbott districts doesn’t mean it is without the economic and social challenges that Abbott districts face,” said Senator Sacco, D-Hudson and Bergen. “The needs of our districts are not as black and white as the funding formula would suggest. These ring districts face many of the same challenges as their Abbott neighbors – they also share low income levels, high numbers of students in English as a second language classes and the need to provide more social services like free lunches. These districts are struggling to provide their students with the programs and services to combat these challenges and these additional funds will help provide their students with a high quality education.”
TRENTON – Senator Nia H. Gill, D-Essex and Passaic, the prime sponsor of legislation that would require New Jersey to divest all state-administered pension investments held in companies with ties to the Sudanese government, issued the following statement regarding the approval of the bill today by the Assembly by a vote of 79-1, giving it final legislative approval:
“The actions being perpetrated in the name of ethnic cleansing in the Darfur region of the Sudan are an affront to humanitarianism across the globe. The atrocities being committed every day are an abomination on the face of basic human decency the world over.
TRENTON – A bill sponsored by Senators Joseph F. Vitale and Barbara Buono which would overhaul the State’s FamilyCare health insurance program for the working poor was approved by the Assembly today by a vote of 77-3, receiving final legislative approval.
“New Jersey’s children, regardless of their economic background, deserve a chance at a healthy life, and the FamilyCare program will now be better-suited to providing the means to help those who could otherwise not afford quality health care,” said Senator Vitale, D-Middlesex, the Chairman of the Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee. “With renewed purpose and reenergized goals, FamilyCare will put us closer than ever before to realizing that health care is not a luxury — it’s a basic human right, to which every single person in New Jersey and elsewhere is entitled. The new FamilyCare will put health care in reach for thousands of people who would otherwise simply do without.”
TRENTON – Senate Majority Leader Bernard F. Kenny Jr. issued the following comments this evening after the Senate gave final approval to his bill, S-2195, to create the Office of the Inspector General. The vote was 37-0 and the bill now goes to tthe Governor.
“The Inspector General (created by this bill) will coordinate probes of public contracts, compel testimony with subpoena power and ensure a fair-dollar return for taxpayers.
TRENTON – Senator Wayne R. Bryant, Chairman of the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee, issued the following comments as his State Budget Bill, S-3000, for the fiscal year which began today, was adopted by the Senate 22-15.
“The remarkable aspect about this budget is that, at $27.9 billion, it comes in $500 million below the adjusted appropriation for the preceding year of $28.4 billion. For that, Governor Codey deserves tremendous praise. A budget smaller than its predecessor hasn’t happened in New Jersey for at least ten years.
TRENTON – Senator Shirley K. Turner, D-Mercer and Senate President Pro Tempore, issued the following statement today as the Legislature passed the Fiscal Year 2006 Budget:
“Throughout the budget process, the one thing that has remained the same is that those areas the Senate and Assembly agreed upon outnumber those areas in which we disagreed. That fact made the budget we passed today as strong as it could be.
TRENTON – Senator Barbara Buono, D-Middlesex and a member of the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee issued the following statement today as the Legislature passed the Fiscal Year 2006 Budget:
“Today we passed a budget which met the needs of New Jersey’s residents while making sure the State lives within its means.
TRENTON – Senator Joseph V. Doria, D-Hudson, a member of the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee, issued the following statement regarding the approval of the Fiscal Year 2006 Budget:
“This is a budget that the State can be proud of.
TRENTON – Senator Joseph Coniglio, D-Bergen, a member of the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee, issued the following statement regarding the passage of the Fiscal Year 2006 budget today:
“I think this is the first budget in the four years I’ve been here, where revenues were truly tied to spending. It is also nice to know that for the first time in four years, we will have a significant cushion in the State’s surplus.