Gov. Signs Singer Law Naming “State Trooper Marc K. Castellano Memorial Highway”
Governor Phil Murphy has signed legislation sponsored by Senator Robert Singer (R-Monmouth, Ocean) that honors a local fallen hero by naming a portion of I-195 in Howell as the “State Trooper Marc K. Castellano Memorial Highway.”
Sen. Robert Singer’s legislation designating a portion of I-195 in Howell the “State Trooper Marc K. Castellano Memorial Highway” was signed into law. (NJSP)
“Trooper Marc Castellano was a dedicated public servant who gave his life while trying to keep the people of New Jersey safe,” said Senator Singer. “The signing of this new law to rename a portion of I-195 in his honor will ensure that his sacrifice is never forgotten.”
Connors, Rumpf & Gove Oppose New School Funding Law Cutting Funding to Local Schools
Senator Christopher J. Connors, Assemblyman Brian E. Rumpf, and Assemblywoman DiAnne C. Gove lambasted the signing of S-2/A-2, a school funding bill that will mandate funding cuts for 14 school districts in the 9th Legislative District.
Connors, Rumpf & Gove lambasted the signing of a school funding bill that will mandate funding cuts for 14 school districts in the 9th Legislative District. (Wikipedia)
“Governor Murphy’s misdirected decision to sign this bill means funding cuts for more than half of the school districts in our legislative district.
“For very compelling reasons, we voted against the school funding bill that should not have passed the Legislature and wrote the Governor directly calling on him to veto it. In our letter to the Governor, we cited the fact that a number of our constituent school districts that will lose funding were still recovering from the catastrophic damage caused by Superstorm Sandy.
New Bucco Bill Would Designate the Seeing Eye® Dog as NJ State Dog
Bill Honors Service Animals Trained by New Jersey Organization
Senator Anthony Bucco (R-Morris, Somerset) has introduced legislation that would designate the Seeing Eye® dog as the official New Jersey State Dog.
The Seeing Eye headquarters is located in Morristown. The organization has trained and matched more than 17,000 visually-impaired individuals with service animals.
Sen. Anthony Bucco’s bill would designate the Seeing Eye® dog as the official New Jersey State Dog. (Photo courtesy of The Seeing Eye)
“We often take for granted seeing a stop sign or the edge of a train platform, but for those who are visually-impaired, something so simple can become a critical or even life-threatening obstacle,” Bucco said. “Every day, Seeing Eye dogs are trained in Morris County to create safety, independence, and mobility for those in need. This legislation is a great way to honor all they have done for the thousands of people in need of a loving service animal in New Jersey.”
Addiego Measure Adding Safeguard to Horse Auctions Clears Senate
Owners of stolen or lost horses would have the means to relocate them before their sale under a bill sponsored by Senator Dawn Marie Addiego (R-8) that passed the Senate on Thursday, June 26, 2018.
Owners of stolen or lost horses would have the means to relocate them before their sale under a bill sponsored by Sen. Dawn Marie Addiego that passed the Senate on Thursday, June 26, 2018. (SenateNJ.com)
The measure, S-455, requires a horse auctioneer or seller to determine whether the horse has an implanted microchip or has been tattooed or branded and, if so, to display the information online for at least 72 hours before the sale.
“Horses that are stolen, or lost during times like a terrible storm, or rented out by a trainer and not returned, often find their way to auctions or sales with the rightful owner never knowing of the horse’s whereabouts,” Addiego said. “Horse rescues and owners have decried the lack of resources to locate and get these horses back, most of which are sold and sent off to slaughter.”
Pennacchio Bill Expands VA Benefits to Thousands of NJ National Guard Members
The New Jersey Senate has passed legislation sponsored by Senator Joe Pennacchio (R-26) that would allow New Jersey National Guard members who have been issued a NGB-22 form to access certain veterans’ benefits. An NGB-22 is a type of discharge form issued to National Guard members in New Jersey after they have served the country.
Sen. Joe Pennacchio’s legislation would expand VA benefits to thousands of New Jersey National Guard members. (WikiCommons)
“All veterans, regardless of where they have served our country, must be able to access the benefits they have earned,” Pennacchio said. “Right now, National Guard members are at a disadvantage. Many of these heroes are never issued the accepted DD-214 form. By expanding eligibility requirements to include the discharge forms they receive, we will ensure that the members of New Jersey’s National Guard can access the resources and tools they need to live and thrive at home.”
O’Scanlon Introduces Fact-Based Speed Limit Bill
Says Engineers Should Set Proper Speed Limits
Senator Declan O’Scanlon (R-Monmouth) has introduced legislation requiring speed limits be set according to the nationally recognized ’85th percentile’ formula, the speed at which 85 percent of drivers are traveling.
Sen. Declan O’Scanlon’s legislation requires speed limits be set according to the nationally recognized ’85th percentile’ formula, the speed at which 85 percent of drivers are traveling. (SenateNJ.com)
“There are two critical take-always from the initiative I announce today. First, I’m not arguing for the raising or lowering of any speed limit. On the contrary, my position is that we need to remove legislators and bureaucrats from the speed limit setting process and empower highway traffic safety engineers to do their jobs unencumbered by political influence,” said O’Scanlon.
