Remarks by Senator Doherty at Hunterdon County 9/11 Remembrance Ceremony
Senator Michael Doherty (R-23) delivered the following remarks at the Hunterdon County 9/11 Remembrance Ceremony in Flemington this morning:
On September 11, 2001, 2,977 men and women were killed in the attacks on the World Trade Center.
Sen. Michael Doherty spoke at the Hunterdon County 9/11 Remembrance Ceremony in Flemington on the morning of September 11, 2020. (SenateNJ.com)
Of the dead, 412 were emergency workers in New York City who responded to the scene. These included:
343 firefighters of the New York City Fire Department (FDNY).
37 police officers of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Police Department.
23 police officers of the New York City Police Department (NYPD).
8 emergency medical technicians and paramedics from private emergency medical services.
1 patrolman from the New York Fire Patrol.
In the 20 years that followed, hundreds of emergency workers have died of 9/11 related illnesses.
Brown Bill to Help Ease MVC Lines Now law
Saying, “It’s a start,” State Senator Chris Brown announced a new law to reduce long lines at Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC) agencies and make it more convenient for Atlantic County families to renew their driver’s licenses.
State Senator Chris Brown announced a new law to reduce long lines at Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC) agencies and make it more convenient for Atlantic County families to renew their driver’s licenses. (SenateNJ.com)
“When the MVC agencies were shut down in the spring, Trenton had four months to figure out a way to make the system customer friendly by the time they re-opened in July. Instead, Trenton created another debacle by forcing families to get up at the crack of dawn and wait in line all day just to renew a driver’s license ,” Brown said. “Our hardworking families and retirees deserve better.”
Bucco: New Laws Will Help Drivers Avoid the MVC & Reduce Lines
Says It’s Not a Full Solution to MVC’s Problems, But It’s Progress for Drivers
Senator Anthony Bucco applauded the enactment of a pair of bipartisan bills that will help more drivers to avoid long lines at New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC) agencies.
Sen. Anthony Bucco applauded the enactment of a pair of bipartisan bills that will help more drivers to avoid long lines at New Jersey MVC agencies. (SenateNJ.com)
“Knowing that agencies would be overwhelmed after months of being closed, I’ve been working non-stop since May to offer practical solutions that could help drivers to avoid long lines at the MVC,” said Bucco (R-25). “I’m glad Governor Murphy has signed into law an important bipartisan bill I co-sponsored that will allow more drivers to renew their licenses online while skipping the trip to the MVC.”
Oroho: Murphy Claims School Funding Is Flat When Reality Is Something Else
Commissioner of Education Corrects Boss at Today’s Senate Budget Hearing
Senate Republican Budget Officer Steven Oroho released the following statement after this morning’s Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee hearing with the Department of Education:
Senator Oroho said Department of Education testimony during today’s Senate Budget and Appropriations hearing confirmed Governor Murphy’s budget cuts funding to suburban and rural school districts. (Flickr)
“The Governor claimed in his budget address in August that school funding isn’t being cut and the Treasurer made a similar claim that school aid is flat.
“The simple truth about school funding under Governor Murphy’s budget is aid is being cut to approximately 200 schools in mainly suburban and rural communities. Layoffs during a global pandemic are occurring because of it, which Murphy’s own economists say isn’t good public policy. Meanwhile the budget increases aid to 85 school districts by more than 5 percent, and up to 14 percent. One favored district is receiving a $17 million increase alone.
10th District Legislators Again Blast Murphy Over ‘Baby Bonds’
Senator Jim Holzapfel and Assemblymen Greg McGuckin and John Catalano are once again blasting Governor Murphy’s proposal to give a $1,000 saving bond for every New Jersey infant born into qualifying families next year. The proposal is under scrutiny by the 10th District legislators who are calling this plan a complete waste of taxpayer dollars and a political move by the Governor to ensure his victory in the 2021 election.
The Governor should be properly funding schools and helping restaurants and small business, said Senator Holzapfel and Assemblymen McGuckin and Catalano, and not scheming to give ‘baby bonds’ to newborns. (SenateNJ.com)
“Instead of properly funding our schools or helping our small businesses and restaurants, the Governor is choosing to spend $80 million a year to give newborns a savings bond,” Senator Holzapfel said. “Our state is facing one of the most challenging economic times in history and the Governor thinks that ‘Baby Bonds’ is an appropriate proposal for our deteriorating economy. We are sick of his excessive borrowing schemes to fund these outrageous ideas in order to ensure his re-election next year.”
Pennacchio: Governor’s Criticism of President is Hollow Attempt to Rewrite History
New Jersey State Senator Joe Pennacchio today challenged Governor Murphy’s recent criticism of President Trump as an effort to obscure his own costly errors dealing with the coronavirus.
