January 10, 2012
Contact: Adam Bauer / (609) 292-5199
Senator Tom Kean
Senate Republican Leader Tom Kean, Jr. (R- Union) issued the following statement mourning the death of his friend and colleague, Assembly Republican Leader Alex DeCroce:
The New Jersey Legislature lost one of its own today, and with him, a great leader and public servant.
Assemblyman Alex DeCroce passed away while serving the people of New Jersey shortly after adjournment of the 2010-2011 legislative session.
Alex was a true leader for the Republican caucus in the Assembly, and was loved and respected by legislators of both chambers, on both sides of the aisle. He worked tirelessly for his constituents, for our party, and to make sure this institution never lost sight of who it was supposed to serve- the people of New Jersey.
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January 9, 2012
Contact: Adam Bauer / (609) 292-5199
Senator Jennifer Beck
Senator Jennifer Beck (R- Monmouth/Mercer) lauded Senate passage of two pieces of legislation designed to strengthen New Jersey’s horse racing industry.
Beck was recently joined as co-prime sponsor of S-3115, establishing a pilot program to allow betting in bars and restaurants on horse races, and S- 3185, which extends the deadline for issuing the remainder of the state’s off-track wagering (OTW) licenses. Both bills cleared the Senate in today’s voting session.
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January 9, 2012
Contact: Adam Bauer / (609) 292-5199
Senator Diane Allen,
Senator Jennifer Beck
Legislation creating an affirmative defense for sexually exploited juveniles charged with prostitution and requiring these victims be offered intervention and protective services by the state has been approved by the Senate.
S-2599, sponsored by Senators Diane Allen (R- Burlington/Camden) and Jennifer Beck (R- Monmouth/Mercer), affirms that persons under the age of 18 cannot willingly consent to engaging in sexual solicitation and would require their treatment as victims in the eyes of the law.
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January 9, 2012
Contact: Adam Bauer / (609) 292-5199
Senator Jennifer Beck
Governor Christie has signed into law legislation sponsored by Senator Jennifer Beck (R- Monmouth/Mercer) aimed at increasing transparency and the public’s access to information in New Jersey’s so-called “shadow government”.
S- 2765 requires that state, regional, and local authorities, boards, and commissions establish and maintain websites and post pertinent public information related to that body’s operations, finances, and meetings.
“This legislation will increase accountability at agencies where roughly $5 billion of taxpayer and ratepayer money is at stake,” said Beck. “In this day and age, there is no reason why a publicly funded organization should not provide basic public information on the internet. If we can pay our tax bills and utility bills online, we should be able to go online and view how those dollars are being spent by the myriad of independent boards, commissions, and authorities across the state.”
January 5, 2012
Contact: Bill Murray / (609) 292-5199
Senator Kevin J. O'Toole
Senator Kevin O’Toole, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, released the following statement regarding the committee’s approval of Jeff Chiesa as the next state Attorney General.
“Jeff Chiesa has brought his energy and attention to detail to the position of Chief Counsel to the Governor where he not only served the Governor with distinction but also members of the Legislature. As a former Assistant U.S. Attorney, Jeff is more than qualified to serve the taxpayers, and our state’s law enforcement community, as our state’s next Attorney General.
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January 5, 2012
Contact: Adam Bauer / (609) 292-5199
Senator Kevin J. O'Toole
Senator Kevin J. O’Toole (R- Essex/Passaic/Bergen), a member of the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee, today denounced the committee’s clearance of a bill redirecting Passaic River Valley flood control funding to pay for an earmark in the hometown of the state Democratic Chairman:
“Residents of the Passaic River Valley were affected by flood damage due to Hurricane Irene and the October snowstorm more than any other region in the state,” said O’Toole. “It is unconscionable that the State Democratic Chairman would try to take funds that have been appropriated to mitigate Passaic River flooding and redirect them to his hometown at the 11th hour of this legislative session.”
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January 5, 2012
Contact: Jason Smith / (609) 693-6700
District 9
Senator Christopher J. Connors, Assemblyman Brian E. Rumpf and Assemblywoman DiAnne C. Gove today wrote to Governor Christie asking that the Governor veto A-2095/S-818 which would revise requirements for emergency medical services delivery in New Jersey.
In their letter, the 9th District Legislative Delegation outlined their deep concerns regarding A-2095/S-818, specifically the costs involved in implementing the bill’s provisions and its negative impact on volunteer emergency service personnel.
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January 5, 2012
Contact: Brad Schnure / (609) 292-5199
Senator Christopher Bateman
Senator Kip Bateman (R-16) praised the Senate Judiciary Committee for approving the nomination of Jeff Chiesa to be New Jersey’s Attorney General. Bateman, a member of the Judiciary Committee, said that Chiesa has the character and experience to serve in the state’s top law enforcement post.
“Governor Christie was known as a corruption buster in his service as U.S. Attorney, so it’s no surprise he would appoint someone like Jeff who shares his dedication and work ethic to take on that challenge as our state’s Attorney General,” said Bateman. “As Attorney General, I have no doubt in my mind that Jeff Chiesa will be persistent, effective and fair, and he’ll do much to make New Jersey a safer place to live.”
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December 28, 2011
Contact: Senate Republican Office / (609) 292-5199
New Jersey Senate Republicans
Senator Sean Kean (R-Monmouth) plans to submit legislation that will establish a panel to study reforming New Jersey’s alimony laws in the upcoming legislative session. The Senator said that the current statutes regarding spousal maintenance payments as a result of divorce are overly broad.
“As an attorney, I believe existing law does not set adequate limits on the length and amount of alimony payments or provide for adjustments as a result of changed life circumstances for the payer,” said Kean. “An individual divorced thirty years prior could still be required to make payments to his or her spouse while in retirement, irrespective of changes in his or her income or other life events.”
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December 23, 2011
Contact: Brad Schnure / (609) 292-5199
New Jersey Senate Republicans
Legislation sponsored by Senator Sean T. Kean that seeks to improve the funding, delivery and effectiveness of special education programs and services for public school students has been approved by the New Jersey Senate. The measure, S-2635, would create the Task Force on Improving Special Education for Public School Students to study and report how best to achieve that goal.
“There is a huge disparity among New Jersey school districts in both the quality and cost-effectiveness of the education they provide to students with special needs,” said Kean. “In some instances, schools simply do not offer services that students may need, and in others they offer services in a way that is inefficient or ineffective. This special education task force would help all kinds of schools to better serve their students while looking out for taxpayers.”
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