Oroho: Murphy Admin Should Heed Concerns of CPAs on Creation of State Bank
85% of NJ CPAs Oppose NJ Public Bank Proposal
Senator Steven Oroho (R-24) said the Murphy Administration should listen to the concerns of certified public accountants (CPAs) who overwhelmingly oppose the creation of a public bank by the State of New Jersey.

Sen. Steven Oroho said the Murphy Administration should heed the concerns of NJ CPAs who overwhelmingly oppose the creation of a public bank by the State of New Jersey. (Pixabay)
“The accountants who serve New Jersey’s families and businesses have a direct understanding of the financial challenges associated with living and operating in the Garden State,” said Oroho. “It is telling that they overwhelmingly oppose the public bank that the Murphy Administration wants to create as unnecessary, duplicative, and a distraction from the real need to fix our pension and benefits systems that put such a drain on taxpayers.”
According to the New Jersey Society of CPAs (NJCPA), 85 percent of the 489 respondents to a survey in November do not support the creation of a public bank in New Jersey: Continue Reading…
Oroho, Space & Wirths to Governor: Let’s Finally Implement BPU Recommendation to Reduce Power Outages During Storms
After the first snowstorm of the season left reportedly 37,000 New Jerseyans without power, Senator Steve Oroho and Assemblymen Parker Space and Hal Wirths (all R-Sussex, Warren, Morris) urged Governor Phil Murphy to get behind a State Board of Public Utilities (BPU) proposal to allow power companies to trim trees around power lines without having to go through a bureaucratic morass. The legislators are sponsors of legislation to implement the BPU’s recommendation.

After the first snowstorm of the season left 37,000 New Jerseyans without power, Oroho, Space & Wirths urged Gov. Murphy to allow power companies to trim trees around power lines without having to go through a bureaucratic morass.
“Yesterday’s snowstorm has wreaked havoc on many communities, especially in northern New Jersey, disrupting families and businesses due to the lack of electricity,” said Oroho. “This happens all too often during violent weather conditions. Enough is enough. Downed trees are usually the cause of most of these outages, so it makes sense to allow utility companies to trim back branches and vulnerabilities that may threaten electric service. We have legislation that would allow this important maintenance to occur, but the governor’s office has expressed concerns despite the BPU’s recommendation. Governor Murphy – please allow us to put a concrete plan into action that will help prevent the power from going out during these severe storms.”
Connors, Rumpf & Gove Vote Against Tuition Aid for Prisoners & Voting Rights for Convicts on Parole or Probation
Senator Christopher Connors, Assemblyman Brian Rumpf and Assemblywoman DiAnne Gove remain unalterably opposed to two bills recently considered by the Legislature that would give tuition aid to prisoners and voting rights to persons on parole or probation.

Sen. Connors, Asm. Rumpf and Asw. Gove remain unalterably opposed to legislation that would provide tuition aid to prisoners and voting rights to persons on parole or probation. (SenateNJ.com)
“Too many law-abiding New Jerseyans can’t afford to pay their taxes and don’t qualify for state assistance programs. Despite this, Trenton’s latest stunt is to force those struggling taxpayers to pay for the expense of giving tuition aid and voting rights to convicted criminals.
District 24 Legislators Welcome Funding for Road Work
Municipalities Will Receive More Than $5 Million from DOT Grants
Senator Steven Oroho and Assemblymen Parker Space and Hal Wirths announced 34 transportation projects in their 24th Legislative District will receive funding totaling more than $5.3 million from Department of Transportation grants.

Senator Oroho and Assemblymen Space and Wirths announced transportation grants worth $5.3 million will fund road projects in District 24. (SenateNJ.com)
“This is welcome news for local residents who commute to school and work on roads that need resurfacing and bridges requiring maintenance,” said Oroho. “The burden on property taxpayers is eased with this infusion of money that helps pay for badly needed transportation improvements.”
O’Scanlon & DiMaso: LD13’s TTF Grants Have Doubled Since 2017
Senator Declan O’Scanlon and Assemblywoman Serena DiMaso (both R-Monmouth) today praised DOT’s Municipal Aid program following the announcement of over $4M in funding for Legislative District 13 transportation infrastructure projects:

