TRENTON – The Senate Transportation Committee approved a resolution today sponsored by Senator Barbara Buono that would create the “Smart Freight Railroad Study Commission” to study the impact of additional short-line freight railroads in northern New Jersey and put a moritorium on new freight traffic on the Lehigh Valley Railroad short-line freight track from Edison to Bound Brook until the Commission has completed its report.
“An increase in freight rail traffic on these rail lines is going to have a discernable impact on the quality of life in the neighborhoods the pass through,” said Senator Buono, D-Middlesex. “Before the State spends any money to increase the capacity and use of these rail lines, we need to conduct a comprehensive study of the potential impact additional trains will have on the residents of these communities. The consequences may not justify the benefits in the end.”
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 given unanimous approval by the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee, and received an emergency vote and approval in the State Senate by a vote of 38-0.
“There’s an old saying that a society is judged by how we treat our most vulnerable members, and in New Jersey, we will now do better,” said Senator Vitale, D-Middlesex, the Chairman of the Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee. “New Jersey FamilyCare was a revolutionary program when it was first-adopted by the State, but recent cuts due to budget shortfalls have hurt the effectiveness of the program, and forced the State to scale back coverage. A redesigned FamilyCare program to provide access to quality health care for all of our least fortunate residents will put New Jersey back on the map in terms of meeting our obligation to help the working poor.”
TRENTON – Senator Joseph F. Vitale, D-Middlesex, the Chairman of the Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee and a prime sponsor of legislation which will restructure New Jersey’s FamilyCare program to provide access to quality health care for New Jersey’s working families, issued the following statement on today’s emergency vote and unanimous approval of his bill:
“Today, the New Jersey Senate took a bold, but necessary step to ensure that all of our State’s residents, regardless of their economic background, have access to the quality health care that they need.
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 unanimous approval of the bill today by the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee:
“The actions being conducted in the name of ‘ethnic purity’ in the Sudan are an atrocity to human rights around the globe. The ongoing conflict in the Darfur region has claimed more than 200,000 lives since it began in 2003, and is nothing short of absolute religious genocide.
TRENTON – A measure sponsored by Senators Stephen M. Sweeney and Fred H. Madden that would create a two-year pilot program which would use satellite-based tracking to keep track of convicted sex offenders was unanimously approved today by the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee.
“As a parent, my first priority is to help ensure the safety of my children,” said Senator Sweeney, D-Gloucester, Cumberland and Salem. ” As a legislator, I have a responsibility to help protect the children of New Jersey, which is exactly what this bill would do. The GPS tracking would let law enforcement officers know sex offenders’ whereabouts at all times, which would help keep them away from children.”
TRENTON – A measure sponsored by Senators Nia H. Gill and Wayne R. Bryant that would require county boards of election to post a “Voters Bill of Rights” notice at each polling place before the opening of polls on election day was approved today by the Senate.
“It only makes sense that the rights of voters be posted at polling places,” said Senator Gill, D-Essex and Passaic. “This bill would help to alleviate any questions that may arise when residents are exercising their right to vote. We want New Jerseyans to be able to make informed decisions.”
TRENTON – Legislation sponsored by Senator Shirley K. Turner that would require all voting machines to produce an individual paper record for each vote cast passed the full Assembly and the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee today.
“The right to vote is perhaps the most sacred right for any American,” said Senator Turner, D-Mercer. “When people take the time to exercise this rights, they deserve to know that each individual vote is counted every single time. While New Jersey has not faced the widespread voting irregularities that have plagued Ohio and Florida in recent years, we shouldn’t wait until that happens to take action. Voter verifiable balloting is needed now so that New Jersey voters are assured that the results reported at the end of the night reflect the votes of the people.”
TRENTON – The Senate approved bipartisan legislation today sponsored by Senators Shirley K. Turner, Byron Baer and Joseph Vitale that would require businesses to better maintain the confidentiality of their customers’ personal information and provide consumers with new tools to combat identity theft.
