Testa Bill Package Seeks to Restore Integrity, Fairness to NJ State Spending
Measures Target Massive Christmas Tree Payments that Escape Appropriate Scrutiny
Christmas came early for a small group of hand-picked recipients who shared in hundreds of millions of dollars of pork in Governor Murphy’s State budget passed in June. Now, with the holiday season fast approaching, Senator Michael Testa has introduced a legislative package to counteract the politically motivated gift-giving and restore integrity and balance to the distribution of taxpayer money.
Christmas came early for some hand-picked recipients who shared in hundreds of millions of dollars of pork in Gov. Murphy’s State budget. Now, with the holiday season fast approaching, Sen. Michael Testa has introduced a legislative package to counteract the politically motivated gift-giving and restore integrity and balance to the distribution of taxpayer money. (Pixabay)
“Enigmatic Christmas tree items have long been a feature of government budgets in the State, but as the cost of this Governor’s budgets have skyrocketed in recent years, so too has the list of pork projects receiving payments,” said Testa (R-1). “Santa Murphy has established a new standard in gifting, handing out multi-million-dollar packages to friends, mostly in North Jersey, like candy canes. Taxpayers, and those without direct connections to the front office in Trenton, have had to settle for stockings full of coal.”
Oroho & DiMaio Respond to Gov. Murphy’s Extreme $5 Million Grant Program for Abortions
Senate Republican Leader Steven Oroho and Assembly Republican Leader John DiMaio criticized the Murphy Administration for another extreme abortion proposal that would spend millions in taxpayer funds to allow non-doctors to become abortion providers in New Jersey.
Senate Republican Leader Steven Oroho and Assembly Republican Leader John DiMaio criticized the Murphy Administration for another extreme abortion proposal that would spend millions in taxpayer funds to allow non-doctors to become abortion providers in New Jersey. (©iStock)
“Governor Murphy wants to use taxpayer dollars to push extreme policies that fund abortion without limits right up until the moment of birth,” said Oroho (R-24). “Now he’s spending millions to set up non-doctors to be abortion providers. There are better ways to help women than to put their health in jeopardy by paying for them to get medically invasive abortions by people without full medical training.”
Oroho/Pennacchio/Schepisi: State Board of Education Should Focus More on Learning Loss, Less on Identity Politics
Gender Identity on State Board’s Agenda Again with New Proposal Impacting Sex Ed Classes
Senate Republican Leader Steven Oroho, Senator Joe Pennacchio, and Senator Holly Schepisi said the State Board of Education should focus more on addressing pandemic-related learning loss and less on identity politics in response to the Board’s newly released agenda for its December meeting. The Board also should be more transparent and accessible, the senators said.
Sen. Steven Oroho, Sen. Joe Pennacchio, and Sen. Holly Schepisi said the State Board of Education should focus more on addressing pandemic-related learning loss and less on identity politics. (Flickr)
“It’s shocking that the State Board of Education remains focused on identity politics when we know New Jersey students are far behind where they should be due to pandemic-related learning loss,” said Oroho (R-24). “Instead of coming up with a plan to help students get caught up, the State Board continues its march to infuse gender identity and progressive politics into every aspect of our children’s education. They should put as much effort into helping students get better at reading, writing, and math.”
Bramnick Bill Fighting Unfair Tax Treatment by New York State Advances
Legislation sponsored by Senator Jon Bramnick to combat New York State’s excessive and unfair taxation of New Jersey residents was approved today by the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee.
Legislation sponsored by Sen. Jon Bramnick to combat New York State’s excessive and unfair taxation of New Jersey residents was approved by the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee. (Wikimedia Commons)
“Republicans in the Legislature have been fighting for years to do something about New York’s heavy-handed tactics that abuse employees who live here but work for entities across the state line,” said Bramnick (R-21). “This bill is a good first step, sending a clear message to our neighboring state that we won’t stand back and allow the current imbalance to continue.”
Murphy Signs Bipartisan Polistina-Gopal-Zwicker Bill Allowing Disabled Veterans to Discharge Student Loans Tax-Free
Disabled veterans who had debt discharged through the Total and Permanent Disability discharge program will not be subject to taxation thanks to bipartisan legislation sponsored by Senator Vince Polistina, along with Senator Vin Gopal and Senator Andrew Zwicker and signed into law today by Governor Murphy.
Disabled veterans who had debt discharged through the TPD discharge program will not be subject to taxation thanks to bipartisan legislation sponsored by Sen. Vince Polistina and signed into law today by Gov. Murphy. (Pixabay)
“I am extremely pleased the Governor signed this bill into law. Some veterans have suffered significant disabilities in the line of duty including paralysis, loss of sight, or severe psychological trauma. The last thing they need to worry about is how they are going to afford to pay taxes on discharged debt,” said Polistina (R-2). “This legislation will make sure New Jersey’s disabled veterans will never have to pay taxes on discharged student loan debt and will offer financial relief and stability to these injured veterans during their time of need.”
