S2636

A view of the Senate Chambers from the 2010-2011 Senate Reorganization.

06 Jun: Greenstein-Sweeney Legislation To Modernize Megan’s Law Clears Committee

TRENTON – Legislation sponsored by Senator Linda R. Greenstein and Senate President Steve Sweeney that would revise and strengthen Megan’s Law to improve community supervision of convicted sex offenders and to better protect New Jersey’s children cleared the Senate Law and Public Safety Committee today. The legislation also updates the law based on advances in electronic communication and would ensure that minors who sext are not placed on the sex offender registry for life.

“In the aftermath of Megan Kanka’s murder nearly twenty years ago, New Jersey led the nation in implementing a sex offender registry that supplies parents with vital information of dangerous living in their neighborhood in order to protect children from repeat sexual predators,” said Senator Greenstein, D-Middlesex and Mercer. “Since that time, we have seen the widespread use of computers, cell phones and tablets and parents must now be even more vigilant against sexual predators because luring and sexual advances can happen on computers and phones in living rooms and bedrooms. Because of these changes in society, the way law enforcement must conduct oversight has changed dramatically. This legislation will ensure that they have the tools necessary to stop another horrific crime from occurring.”

05 Apr: Senators Greenstein, Sweeney & O’Toole Introduce Legislation To Modernize Megan’s Law

TRENTON – Senator Linda R. Greenstein, Senate President Steve Sweeney and Senator Kevin O’Toole announced today they have introduced legislation to revise and strengthen Megan’s Law to improve community supervision of convicted sex offenders and to better protect New Jersey’s children. The legislation also updates the law based on improved electronic communication and would ensure that minors who sext are not placed on the sex offender registry for life.

“Nineteen years ago, when Megan’s Law was initially established here in New Jersey, it would have been impossible to predict modern advances in technology from the commonplace of cell phones and tablets to the widespread availability of Wi-Fi,” said Senator Greenstein, D-Middlesex and Mercer. “With these technological advances come new concerns for our children’s safety. Parents must now be vigilant against sexual predators both when their children are outside and inside the home, because luring and sexual advances can happen on computers and phones in living rooms and bedrooms. We need to arm our law enforcement – including parole officers – with the skills, training and tools to effectively monitor those convicted of sex crimes to ensure the continued safety of our kids.”

“The State Parole Board has the daunting task of monitoring convicted sex offenders throughout the state under Megan’s Law. Their efforts protect our children, notify families of dangerous individuals in their neighborhoods and ensure that sex offenders do not recommit these heinous crimes and harm another child,” said Senate President Steve Sweeney, D-Gloucester, Cumberland and Salem. “As the sex offender registry continues to grow and as technology continues to change, we must update our laws to ensure that law enforcement has the resources necessary to successfully monitor those on the registry and to address new threats to our children.”

Senator Nicholas J. Sacco, D-Hudson and Bergen, votes in the Senate Chambers.

17 Feb: Sacco-Sweeney Bill To Roll Back Tolls Dedicated To ARC Tunnel Construction Approved In Senate

TRENTON – A bill sponsored by Senate Transportation Committee Chairman Nicholas J. Sacco and Senate President Stephen M. Sweeney which would roll back toll increases intended to pay for the cancelled Access to the Region’s Core (ARC) tunnel project that Governor Chris Christie rejected late last year was approved by the Senate today by a bipartisan vote of 27-9.

“When it comes to the cancelled ARC project, there’s just one simple, over-arching principle: ‘No Tunnel, No Toll-Hike,’” said Senator Sacco, D-Hudson and Bergen, and Chairman of the Senate Transportation Committee. “Using funds intended for the ARC construction, absent a comprehensive public dialogue, undermines the public’s input and role in the process, and is unfair to toll-payers who had an expectation where their money was going to go. If the Turnpike Authority wants to use increased toll funding for projects other than the ARC project, they need to start over and allow the public an opportunity to weigh in on transportation funding decisions.”

Senator Nicholas J. Sacco (D-Hudson)

20 Jan: Sacco-Sweeney Bill To Roll Back Tolls Dedicated To ARC Tunnel Construction Advances

TRENTON – A bill sponsored by Senate Transportation Committee Chairman Nicholas J. Sacco and Senate President Stephen M. Sweeney which would roll back toll increases intended to pay for the cancelled Access to the Region’s Core (ARC) tunnel project that Governor Chris Christie rejected late last year was approved by the Transportation Committee today by a vote of 3-2.

“To increase the tolls to pay for the ARC project, the Turnpike Authority had to have numerous public hearings in which they laid out a case for the toll increase,” said Senator Sacco. “Using the money intended for the ARC tunnel for other programs, absent a comprehensive public dialogue, undermines the public’s input and role and is disingenuous to the toll-payers who had an expectation of where their money was going. If the Turnpike Authority wants to use increased toll funding for other projects, then they should begin the hearing process anew to give the public a voice in transportation funding decisions.”

Senator Nicholas J. Sacco (D-Hudson)

11 Jan: Senate Democrats Introduce Bill To Roll Back ARC Tunnel Toll Increase

TRENTON – Yesterday, Senate Transportation Committee Chairman, Nicholas J. Sacco, and Senate President Stephen M. Sweeney introduced legislation intended to roll back toll increases intended to pay for the cancelled Access to the Region’s Core (ARC) tunnel project that Governor Chris Christie rejected late last year.

“It’s disingenuous for the Governor to, on one hand, cancel the ARC tunnel project, and on the other, continue the funding source for the ARC tunnel into perpetuity to pay for his own transportation projects,” said Senator Sacco, D-Hudson and Bergen. “When tolls were increased along the Turnpike and Parkway in 2008, it was done so with the understanding that the funds would go to pay for the ARC tunnel, a transportation project designed specifically to alleviate congestion on our roads and improve our mass transit infrastructure. When Governor Christie cancelled the ARC tunnel, he forfeited any right to those increased toll funds.”