“It is becoming increasingly true that good credit is one of the most valuable things an individual can possess,” said Senator Turner, D-Mercer. “With innumerable credit card and financial transactions conducted over the Internet each day, the potential for identity theft is greater than ever. Today we are equipping consumers with a valuable new set of tools and safeguards that will better help them protect their credit and reduce the threat of identity theft.”
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 Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee today.
“Just because a school district is not labeled an ‘Abbott’ district doesn’t mean it is free from the economic and social challenges that Abbott districts face,” said Senator Sacco, D-Hudson and Bergen. “Those districts with Abbott neighbors often share more than just borders – they also share low income levels, high student mobility rates and the need to provide more social services like free lunches. This bill will help provide those districts with the resources they need to address these challenges and provide their students with a high quality education.”
TRENTON – The Senate approved legislation today sponsored by Senator Joseph Coniglio that would allocate more than $25 million to fund efforts in northern New Jersey to acquire or develop open spaces for recreation and conservation purposes.
“As the most densely populated state in the nation, we need to work doubly hard to make sure to preserve open space and parks for future generations,” said Senator Coniglio, D-Bergen. “This $25 million will give our towns and counties in North Jersey the ability to acquire undeveloped land to protect it from sprawl and provide our families with green spaces in which they can enjoy nature.”
TRENTON – Miniaturized motorcycles commonly known as “pocket bikes” or “mini-motos” would be banned from New Jersey’s streets and sidewalks under legislation sponsored by Senators Joseph Congilio and Shirley K. Turner and passed by the State Assembly today.
“Last summer, there were a number of high-profile accidents involving children riding on pocket bikes,” said Senator Coniglio, D-Bergen. “As schools let out for the summer this week, we will begin to see children spending their days outside playing their neighbors and enjoying the summer break. Hopefully, this bill will prevent a repeat of last year’s accidents and make the summertime as safe as possible for our kids.”
TRENTON – The Senate approved a resolution today sponsored by Senators Barbara Buono and Shirley Turner that would call upon Congress to reject any plans by the Bush Administration to harm Social Security through the use of private accounts.
“The American people have spoken loud and clear on Social Security – they want it fixed, not destroyed,” said Senator Buono. “Hopefulluy that message is making its way to the Oval Office, but we need to keep speaking out against attempts to privatize Social Security and keep fighting for real reform that will keep the program solvent for decades to come.”
TRENTON – The Senate approved a bill today, S-2522, to amend the State’s 60-year-old Law Against Discrimination and ban employers from discriminating against women who become pregnant or who are mothers. It passed 37-0 and now goes to the Assembly.
“Women should have legal protection in the workplace from being harassed or fired for becoming pregnant,” said Senator John H. Adler, a prime sponsor of the bill.
TRENTON – A measure sponsored by Senators Fred H. Madden and Wayne R. Bryant that would require clinical laboratories to aid in the early detection of kidney disease by monitoring creatinine levels in patients’ blood received final legislative approval today in the Assembly.
“This measure is about using preventative measures to help save lives,” said Senator Madden, D-Camden and Gloucester. “By working to identify kidney disease and other life-threatening disorders in their early stages, doctors will be able to help patients begin treatment as soon as they are diagnosed, and it will allow them to help the patients to live longer, healthier lives.”
TRENTON – A bill sponsored by Senator Joseph F. Vitale which would give the Governor and the State Commissioner of Health greater authority to declare a public health emergency and give them access to the tools necessary to prevent, prepare for, and respond to the emergency was approved by the Senate by a vote of 38-0, giving it final legislative approval.
“Given the State’s proximity to two major metropolitan areas, and our seemingly constant status as a homeland security target, New Jersey needs to be able to respond to the unthinkable in a heartbeat,” said Senator Vitale, D-Middlesex, the Chairman of the Senate Health Committee. “In the event of a bioterrorist attack, rapid response is essential to protect the health and safety of the nine million residents of the Garden State. Without proper planning and safeguards in place, we’re opening the door to maximize the impact of tragedy.”