Senator Anthony R. Bucco (R-25)Senator Kevin J. O'Toole (R-40)Senator Philip E. Haines (R-8)Senator Steve Oroho (R-24)Senator Tom Kean (R-21)

Corzine Sued Over Secretive Use of Impoundment Power: Refuses to Explain Use of Important Power

Senate Republican Leader Tom Kean and Republican members of the Senate Budget Committee Tony Bucco, Kevin O’Toole, Steve Oroho, and Phil Haines have filed a lawsuit against Governor Jon Corzine today at 9:15 am. The Governor is violating the State’s open public records law by refusing to provide documents that show what budgeted funds Corzine has frozen to address an at least $1.2 billion revenue drop and to pay for more than $100 million in spending bills he signed over the past month. State law appropriately grants the Governor the power to impound budgeted funds, and Corzine has claimed to be using the power, but refuses to say to what extent or to name the funds that will be impacted.

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Senator Anthony R. Bucco (R-25)Senator Kevin J. O'Toole (R-40)Senator Philip E. Haines (R-8)Senator Steve Oroho (R-24)Senator Tom Kean (R-21)

Senate Republicans to Sue Corzine for Failure to Respond to OPRA Request

Corzine Continues to Stonewall and Hide Public Documents About Budget Deficit

Following the continued failure of Governor Jon S. Corzine to respond as required by law to a December 2, 2008 request for public records made pursuant to New Jersey’s Open Public Records Act, Senate Republican Leader Tom Kean and Republican members of the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee have announced their intention to file a lawsuit against the Governor to force the immediate release of requested documents.

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Assemblyman Scott Rudder (R-8)

Assemblyman Rudder Joined by Veterans for Education to Raise Money for The Salvation Army

Ringing the Bell for A Good Cause

As the holiday shopping season kicked into high gear last weekend, Assemblyman Scott Rudder took time to man The Salvation Army donation bucket to ask shoppers to drop their pocket change for a good cause.

Assemblyman Rudder was joined by members of the Veterans for Education organization from Rutgers University, as they rang the bell in the rain and cold for an hour Friday evening, at the Walmart on Route 70 in Marlton.

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Senator Anthony R. Bucco (R-25)Senator Kevin J. O'Toole (R-40)Senator Philip E. Haines (R-8)Senator Steve Oroho (R-24)

Senate Budget Committee Members Ask A.G. to Rule on Whether Governor is Violating Balanced Budget Provision

Corzine Signs Spending Bills Despite $600 Million Deficit

Republican Senate Budget Committee Members Tony Bucco, Phil Haines, Steve Oroho and Kevin O’Toole today sent a letter to Attorney General Anne Milgram asking her to issue an opinion as to whether Governor Corzine is violating the balanced budget provision of the New Jersey Constitution by continuing to sign legislation that spends hundreds of millions of dollars when the Treasurer projecting a $1.2 billion revenue shortfall.

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District 8

Haines, Addiego & Rudder Call for Halt to Utility Rate Increases

A Two-Year Moratorium Will Give N.J. Families the Chance to Catch Their Breath as Taxes and Living Expenses Climb

To lighten the burden on New Jersey families struggling to make ends meet as the economy continues to slump, Senator Phil Haines, Assemblywoman Dawn Marie Addiego and Assemblyman Scott Rudder have introduced legislation to freeze for two years any rate increases for public utilities operating in the state.

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Senator Anthony R. Bucco (R-25)Senator Kevin J. O'Toole (R-40)Senator Philip E. Haines (R-8)Senator Steve Oroho (R-24)

Republicans Again Urge Governor Corzine to Detail How He Will Cut Spending as Budget Crisis Grows

Four Republican members of the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee urged Governor Corzine to reopen the budget and make clear where he intends to cut spending. Their comments came after state Treasurer David Rousseau reported that revenue collections in October and November were $411 million below projections:

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Senator Philip E. Haines (R-8)

Pinelands Commision Calls for Six-Month COAH Delay

Confusion Mounts As Housing Policies Contradict Pinelands Environmental Goals

Senator Phil Haines (R-Burlington) called upon the Corzine administration to finally recognize that the new COAH housing policies are causing widespread confusion, and agree to requests by a bi-partisan group of legislators to delay implementation of the law until corrective legislation can be drafted.

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Senator Anthony R. Bucco (R-25)Senator Kevin J. O'Toole (R-40)Senator Leonard Lance (R-23)Senator Philip E. Haines (R-8)Senator Steve Oroho (R-24)

Republicans Vow Corzine’s Attempt to Starve Pensions Won’t Go Unchallenged

Republican members of the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee said that tomorrow they will unanimously oppose moving Governor Corzine’s irresponsible and cynical pension holiday scheme if it comes before the committee. Governor Corzine, who has repeatedly attempted to score political points by condemning similar gimmicks by past Governors and Legislatures, wants to let towns and cities delay pension obligations of more than $1 billion.

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Senator Philip E. Haines (R-8)

Haines: Corzine Must Provide Full Accounting Of Funds Secretly Funneled Through Port

Senator Phil Haines, a member of the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee, called on Governor Jon Corzine to provide a full accounting of the monies routed through the South Jersey Port Corporation (SJPC).

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Senator Anthony R. Bucco (R-25)Senator Kevin J. O'Toole (R-40)Senator Philip E. Haines (R-8)Senator Steve Oroho (R-24)

Republican Budget Committee Members Ask Why Corzine Pension Chairman Wasn’t At Hearing

Senators Kevin O’Toole, Anthony Bucco, Steven Oroho and Phil Haines, all members of the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee, asked why Orin Kramer, the chairman of the State Investment Council, did not appear at today’s budget committee hearing to discuss the unprecedented $23 billion loss in New Jersey pension investments.

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