Holzapfel Earns Legislator of Merit Honor
Senator Jim Holzapfel, a staunch advocate for responsible development, was cited as a 2022 Legislator of Merit by the Associated Builders and Contractors of New Jersey (ABCNJ).
Sen. Jim Holzapfel, cited as a 2022 Legislator of Merit by the Associated Builders and Contractors of New Jersey, is joined by Derek DeLuca, ABCNJ’s Deputy Director of Government Affairs. (SenateNJ.com)
“I am proud to be recognized by ABCNJ, an organization that does such fine work in the building trades and shares many of my priorities and objectives,” said Holzapfel (R-10). “A qualified, robust, and responsible workforce is essential for building New Jersey’s future. It’s crucial for members of the Legislature to work with ABCNJ to better serve the businesses, trades people and their families in Trenton.”
“At ABCNJ, we are proud to work with legislators from across the political spectrum and on both sides of the aisle to ensure New Jersey has a competitive construction labor environment and a skilled labor workforce,” said ABCNJ President and CEO Samantha DeAlmeida. Continue Reading…
10th District Lawmakers Sponsor Bill Requiring Board of Education Meetings to be Accessible Virtually and in Person
In response to yet another attempt by the New Jersey Board of Education to avoid public comment, District 10 lawmakers—Senator Jim Holzapfel, Assemblyman Greg McGuckin, and Assemblyman John Catalano—have co-sponsored a bill that would increase transparency by requiring all public meetings to be accessible online and in person.
In response to yet another attempt by the New Jersey Board of Education to avoid public comment, District 10 lawmakers have co-sponsored a bill that would require all public meetings to be accessible online and in person. (Pixabay)
The State Board of Education has announced that they will be holding their December 7th meeting virtually and no public testimony is allowed.
“It’s a disturbing pattern and one that should concern all of us,” said Senator Holzapfel. “We can agree or disagree with their decisions, but there is no excuse for not allowing the public to comment on controversial policies that will impact their children’s’ education.”
Oroho Bill Freeing Raw Honey from Cottage Food Regulations Signed into Law
Bipartisan legislation sponsored by Senator Steven Oroho that would exempt raw, unprocessed honey from Department of Health cottage food regulations was signed into law.
Bipartisan legislation sponsored by Sen. Steven Oroho that would exempt raw, unprocessed honey from Department of Health cottage food regulations was signed into law. (Pixabay)
“I am pleased that Acting Governor Scutari signed this bill into law. For far too long, beekeepers have been subject to unnecessary government red tape that prevents them from easily distributing fresh, unprocessed honey,” said Oroho (R-24). “This legislation will exempt raw honey from these needless Department of Health regulations so that beekeepers and farmers can get their product to the public in an efficient manner.”
Durr: Proposed Route for Glassboro-Camden Line is a Patchwork Approach to South Jersey Rail Service
Senator Edward Durr slammed the proposed route for the Glassboro-Camden Line, calling the 18-mile commuter rail project in its current form a patchwork approach that will divide smaller towns, increase traffic, and endanger the safety of residents.
Sen. Ed Durr slammed the proposed route for the Glassboro-Camden Line, calling the commuter rail project in its current form a patchwork approach that will divide smaller towns, increase traffic, and endanger the safety of residents. (Pixabay)
“I do not oppose a new rail system to help commuters and residents, but the current route being put forward for the Glassboro-Camden rail line will hurt more than it will help South Jersey,” said Durr (R-3). “This project has been in the works on and off since the 1990s, and at one point, was planned to run on the Route 55 median—which was, and still is, a sensible solution because it would not impact smaller towns. The route that is being suggested now cuts directly through the heart of 12 different municipalities with little regard for traffic, parking, and noise from a diesel-electric train running every 10 minutes.”
Committee Approves Corrado Bill that Would Increase Safeguards for Rideshare Customers
Ridesharing companies may soon be required to share information about sexual misconduct investigations of drivers thanks to legislation sponsored by Senator Kristin Corrado and advanced today the Senate Transportation Committee.
Ridesharing companies may soon be required to share information about sexual misconduct investigations of drivers thanks to legislation sponsored by Sen. Kristin Corrado and approved today the Senate Transportation Committee. (Flickr)
“Ridesharing companies like Uber and Lyft provide a valuable service for millions of Americans, but sexual misconduct reports still number in the thousands, and additional safeguards must be implemented,” said Corrado (R-40). “My legislation will help provide additional protections for passengers, as well as more transparency for the public, so that we can help prevent these crimes from occurring in the future.”