O’Scanlon and DiMaso praised DOT’s Municipal Aid program following the announcement of over $4M in funding for Legislative District 13 transportation infrastructure projects. (Wikimedia Commons)
“We have been working hard to secure our fair share of this money and it’s paid off. This year–for the first time in at least five years–every single municipality in our district is receiving municipal aid funding. And every penny received for these critical projects is a penny in property taxes saved,” said O’Scanlon
Oroho: Murphy Admin Should Widen Focus Beyond SALT Cap Relief to Help NJ Taxpayers
Urges Governor to Get Behind “Path to Progress” Reforms to Lower the Cost of Government in the Garden State
Senator Steven Oroho said the Murphy Administration should widen its focus beyond efforts to lift the cap on the federal income tax deduction for state and local taxes (SALT) by joining bipartisan efforts to lower the combined tax burden of New Jersey families:

Sen. Steven Oroho said the Murphy Administration should widen its focus beyond efforts to lift the SALT cap by joining bipartisan efforts to lower the combined tax burden of New Jersey families. (SenateNJ.com)
“The Murphy Administration has focused almost exclusively on lifting the $10,000 cap to the federal SALT deduction to provide tax relief to New Jersey families,” said Oroho “While the administration is rolling the dice against long odds in fighting the SALT cap in federal court, our ability to control State and local finances is much more certain. I urge Governor Murphy to join us by getting behind the ‘Path to Progress’ and the bipartisan structural reforms we have proposed. By lowering the cost of government in New Jersey, we have the direct ability to minimize the impact of the SALT cap on New Jersey taxpayers.”
Singer Lauds Cannabis Decriminalization to Address Social Justice Concerns
Also Renews Call for Resolution Urging FDA to Set Guidelines for Safe Levels of CBD
Senator Robert Singer today called the decriminalization of small amounts of marijuana a sensible path for social justice and welcomed word that the governor and Democrat leaders are now supporting decriminalization.

Sen. Robert Singer sponsors legislation that would decriminalize the possession of 10 grams or less of marijuana. The governor today announced his support for decriminalization. (Pixabay)
“There’s no need to arrest people and lock them up for personal-use cannabis,” said Singer (R-30). “It’s a failed strategy that has ruined lives, filled our prisons, and bogged down our courts. It is time to end this unnecessary and unfair practice.”
Singer and Democrat Senator Ron Rice sponsor legislation (S1926) that would decriminalize the possession of 10 grams or less of marijuana.
O’Scanlon: Pursue ‘Reasonable’ Marijuana Decriminalization Policies
Senator Declan O’Scanlon (R-Monmouth) today issued the following statement on marijuana decriminalization:

Sen. Declan O’Scanlon stated that the Legislature should actively pursue reasonable, comprehensive reforms to New Jersey’s marijuana possession laws. (Pixabay)
“I firmly believe that we should actively pursue reasonable, comprehensive reforms to our marijuana possession laws. Decriminalization of possession of small amounts of marijuana should be at the top of our priority list.
10th District Legislators Introduce Bill Lifting Veil of Secrecy from School Funding Process
Also Oppose Effort by Democrats to Shift School Funding Burden to Property Taxpayers
Senator Jim Holzapfel and Assemblymen Greg McGuckin and Dave Wolfe have introduced a bill that would lift the veil from the State’s secretive methods of determining school aid allocations. The bill, A-6029, requires the Department of Education to release to school districts the data and software program used to calculate aid allocations.

Holzapfel, McGuckin and Wolfe have introduced a bill that would lift the veil from the State’s secretive methods of determining school aid allocations. (Pixabay)
“Suburban school districts around the state, including Brick and Toms River, have been hit extremely hard by the school funding reforms imposed by Democrats last year that are having a devastating impact on our classrooms,” said Holzapfel. “Those cuts are only going to get worse as the formula is phased in over the next few years. We’ve asked repeatedly to see how the Murphy Administration is making those aid calculations to no avail. Our legislation will force the State to be transparent with school districts about how aid allocations are determined and prevent abuses in the process.”
Oroho: FDU Poll Confirms NJ Taxpayers Have Had Enough of Irresponsible Government Spending
Senator Steve Oroho issued the following statement after the release of a poll conducted for Fairleigh Dickinson University’s School of Public & Global Affairs and Garden State Initiative found that 44 percent of New Jersey residents are “planning to leave the state in the not too distant future.”

Sen. Oroho reiterated his call for the significant reforms recommended in the Path to Progress report after a survey found almost half of New Jersey residents plan to move out of the state. (©iStock.com)
“People are sick and tired of the debt, and spend and hide philosophies of New Jersey government that has turned our state into a fiscal mess. New Jersey has been a great place to live, work and raise kids, but living here has become unaffordable for too many families.