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PREVIEW Senate To Convene On Monday To Discuss Organ Donation, Ethics, Encap

TRENTON – The Senate will meet on Monday to consider a full agenda, including legislation promoting organ donation and reforming the Joint Legislative Committee on Ethical Standards, as well as hold hearings on the Inspector General’s recent report on the problems that have plagued the Meadowlands EnCap project.

The full Senate will convene at 2:00 p.m. in the Senate Chambers to consider their agenda including The “New Jersey Hero Act” (S-755), sponsored by Senate President Richard J. Codey and Senator Joseph Vitale, which would make New Jersey the first state in the nation to require organ donation decisions before applying for a driver’s license and mandatory high school education on organ donation.

Also among the bills being considered are a two measures sponsored by Senate President Codey (S-1442 and SCR-85), which will remove legislators from the Joint Legislative Committee on Ethical Standards and adopt a permanent Legislative Code of Ethics for 2008 and 2009.

The Senate will also vote on S1331 (Vitale/Gordon), which imposes a moratorium on the harvest of horseshoe crabs, and S-520 (Sacco/Gordon), which would allow police to fine those drivers who have not made all reasonable efforts to remove snow or ice from their vehicles.

The Senate Environment Committee and Senate Legislative Oversight Committee will hold a joint hearing at 10:30 a.m. in Committee Room to take testimony from Inspector General Mary Jane Cooper on her recent report on the problems found with the Meadowlands Remediation and Redevelopment project by EnCap Golf Holdings. Environment Committee Chair Bob Smith will lead the questioning as the committee seeks answers on why EnCap was granted the contract and how the breakdown in communication between local and state authorities has led to delays and higher costs for taxpayers.

The Senate Judiciary Committee will also meet at 10:00 a.m. in Committee Room 4 to consider the nominations of David Rousseau to be State Treasurer and David M. Szuchman to be Director of the Division of Consumer Affairs in the Attorney General’s office.