Senate Republican Leader Tom Kean

December 5, 2008   

Contact: Bill Murray / (609) 292-5199
Senator Tom Kean

Reform Package Introduced For More Than a Month

Senator Tom Kean, the Senate Republican Leader, called on the Legislative Leadership today to move an ethics reform package that has been held up in committee for nearly two months.

“There seems to be some confusion concerning the status of ethics reform bills that the governor has publically endorsed,” Kean stated. “The fact of the matter is that the ethics reform legislation, endorsed by the administration, was introduced on October 23. Additionally, Republicans have introduced multiple ideas to strengthen the governor’s proposal.”

The bills include:

S-2323 – Baroni  Changes certain public contracting processes; limits use of certain State     funds; changes State Ethics Commission membership; adds public      corruption to crimes comprising racketeering activity; changes campaign     contributions limits and reporting requirements. (Endorsed by Corzine)

S-2315- O’Toole Prohibits a member of Legislature from seeking certain grants or loans     through annual appropriations act or legislatively-controlled program.

S-684- Beck  Prohibits county committee of a political party from contributing to or     accepting contribution from another such county committee. (Wheeling)

S-685- Beck  Prohibits simultaneous holding of certain State, county and municipal     elective and appointive positions. (Eliminates the grandfather clause on     dual-office holding)

S-686- Beck  Provides for mandatory imprisonment and forfeiture of retirement benefits    for public officers or employees convicted of certain crimes.

S- 2325- Kean  Establishes new limits for campaign contributions by individuals, certain     groups and campaign committees. (Limits campaign contributions from a     single entity to $65, 000 per year)

“The bills concerning corrupt public officials are especially timely now. Just yesterday the state appeals court upheld a ruling by the Election Law Enforcement Commission (ELEC) ruling that public officials cannot use campaign contributions for legal defense,” Kean continued. “It is only common sense that public officials convicted of abusing their office not be allowed to profit from their abuses or to influence other officials from prison by distributing unused campaign contributions.”

S-2395-Kean/Baroni Requires the Attorney General to seize campaign funds of convicted     candidates; prohibits convicted criminal offenders from making      contributions to candidates and committees.

“The aggregate contribution limits bill will ensure that large special interests don’t have disproportionate influence in the electoral process by limiting campaign contributions to $65, 000 per year to all recipients,” Kean said. “The bill will also help level the playing field in gubernatorial elections to ensure that independently wealthy candidates can’t just buy an election.”

There are also at least two bills introduced establish comprehensive reform of the current system of “Pay-to-Play”:

S-287 Kean   Limits contributions by certain public contractors; limits contributions by     county  and municipal political party committees.

S-760 O’Toole Establishes stricter limits on contributions to county committees of      political parties and by county committees to candidates; prohibits     contributions between county committees.

“Comprehensive ‘Pay to Play’ reform would almost immediately, favorably impact skyrocketing property tax rates throughout the state,” Kean concluded. “‘Pay to Play’ is after all just a hidden form of taxation.”

Reform Package Introduced For More Than a Month Senator Tom Kean, the Senate Republican Leader, called on the Legislative Leadership today to move an ethics reform package that has been held up in committee for nearly two months. “There seems to be some confusion concerning [...]