Senator Pennacchio said Governor Murphy’s criticism of the President is an attempt to avoid responsibility for his own mistakes and failed policies during the pandemic. (Pixabay)
“The Governor said he would have been more aggressive if Trump had been more forthcoming on COVID information,” said Pennacchio. “Murphy is one of only five governors in the nation that forced nursing homes to accept COVID patients, exposing healthcare workers and vulnerable residents to infection. He wants to make the President his scapegoat for his own mistakes.”
Bucco: Lawmakers & Governor Must Work to Restore 2020 Property Tax Relief Payments
Administration Warns that Budget Uncertainty Will Prevent Homestead Benefit Credits from Appearing on November Property Tax Bills
Senator Anthony M. Bucco urged the Murphy Administration to work with the Legislature to ensure that critical property tax relief payments to low-income, disabled, and senior residents are not disrupted going forward.
Sen. Tony Bucco urged the Murphy Administration to work with the Legislature to ensure that critical property tax relief payments to low-income, disabled, and senior residents are not disrupted going forward. (Pixabay)
“New Jersey families continue to struggle with lost jobs, furloughs, and financial hardship as a result of this unprecedented crisis,” said Bucco (R-25). “Even while their paychecks and ability to earn have been reduced, their property tax bills still must be paid in full. That’s why it’s imperative that lawmakers and the governor work together on a bipartisan basis to ensure that Homestead Benefit credits can appear on property tax bills due in November.”
O’Scanlon Challenges Governor to ‘Go Wait in Line to Register a Vehicle,’ Then See How Fast He Signs Legislation Languishing On His Desk
While long lines and excruciating wait times remain the norm at Motor Vehicle Commission facilities across the state, Governor Murphy continues to delay enacting legislation that would help ease the congestion.
Since reopening after a three-month closure, long lines have been a fixture at MVC facilities, and Senator O’Scanlon and Assemblywoman DiMaso are calling on the Governor to sign two bills that will provide relief for residents. (SenateNJ.com)
Today, Senator Declan O’Scanlon and Assemblywoman Serena DiMaso called on the Governor to stop dragging his feet and sign a pair of bipartisan bills that cleared the Legislature with unanimous support to provide badly needed relief.
“This is really indefensible,” said O’Scanlon (R-13). “First, that the Governor inexplicably has permitted the nightmare debacle that has become the MVC to continue to occur, and second that the Governor has ignored, for weeks, these common sense reforms that sit on his desk awaiting his signature. These are practical measures that both the Senate and Assembly endorsed on August 27 and forwarded to the Governor’s desk.
Testa: Murphy Hiding Behind COVID-19 to Hoard Money for Next Year’s Election Budget & Baby Bonds
Says It’s the Governor’s Obvious & Unspoken Game Plan
Senator Michael Testa (R-1), a member of the Senate Budget & Appropriations Committee, issued the following statement on Governor Murphy’s unspoken, but obvious, reelection budget strategy:
Sen. Michael Testa issued the following statement on Gov. Murphy’s unspoken, but obvious, reelection budget strategy. (Pixabay)
“While Governor Murphy claims he needs to borrow billions of dollars to prevent layoffs and fund property tax relief programs, consider the following things in this year’s budget that the borrowing will really support:
- Increasing the surplus by $1 billion, which is money that will be left in the bank and spent next year;
- Increasing prefunding of future pensions by $1 billion, which is money that will be put in a bank and spent decades from now; and
- Offsetting intentionally overstated revenue losses by $2 billion, which will provide him an extra $2 billion to spend when revenues come in better than projected – as they will;
“Let’s be perfectly clear: not one dime of the billions Murphy will borrow has anything to do with addressing COVID-19 related needs. It has to do with squirreling away money for next year’s budget so he can play Santa Claus as he runs for reelection.
Doherty to Murphy: Don’t Cut Student Counseling Funding During Pandemic
Senator Signs on to Bipartisan Resolution to Restore School Based Youth Services Program (SBYSP)
In response to Governor Phil Murphy’s push to cut school mental health programs by $14 million, Senator Michael Doherty is calling for these funds to be restored as soon as possible.
Doherty recently signed on as a co-sponsor to a bipartisan budget resolution to reestablish aid for the School Based Youth Services Program (SBYSP).
In response to Gov. Murphy’s push to cut school mental health programs by $14 million, Sen. Michael Doherty is calling for these funds to be restored as soon as possible. (Pixabay)
“In the midst of a global pandemic and economic crisis that is impacting the psychological health of New Jerseyans both young and old, it is cruel to cut funding for our student’s mental health services,” said Doherty (R-23). “This rollercoaster ride of a year and the uncertainty of the future is making many, particularly students, apprehensive and anxious. I am proud to stand with both my republican and democrat colleagues in the New Jersey Legislature and demand this mental health funding be restored immediately.”
