With the Senate Judiciary Committee’s announcement that confirmation proceedings will be held on May 31st for Bruce Harris’s nomination to the New Jersey Supreme Court, Senate Republican Leader Tom Kean, Jr. issued the following statement encouraging fairness and professionalism in considering Mr. Harris’s nomination:
“Bruce Harris is an accomplished attorney and public servant who is, by any objective measure, well-qualified to serve on our state’s highest court. More important than the personal and racial diversity that he would bring to the Supreme Court is the diversity of legal and professional experience he offers a body that makes decisions affecting the lives of everyone in our state.
Senator Michael Doherty (R-23) held a State House press conference on Thursday, May 17 to express his opposition to the replacement and tolling of the Scudder Falls bridge, which carries Interstate 95 traffic over the Delaware River between New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
S-1755 Establishes New Jersey Adult Guardianship and Protective Proceedings Act
Senator Dawn Marie Addiego’s bill protecting dementia patients and their guardians advanced out of committee today with unanimous bipartisan support. S-1755 establishes uniform procedures for addressing interstate conflicts regarding adult guardianship issues. Identical Assembly bill 2628 is sponsored by Assemblyman Scott Rudder and Assemblyman Chris Brown.
“Guardianship cases stretching beyond state boundaries raise questions about jurisdiction, laws and rights in today’s mobile society,” said Senator Addiego. “This legislation provides desperately necessary protections for seniors and their adult guardians, and clarifies the jurisdiction of the state court in guardian issues.”
Senator Joe Kyrillos (R- Monmouth) lauded today’s signing of a pact finalizing the timetable for transfer of the Fort Monmouth property from the Department of the Army to the Forth Monmouth Economic Revitalization Authority.
The memorandum of agreement was signed today at Gibbs Hall, the former officer’s club at the facility.
Legislation long-championed by Senator Jennifer Beck (R- Monmouth) and Senate President Steve Sweeney (D- Gloucester) to prevent abuse of the state’s farmland assessment law has been approved by the Senate Environment and Energy Committee.
“The current threshold of $500 in agricultural sales set forth in New Jersey’s farmland assessment law has not been increased since its inception,” said Beck. “Our legislation ensures that only property owners who engage in true farming activity are able to take advantage of this significant tax break. The public gets rightly enraged when they hear cases like the one in Middletown, where a real estate developer paid just $31 on 10.5 acres of land for selling $600 worth of honey.”
Legislation introduced by Senator Dawn Marie Addiego would eliminate the possibility of parole for anyone convicted of the murder of a minor under the age of 18 in the course of a sex crime.
“The most heinous crime imaginable should have the most severe punishment possible,” said Senator Addiego. “A life sentence with no possibility of parole is justified since we do not have the death penalty available to us in New Jersey.”
In response to several recent incidents of physical and emotional intimidation of students at the hands of school staff both in New Jersey and across the country, Senator Diane Allen (R- Burlington) is proposing legislation that will speed the disciplinary process for teachers and other school officials found to have engaged in bullying, intimidation, or harassment of students.
Senator Diane Allen (R-7) and Mr. Stuart Chaifetz, the father of a child bullied by a teacher, at a State House press conference on May 17, 2012 to announce legislation that would make it easier to dismiss teachers who bully students.
“My bill extends New Jersey’s Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights Act to bullying that is conducted by teachers and other school employees,” said Allen. “Thankfully, these incidents are rare. However, recent events in Cherry Hill and Camden illustrate that current law does not provide for adequately swift or severe punishment of school staff who engage in this behavior.”
A bill sponsored by Senator Kevin O’Toole, R-Bergen, Essex, Morris, Passaic, to require wheelchairs to be properly secured in vehicles by a four-point restraint system passed the Senate Transportation Committee today.
“It is a law for the protection of motorists and their passengers to be buckled up during their travels and it is absolutely essential for passengers in wheelchairs to be properly belted in,” O’Toole reiterated.
Senator Jim Holzapfel and Assemblymen Greg McGuckin and Dave Wolfe of the 10th Legislative District are calling on the State of New Jersey to approve cardiac surgery services at Community Medical Center in Toms River.
“The State of New Jersey has an obligation to swiftly approve cardiac surgery at Community Medical Center to meet the need of Ocean County residents,” said Senator Holzapfel. “The elderly in our community are being jeopardized by unnecessary delays and risks associated with traveling far from home to an out of county hospital. These patients could be treated safely and sooner right here at Community Medical Center.”
Senator Michael Doherty (R-23) and Senator Shirley Turner (D-15) will hold a State House press conference on Thursday, May 17 to express their opposition to the replacement and tolling of the Scudder Falls bridge, which carries Interstate 95 traffic over the Delaware River between New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
Who: Senator Michael Doherty (R-23); Senator Shirley Turner (D-15); Jeff Tittel – Director, New Jersey Sierra Club; Steve Lonegan – State Director, Americans for Prosperity – New Jersey; Ed Smith – Commissioner, Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission
What: Press conference to oppose construction of new Scudder Falls bridge and introduction of tolling at the currently free crossing.
