Under the Dome: Senate Committees

by: Jason Springer

Mon Mar 01, 2010 at 09:00:00 AM EST

The Senate Judiciary committee will resume their confirmation hearing for Education Commissioner nominee Bret Schundler, which was cut short last week. They will also consider James Simpson to be Commissioner of Transportation replacing Stephen Dilts.

The Senate Environment and Energy Committee will hear testimony from Eileen Swan, Executive Director of the Highlands Council to provide an update on the work of the council. They also have four bills on the agenda including one that would establish an exemption from the sales tax for purchasing hybrid vehicles.

The Senate Education Committee is talking steroids. They have a bill from Senator Codey that would  require the Department of Education and the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) to work jointly to develop and implement, by the 2010-2011 school year, a program of random steroid testing of student-athletes who qualify to compete in championship tournaments sanctioned by the association. There doesn't appear to be an Assembly counterpart to this legislation introduced yet.

The State Government will hear testimony and consider SCR1, which would amend the State Constitution to require annual contributions into the pension system. The bill has 25 co-sponsors and would put the question before the voters in November.

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 Education Meeting 10:00 AM
S495 [Girgenti, John A./Baroni, Bill+2], Nature of drugs instructional prog-estab
S834 [Codey, Richard J.], Steroid use among students-deters
S1040 [Allen, Diane B.], Sch. buses-lengthens svc. life

Senate Environment and Energy Meeting 10:00 AM

Eileen Swan, Executive Director of the Highlands Water Protection and Planning Council, has been invited to provide an update on the work of the Highlands Council.

S239 [Bateman, Christopher/Turner, Shirley K.], Pub. sch design-concerns cert guidelines
S756 [Beck, Jennifer/Gordon, Robert M.], Hybrid veh., cert.-exemp. from sales tax
S919 [Smith, Bob/Ciesla, Andrew R.], Tidal waterfront areas-req. pub. access
SR46 [Smith, Bob/Bateman, Christopher], Artificial reef-estab.

Senate Judiciary Meeting 1:00 PM

Interviewed:

to be Commissioner of the Department of Education:Bret Schundler of Jersey City to replace Lucille E. Davy, for the term prescribed by law

to be Commissioner of the Department of transportation:James S. Simpson of Wayne, Pennsylvania to replace Stephen Dilts, for the term prescribed by law.

Senate Military and Veterans' Affairs Meeting

The Committee will not meet

Senate State Government, Wagering, Tourism & Historic Preservation Meeting 1:00 PM
S814 [Vitale, Joseph F.], Nominating petitions-concerns

Immediately following the committee meeting, the committee will hold a public hearing on SCR-1 (1R) constitutional amendment.