Under the Dome: Senate and Assembly Committees

by: Jason Springer

Thu Feb 18, 2010 at 09:30:00 AM EST

Many committees will hear testimony. Acting Commissioner of Education Bret Schundler will testify before the Assembly Education Committee. They will also consider the school choice bill vmars wrote about. The Assembly Judiciary Committee have testimony to discuss the implications of the recent United States Supreme Court opinion, Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, on New Jersey's pay to play laws.

The Assembly Transportation Committee invites the public to testify on the potential impact of the Governor's proposal to cut the State's subsidy to New Jersey TRANSIT and any fare increases or service reductions that may result. The Assembly State Government Committee will hear testimony on the 2010 Census from Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr., a representative of the U.S. Census Bureau, and Leonard Preston of the New Jersey State Data Center.

The Assembly Military and Veterans Affairs committee will hear testimony from Major General Glenn K. Rieth, the Adjutant General of the New Jersey Department of Military and Veterans' Affairs, to update the Committee on the Department's current initiatives. The Homeland Security committee will hear testimony about the 211 system and the Agriculture committee will hear from invited speakers concerning the School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs.

They've put a limit of 5 minute of testimony in the Senate State Government committee in anticipation of a large crowd to testify regarding legislation that would make changes to the state pension plan. The Senate Judiciary committee will consider the nomination of Governor Christie's nominees to be State Treasurer and to the Civil Service Commission. The Human Services Committee will hear about the Traumatic Brain Injury Fund.

While the spotlight will shine on that testimony and those bills, there is plenty more up for a vote. I'll put the full list of bills up for consideration below the fold. If you can't make it to Trenton, you can follow along live here.

Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Meeting
2:30 PM
S89 [Rice, Ronald L.], Health care provider billing-concerns
S324 [Codey, Richard J./Kean, Thomas H.], St psych hosp-concern training for staff
S363 [Weinberg, Loretta/Allen, Diane B.], Hosp. Tech. Task Force-estab.
S377 [Weinberg, Loretta+1], Med. Examiners Bd.-concerns memb.
S383 [Singer, Robert W./Bucco, Anthony R.+1], Cigarettes/tobacco products-retail sales
S443 [Turner, Shirley K.], Smoking in cert. pub. places-proh.
S669 [Buono, Barbara/Weinberg, Loretta], Smoking, pub. parks and beaches-proh.
S812 [Vitale, Joseph F./Baroni, Bill+3], Contact lenses-concerns dispensing
S889 [Ciesla, Andrew R.], Beaches, St.-owned-proh. smoking

Senate Judiciary Meeting 11:00 AM

Interviewed:

to be State Treasurer:

Andrew Sidamon-Eristoff of New York, New York to replace R. David Rousseau, for the term prescribed by law.

to be a member of the Civil Service Commission:
Robert M. Czech, Esq. of Sea Girt to replace Hope Cooper, for the term prescribed by law.

Senate Labor Meeting 10:00 AM
S229 [Kean, Sean T.], Workers' comp-repymt., pension recipents
S676 [Sarlo, Paul A./Gill, Nia H.+1], Worker's comp, loss of hand or foot-incr
S935 [Sweeney, Stephen M./Madden, Fred H.+1], Workers' comp. suppl. benf.-concerns
S1301 [Madden, Fred H./Doherty, Michael J.], Shared work prog.-auth unemp. benf.

Senate State Government, Wagering, Tourism & Historic Preservation Meeting 9:30 AM

Due to the large number of persons expected to testify on these bills, the Chairman requests that each person limit his or her testimony to five minutes or less.
S2 [Scutari, Nicholas P./O'Toole, Kevin J.+21], Pub emp pensions-elig, allowance, rights
S3 [Doherty, Michael J./Whelan, Jim+21], SHBP, SEHBP-elig, cost share, waiver
S4 [O'Toole, Kevin J./Buono, Barbara+25], Sick leave, disab. benf.-PERS, TPAF
SCR1 [Sweeney, Stephen M./Kean, Thomas H.+22], St-admin. retire. sys.-annual St contrib

Assembly Agriculture and Natural Resources Meeting 2:00 PM

The Committee will hear testimony from invited speakers concerning the School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs.

