Senator Diane Allen

May 18, 2010   

Contact: Senate Republican Office / (609) 292-5199
Assemblywoman Alison McHose (R-24), Assemblywoman DiAnne Gove, Senator Dawn Marie Addiego, Senator Diane Allen, Senator Jennifer Beck

The female Republican members of the State Senate and General Assembly would like to offer the following statement of support for Governor Christie’s New Jersey Supreme Court nominee, Anne Patterson:

“New Jersey can be proud of its record on women in government. In fact, in 1925, New Jersey was the sixth State in the nation to elect a woman to represent them in the U.S. Congress.

“In that spirit, as female elected-officials, we would like to voice our support for the Senate to hold confirmation hearings for Anne Patterson as a nominee to the New Jersey Supreme Court. If confirmed by the Senate, Ms. Patterson’s appointment to the court would mean that for the first time in New Jersey history, we would have a majority of women on the State Supreme Court. New Jersey would become only the fifth State in the nation to have such a balance.

“Ms. Patterson deserves an opportunity to have her credentials considered by the Senate Judiciary Committee just as any other candidate would. The Democrats’ promise to keep Ms. Patterson’s nomination from going before the Judiciary Committee is an unfair use of his power.

“Governor Christie made a decision not to reappoint Justice John Wallace, which is his constitutional right as Governor. In 1947, New Jersey adopted a new State Constitution which provided the Governor with the authority to nominate and appoint, with advice and consent of the Senate, justices of the supreme and superior courts. Neither advice nor consent of the Senate may be given in the case of Anne Patterson as long as her confirmation hearings are kept from taking place.

“The fact is that Governor Christie did not step beyond his gubernatorial powers in choosing not to reappoint Justice Wallace, and his nomination for the court deserves a fair hearing to determine her qualifications for such an important post. We urge the Democrats to put aside partisan enmity and permit the confirmation hearing to proceed.”

Senator Jennifer A. Beck (R-12)
Senator Diane Allen (R-7)
Assemblywoman Caroline Casagrande (R-12)
Assemblywoman Dawn Marie Addiego (R-8)
Assemblywoman Mary Pat Angelini (R-11)
Assemblywoman Denise Coyle (R-16)
Assemblywoman DiAnne Gove (R-9)
Assemblywoman Amy Handlin (R-13)
Assemblywoman Alison McHose (R-24)
Assemblywoman Nancy Munoz (R-21)
Assemblywoman Charlotte Vandervalk (R-39)

The female Republican members of the State Senate and General Assembly would like to offer the following statement of support for Governor Christie’s New Jersey Supreme Court nominee, Anne Patterson: “New Jersey can be proud of its record on women in government. In fact, in [...]