Senate & Assembly Republicans Are PreparedTo Come To Trenton Monday to Enact Reforms
Senate Republican Leader Leonard Lance and Assembly Republican Leader Alex DeCroce today sent a letter to Senate President Richard Codey and Assembly Speaker Joseph Roberts asking them to call the Legislature into session on Monday, September 17 to enact a tough package of ethics reform bills.
A copy of the Republican leaders’ letter follows:
Hon. Richard Codey
Hon. Joseph J. Roberts Jr.
P.O. Box 098
Trenton, New Jersey 08625-0098
September 10, 2007
Dear President Codey and Speaker Roberts:
We are deeply troubled by the news that two of our Assembly colleagues have been arrested as part of an FBI operation that led to bribery charges against 11 public officials.
This comes on the heels of the indictment earlier this year of two State Senators. Additionally, we do not know how many other public officials may be under investigation in connection with the subpoenas served on the Legislature in February.
Progress on reform has been half-hearted and incomplete. The gap between promised reform and the reform that has been delivered is dramatic. This fact was made painfully evident yet again last Tuesday, when a bill that was signed into law prohibiting dual officeholding granted lifetime exemptions to all current members of the Legislature. One of those granted an exemption was charged with bribery on Thursday.
Last week’s events feed the public’s growing cynicism toward those of us who serve in Trenton. It is the opinion of the Republican members of both the Senate and the Assembly that the Legislature must immediately take decisive action to help end these perpetual corruption scandals.
We ask you to call the Legislature into session on Monday, September 17, for the purpose of enacting a package of comprehensive reform bills that could dramatically improve New Jersey’s ethical climate. These important reforms certainly can include Democratic proposals but must include Republican proposals for comprehensive pay-to-play reform, a ban on wheeling, an immediate end to dual officeholding for all officeholders and measures to impose strong punishments on those officials who violate the public trust. We are asking you join us in a bipartisan effort to accomplish this goal.
The public has had enough. Taxpayers are sick and tired of the corruption that has become common-place in New Jersey government. Now is our chance to take action with bipartisan cooperation to enact meaningful reforms.
We appreciate your help in this matter.
Sincerely,
Leonard Lance
Senate Minority Leader
Alex DeCroce
Assembly Minority Leader
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