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Senator Christopher “Kip” Bateman issued the following statement after the New Jersey Legislature passed the fiscal 2010 budget without a single Republican vote in either house:
“New Jersey residents are suffocating under the weight of state and local taxes,” said Bateman, the Deputy Republican Conference Leader. “The Legislature has approved a budget that adds more than $1 billion to the already oppressive tax burden borne by middle-class New Jersey.
Senator Kevin O’Toole, a member of the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee, issued the following statement concerning the Fiscal Year 2010 budget:
“One of the first political lessons taught to me was – your constituents are your first concern. I have to ask myself does this budget serve my constituents. The answer is that the budget voted on by this body tonight does not, for several reasons.
9th District Delegation Cites Bridge Repair Work Controversy as Further Evidence Project Needs to Get Underway Immediately
Citing the victory today in the decision by the Department of Transportation (DOT) to delay any lane closings on the Route 72 Causeway Bridge until after Labor Day, Senator Christopher J. Connors, Assemblyman Brian E. Rumpf and Assemblyman Daniel M. Van Pelt today conveyed their disappointment that the State even considered this ill-conceived approach in connection with repair work on the bridge. The 9th District Legislators pointed out that this latest controversy only once again highlights the very pressing need to expedite the design phase in order to get the Route 72 Causeway bridge replacement project under way as soon as possible.
Senior Communities would be eligible to receive grants and low interest loans for the purchase and installation of solar panels to their clubhouses under legislation recently introduced by Senator Christopher J. Connors, Assemblyman Brian E. Rumpf and Assemblyman Daniel M. Van Pelt. The 9th District Delegation’s energy cost reduction initiative would be offered under the New Jersey Clean Energy Program, which is administered by the Board of Public Utilities (BPU).
The following are excerpts of comments made by Senator Joseph Kyrillos during the reconfirmation hearing of New Jersey Supreme Court Justice Barry Albin in the Senate Judiciary Committee on June 22, 2009:
Today we take up one of the Senate’s most important constitutional responsibilities — the consideration of the Governor’s nomination of a sitting Justice for tenure.
Senator Steve Oroho, a member of the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee, issued the following statement regarding the imminent expiration of the special appraisal process in the Highlands Preservation Area. The special appraisal process, which will expire on June 30, was designed to ensure fairness for property owners whose homes and farms were devalued by the 2004 Highlands Act that banned most development in the 860,000 acre area.
Republican Senate Whip Kevin O’Toole, who served on the Joint Legislative Committee on Public Employee Benefits Reform in 2006, said he is appalled by the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee’s decision to advance Senate Bill 2955. S-2955 governs some state workers who are being asked to defer salary increases to help balance the budget during a recession. The bill will base pension payouts in part on the wages that would have been paid had raises not been deferred. Senator O’Toole said he objects to the bill because it provides pension benefits without setting aside the resources necessary to make payments to retirees in the future.
Senate Republican Leader Tom Kean, District 21, issued the following statement in support of the effort to put a $400 million bond issue on the November ballot that would pay for preservation of open space.
Senators Say Governor Isn’t Telling Taxpayers Where He’s Spending $17.5 Billion in Federal Stimulus Funds
Senators Joe Pennacchio (R-26) and Marcia Karrow (R-23), both members of the Senate Budget Committee, criticized Governor Corzine today for a lack of transparency and accountability in regard to how New Jersey is spending $17.5 billion of federal stimulus funds. In an editorial today, the Asbury Park Press noted that New Jersey’s Web site — www.recovery.nj.gov — provides almost no detail about where billions of dollars have been and will be spent, especially when compared to Web sites now operated by Michigan and Florida.
Senators Anthony Bucco of District 25 and Joe Pennacchio of District 26 released the following statement regarding the politically motivated nomination of Frank Herbert as Morris County superintendent of elections:
“The governor has made a cynical political appointment to a position that should never be filled. There is no duty of the elections superintendent in Morris County that is not already being performed by some other agency.