District 24 Legislators Welcome BPU’s Actions to Improve Storm Preparedness
Senator Steven Oroho, Assemblyman Parker Space and Assemblyman Hal Wirths (all R-24) released the following statement in response to Governor Murphy’s announcement that the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (BPU) will take action to increase storm preparedness and shore up the infrastructure necessary to protect the public from prolonged power outages.
Sen. Steven Oroho and Assemblymen Parker Space and Hal Wirths welcomed actions by the NJ BPU to increase storm preparedness and shore up the infrastructure necessary to protect the public from prolonged power outages. (Flickr)
In light of the onslaught of winter storms this year and previously, the lawmakers have been vocal advocates for improving utility infrastructure to ensure residents do not have to spend days on end without power.
Oroho, Space and Wirths have also sponsored legislation to address this issue, such as strengthening penalties to hold utility companies accountable for lengthy outages; and legislation to remove bureaucratic hindrances enabling utility companies to engage in preventative tree trimming near power lines.
“We welcome the recommendations made by the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities today and appreciate the Murphy Administration’s responsiveness on this issue,” the District 24 lawmakers said. “Thousands of local residents, including many of our constituents, were negatively impacted by this year’s winter storms and resulting power outages. While we applaud the diligence of the workers who spent days trying to get the power back on, there is no denying that much more could have been done to prevent these types of lengthy outages from occurring in the first place. At the very least, utility companies need an emergency action plan to ensure they are prepared when we are struck by violent storms. Today’s announcement is a solid step in the right direction. As vocal advocates for this cause, we look forward to working with the BPU and other interested parties to effectuate the infrastructure improvements necessary to keep the people of New Jersey safe.”
Oroho, Space & Wirths Blast Murphy’s Signing of School Funding Bill That Slashes Local School Aid
District 24 Schools Will Lose $40 Million Annually When Fully Implemented
Senator Steven Oroho, Assemblyman Parker Space, and Assemblyman Hal Wirths (all R-24) released the following statement on the July 24, 2018 signing of S-2/A-2, legislation that will cut State school aid to Sussex and Warren County schools by more than $2 million next year, a reduction that will increase to $40 million annually when the new school aid formula is fully phased in.
Sen. Steven Oroho & Assemblymen Parker Space and Hal Wirths comment on the signing of S-2/A-2, legislation that will cut State school aid to Sussex and Warren County schools by more than $40 million annually when the new formula is fully phased in. (Flickr)
Oroho served last year on the Senate Select Committee on School Funding Fairness, which identified a number of key school funding reforms that were not included in the Democrats’ current legislation, S-2/A-2.
“Our students, teachers, and taxpayers should not have to pay the price for the failure of Governor Murphy and Democrats to fairly fix the school funding formula,” Oroho said. “Their refusal to enact fiscally-responsible, bipartisan solutions is a shame. While I appreciate that it is incumbent upon school boards to properly manage their budgets in line with current enrollment realities, the fact of the matter is the crux of the school funding formula is still inherently unfair. And no matter how you run numbers under a flawed formula, you still get flawed numbers.”
With 54% Increase in School Aid, Manville Students & Taxpayers Finally Get the Dollars They Deserve
Senator Kip Bateman (R-16) and Mayor Richard Onderko released the following statement highlighting that Manville, one of the most underfunded school districts in New Jersey, will receive an additional $3,280,647 state aid in the coming year, representing a 54.2 percent increase over FY-2018 state aid.
Sen. Kip Bateman and Mayor Onderko highlight that Manville, one of the most underfunded school districts in New Jersey, will receive an additional $3,280,647 state aid in the coming year, representing a 54.2 percent increase over FY-2018 state aid. (©iStock)
“Manville has suffered a number of hardships that have made the impact of flat state aid even worse, such as damage from Hurricane Irene and Superstorm Sandy. Homes were abandoned, the cost of flood insurance went up, and the poverty rate has gone through the roof. Yet, through all of this, we haven’t seen an extra penny in state aid until now. When the state doesn’t adequately fund our schools, property taxpayers are forced to make up the difference,” Senator Bateman said. “I am very glad that we, as a community of parents, school officials, and local leaders, came together to fight for full funding. Thank you for standing up. It was the right thing to do.”
Gov. Signs Bateman/Corrado Resolution Establishing ‘Tourette Syndrome Awareness Day’
Governor Phil Murphy has signed legislation sponsored by Senate Republicans Kip Bateman and Kristin Corrado designating June 4 of each year as “Tourette Syndrome Awareness Day” in New Jersey.
Gov. Murphy has signed legislation sponsored by Sens. Kip Bateman and Kristin Corrado designating June 4 of each year as “Tourette Syndrome Awareness Day.” (SenateNJ.com)
“One in 100 children are impacted by Tourette syndrome in New Jersey,” Senator Bateman (R-16,) a longtime advocate for those with Tourette syndrome, stated. “People who cope with this syndrome often face significant challenges. By designating June 4 as ‘Tourette Syndrome Awareness Day,’ we can raise awareness, support research, and decrease the stigma surrounding this condition.”
