Oroho: Work on Transportation Projects Will Begin Shutting Down Due to Bankrupt TTF
Action Needed Now to Prevent Property Tax Explosion
Senator Steven Oroho (R-24) said that New Jersey residents and property taxpayers will start to see the effects of a depleted Transportation Trust Fund (TTF) as transportation projects statewide grind to a halt, and local road and bridge repair and maintenance begin to fall on municipal and county governments.
Sen. Steven Oroho said that New Jersey residents and property taxpayers will soon start to see the effects of a depleted Transportation Trust Fund. (SenateNJ.com)
Without the passage of a TTF reauthorization and funding solution, Governor Christie issued Executive Order 210 yesterday requiring plans for an orderly shutdown of TTF projects to be prepared by 11:59 p.m. on Saturday, July 2, 2016.
“The Governor’s executive order shows that the possibility of work on roads and bridges stopping without a new TTF plan is not merely hypothetical,” said Oroho. “It’s happening now.”
Holzapfel Bill to Study Industry-Wide Systems to Track & Return Stolen Jewelry Passes Senate
Legislation sponsored by Senator Jim Holzapfel (R-Ocean) and fellow District 10 legislators creating a task force to study industry-wide systems for tracking stolen jewelry has passed the New Jersey Senate. The “Secondhand Valuables Transaction Reporting Task Force” would also make recommendations for implementing the system for retail and law enforcement use.
Sen. Jim Holzapfel’s bill creates “The Secondhand Valuables Transaction Reporting Task Force” to study systems to track and return stolen jewelry. (Flickr)
“We currently have excellent record-keeping systems in place to track and recover stolen jewelry from pawnshops,” Senator Holzapfel said. “As we saw during the rash of burglaries in Monmouth County, criminals are circumventing these systems by selling stolen goods to jewelry stores who do not have access to the same program. This task force will investigate how to arm all retailers with cutting edge systems to track stolen valuables, report crimes to law enforcement, and return these treasured items to the rightful owner.”
Oroho Bill to Remove Red Tape from Pharmaceutical Industry Passes Senate
Legislation sponsored by Senator Steve Oroho (R-Sussex, Warren, Morris) to make the registration process easier for pharmaceutical companies passed the New Jersey Senate. The measure came out of the New Jersey Red Tape Review Commission.
Sen. Steve Oroho’s bill would remove red tape from drug manufacturing industry. (©iStock)
“The seemingly never ending list of regulations and rules has handcuffed business in this state for far too long,” Senator Oroho said. “Six years after it was created, the Red Tape Review Commission is still finding ways to cut back the bureaucracy and make it easier for entrepreneurs and job creators to grow their businesses in the state. This bill reduces the time it takes for drug companies to set up shop in New Jersey.”
Singer Bill to Grow New Jersey’s Biotechnology Industry Passes Senate
Legislation sponsored by Senator Robert Singer (R-Monmouth, Ocean) to create a new task force that will study ways to expand New Jersey’s biotechnology industry passed the New Jersey Senate.
Sen. Robert Singer’s legislation to grow New Jersey’s biotechnology industry passed the state senate. (©iStock)
The resolution, SJR-57, creates the “New Jersey Biotechnology Task Force” to improve communication between state government and the biotechnology industry and to find ways to help retain and attract new biotechnology companies to the state. According to BioNJ, Inc., the industry directly provides more than 66,000 jobs and more than $1.5 billion in tax revenue to the state.
Senate Passes Singer/Kean Bill to Alert More Students About NJ STARS Scholarships
Legislation sponsored by Senator Robert Singer (R-Monmouth, Ocean) and Senator Tom Kean (R-Union, Morris, Somerset) to make more students aware of their possible eligibility for the New Jersey Student Tuition Assistance Reward Program Scholarship (NJ STARS) passed the New Jersey Senate.