Assembly Education Meeting 2:00 PM

The Committee will receive testimony from Bret D. Schundler, Acting Commissioner of Education, on Department of Education priorities.

A355 [Jasey, Mila M./Voss, Joan M.], Interdist. Pub. Sch. Choice Prog.-estab.
A415 [Rumana, Scott T./Cryan, Joseph], Sch. dist. audits-concerns
A1894 [Cryan, Joseph/Casagrande, Caroline], Sch. dist. emp.-concerns tuition assist.
A2260 [Diegnan, Patrick J.], Sch. bus, svc. life-concerns

Assembly Environment and Solid Waste Meeting 3:00 PM Committee Room 9, 3rd Floor, State House Annex, Trenton, NJ
Chair: Asm. McKeon, John F.
A602 [Peterson, Erik/McKeon, John F.], Highlands transfer of devel. rights prog
A1847 [Chiusano, Gary R./Rudder, Scott], Dam restoration proj.-approp.
A2232 [McKeon, John F.], Island Beach St. Park prog-dedicate fees
Pending Introduction and/or Referral:
A2070 [Green, Jerry], Wastewater mgmt. plans-concerns
ACR106 [Stender, Linda/Quijano, Annette/Cryan, Joseph], Urges Governor to call for public and private participation in Earth Hour 2010.

Assembly Homeland Security and State Preparedness Meeting 2:00 PM

The Chairman has invited Laura Zink Marx, Executive Director of NJ-211, to discuss the organization's responsibilities as a public safety information provider.
A1586 [Scalera, Frederick/Johnson, Gordon M.+3], Pol. veh global position sys-proh access
A1589 [Scalera, Frederick/Evans, Elease+1], Sports fac.-submit evacuation plan

Assembly Human Services Meeting 2:00 PM

The Committee will receive testimony from invited speakers concerning the Traumatic Brain Injury Fund.

A1748 [Watson Coleman, Bonnie/Tucker, Cleopatra G.+2], Domestic viol.-concerns
A2038 [Fuentes, Angel/Vainieri Huttle, Valerie], Devel. disab. offender-estab. reg.

Assembly Judiciary Meeting 10:00 AM
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The Committee will receive testimony from invited guests to discuss the implications of the recent United States Supreme Court opinion, Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, on New Jersey's pay to play laws.

A1893 [Cryan, Joseph], Alco. bev. retail lic.-concerns
A2073 [Greenstein, Linda R./DeAngelo, Wayne P.], Parole elig. inmates, cert.-review cases

Pending Introduction and Referral:

A2296 [Stender, Linda], Palimony agreements-modifies req.

Assembly Military and Veterans' Affairs Meeting 10:00 AM

The Chairman has invited Major General Glenn K. Rieth, the Adjutant General of the New Jersey Department of Military and Veterans' Affairs, to update the Committee on the Department's current initiatives.

A1677 [Greenwald, Louis D./Conners, Jack], Pub. higher ed. website-vet. benf. link
A1943 [Conners, Jack/Tucker, Cleopatra G.], Handicap accessible veh. purch.-concern
A1952 [Conners, Jack], Deceased svc. memb. benf.-concerns

Assembly State Government Meeting 2:00 PM

The Committee will hear testimony on the 2010 Census from Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr., a representative of the U.S. Census Bureau, and Leonard Preston of the New Jersey State Data Center.

A914 [Chivukula, Upendra J./Oliver, Sheila Y.+2], Electronic transactions by St.-concerns
A1291 [Holzapfel, James W./Wolfe, David W.], Internet-St. agencies implement use
A1541 [Lampitt, Pamela R./Gusciora, Reed+2], St. agency-concerns periodic report req.

Assembly Transportation, Public Works and Independent Authorities Meeting 10:00 AM

The Committee invites the public to testify on the potential impact of the Governor's proposal to cut the State's subsidy to New Jersey TRANSIT and any fare increases or service reductions that may result.

A407 [Diegnan, Patrick J./Casagrande, Caroline+1], Pub. transit veh-proh wireless phone use
A1471 [Wisniewski, John S./Prieto, Vincent], Autocabs-concerns
A2254 [Quigley, Joan M./Wisniewski, John S.], Handicapped parking zones-proh. towing