S2139

TRENTON –State Senator Loretta Weinberg, one of the prime sponsors of legislation which would restore $7.5 million in funding for women’s health and family planning programs in New Jersey, today filed three Open Public Records Act (OPRA) requests with the State Treasurer to find out more information regarding the Administration’s fiscal objections to the budget-neutral funding source identified in her bill.

“From Day One, the Christie Administration has been less than forthcoming with regard to their objections on vital women’s health funding,” said Senator Weinberg, D-Bergen. “If they have a concern about the budget source identified by nonpartisan Office of Legislative Services staff as surplus funds, then they should be working Assemblywoman (Linda) Stender and me in a bipartisan fashion to replace that funding with a more workable solution. Instead, all we’ve gotten from the Administration is vague budgetary concerns which allude to actuarial information and budgetary projections which were never shared with anyone on our side of the aisle in the Legislature.

TRENTON, NJ – Senator Loretta Weinberg and Assemblywoman Linda Stender, the leading advocates for the restoration of women’s health funding in the State Legislature, said today that the reports of the death of the override attempt of the Governor’s veto for women’s health funding have been exaggerated. They added that they will continue reaching out to legislative colleagues on both sides of the political aisle to urge them to support the legislative override.

“I think it’s premature to sound the death knell on women’s health funding, particularly when we just kicked off the campaign to encourage support for an override yesterday,” said Senator Weinberg, D-Bergen. “When our bill, S-2139, was approved by the Legislature in June, it received bipartisan support in the Senate. We will continue to appeal to lawmakers of good conscience on both sides of the political divide, because failure on this override would be a catastrophe of epic proportions for health care in New Jersey.”

TRENTON – State Senator Loretta Weinberg, D-Bergen, the Chair of the Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee and sponsor of S-2139, legislation restoring $7.5 million in funds which were cut from the FY 2011 State Budget for women’s health and family planning programs, issued the following statement today after the Governor vetoed the bill:

“It’s a sad day when the Governor of the State of New Jersey decides to put political ideology ahead of the health and safety of women and men across the Garden State.

“The Governor has perpetuated a myth that this decision has to do with budget choices.

TRENTON – Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee Chairwoman Loretta Weinberg, the sponsor of legislation to restore – through surplus funds in the State Employee Prescription drug program – $7.5 million in funding which was cut from the FY 2011 State Budget for women’s health and family planning services, issued the following statement today regarding the Committee’s hearing on the bill. The measure, S-2139, was approved by a bipartisan, veto-proof majority in the Senate at the end of June:

“Today, we wanted to give the Administration an opportunity to highlight alternate plans or discuss concerns about the funding source we identified for women’s health programs. Unfortunately, our request for information was met with deafening silence.

TRENTON – Senator Loretta Weinberg and members of the State Senate who voted for S-2139, legislation to restore $7.5 million in funding for women’s health and family planning services which was cut from the FY 2011 State Budget, will hold a news conference tomorrow, Thursday, July 8, to urge Governor Christie to act on the bill.

“It’s been 10 days since the Legislature sent S-2139 to the Governor’s Desk for his consideration, and it’s been 8 days since the start of the new fiscal year, when funding for valuable women’s health programs was reduced to zero,” said Senator Weinberg, D-Bergen, and chair of the Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee. “It’s time that we hear from our State’s chief executive on his plans on S-2139. We’re urging the Governor to either sign the bill soon, so women can get access to basic health care, or veto it soon, so we can take the next step in working to restore these funds.”