A bill by Sen. Robert Singer and Sen. Tom Kean to increase notification to students about the NJ STARS scholarship program passed the New Jersey Senate. (Flickr)
“The cost of college is only getting higher, and NJ STARS offers students a chance to attend college without weighing them down with debt for years to come,” Senator Singer said. “If we can connect more students with the money available to them, we’ll make college more affordable and keep more of our brightest students in the state.”
Senate Passes Pennacchio Bill Protecting Access to NJ Transit for Riders with Service Dogs
The New Jersey Senate passed legislation sponsored by Senator Joseph Pennacchio to prevent New Jersey Transit from denying a person with a service dog access to any vehicle.
Legislation by Sen. Joseph Pennacchio to protect access to NJ Transit for riders with guide dogs was passed by the New Jersey Senate. (Wikimedia Commons)
“Service dogs are not just pets,” Senator Pennacchio said. “They are highly trained assistants that help people with special needs to get where they need to go safely. This legislation clears up any confusion in our laws and protects access to public transportation for all who need it.”
9th District-Supported “Combat to College Act” Passes Senate
The Senate overwhelmingly passed legislation sponsored by Senator Christopher J. Connors, Assemblyman Brian E. Rumpf and Assemblywoman DiAnne C. Gove which would grant priority in registering for courses at a public institution of higher education to military service members and veterans living in the state.
Connors, Rumpf & Gove’s legislation would grant military service members and veterans living in the state priority in registering for courses at a public institution of higher education. (U.S. Navy)
Connors, Rumpf and Gove have joined with the 1st Legislative District in this bipartisan veterans’ legislative initiative (S-1672 and A-2950) entitled the “Combat to College Act.” The 9th District delegation issued the following statement following the Senate passage of the veterans’ legislative initiative.
“Veterans’ deserve every opportunity to pursue their higher education goals. Higher education policies should be in place to provide special accommodations for veterans’ due to the significant demands associated with military service, including long-term deployments.
Senate Passes Oroho Resolution to Raise Awareness About Childhood Cancer
A bipartisan resolution sponsored by Senator Steve Oroho (R-Sussex, Warren, Morris) to promote education and awareness about childhood cancer was passed by the New Jersey Senate.
The Da Silva family. (Patricia Da Silva)
The resolution was inspired by Nicholas DaSilva, a Hardyston resident who was diagnosed with a form of cancer called Burkitt’s lymphoma when he was just 5 years old. In the two years since his cancer has gone into remission, he has worked to help other children with the disease. Along with the other members of his family, Nicholas has raised money to help other kids through donations to the Valerie Fund and Alex’s Lemonade Stand.
Oroho, Space & Phoebus on Gov. Christie’s New School Funding Proposal
Statement from Senator Steve Oroho, Assemblyman Parker Space, and Assemblywoman Gail Phoebus (all R-Sussex, Warren, Morris) on Governor Chris Christie’s new school funding plan:
Sen. Steve Oroho, Asm. Parker Space, and Asw. Gail Phoebus praised Gov. Chris Christie’s new school funding plan. (SenateNJ.com)
“We applaud Governor Christie for making his proposal. All three of us have supported permanently ending the Abbott district charade with the New Jersey Supreme Court and mandating that state aid for education needs to be equally distributed to all school children no matter where they live.
Singer/Kean Bill to Promote NJ STARS Scholarship Program Passes Senate Panel
Legislation sponsored by Senator Robert Singer (R-Monmouth, Ocean) and Senator Tom Kean (R-Union, Somerset, Morris) to make sure more students are aware of the New Jersey Student Tuition Assistance Reward Scholarship (NJ STARS) passed the Senate Education Committee.
Senators Robert Singer and Tom Kean’s bill notifies students who are eligible for NJ STARS during each year of high school, with general information provided in eighth grade. (Flickr)
“The NJ STARS program is a fantastic way for bright students who may not be able to afford college themselves to pursue a college degree,” Senator Singer said. “We have the resources and we have the students. We need to make sure those students know about this program so they can actually take advantage of it.”
