I was a big fan of NJN, the state-funded television and news network that Governor Christie gave to his cronies last June. So, like others, I held the station's new incarnation, NJTV, to the same high standards that its predecessor followed.
What I liked about NJN, and what I expected from NJTV was:
1. Balanced reporting
2. In depth (live) coverage of important legislative proceedings
3. Professional-quality television
Following almost seven hours of testimony on Thursday, the members of the Assembly Judiciary Committee went on record with their votes to move the Marriage Equality and Religious Exemption bill to the full chamber. As in the Senate committee, the vote was along party lines, with some Democrats expressing reservations but ultimately voting for equality while other Democrats were solidly in favor.
The two Republicans on the committee had interesting views and their remarks are worth listening to. It still surprises me how a libertarian like Michael Patrick Carroll can be for discrimination and government intervention in a civil rights issue. His argument comes right out of the Santorum playbook - since there is no societal benefit to equal rights, it's fine to vote against them.
Freshman GOP Assemblywoman Holly Schepisi appeared torn and indecisive. Her rambling remarks argued both sides of the issue but she ultimately voted for discrimination. I don't know if she can be flipped, but it would certainly be worthwhile if she could hear from pro-equality constituents. In the arc of the history of the New Jersey Assembly, she'll go down as having cast her first vote in favor of discrimination. I wonder if she wants this to be the legacy of her political career.
The video is 29 minutes long. If you want to jump ahead, here are the starting times for each speaker:
Gordon Johnson (D) 00:00
Reed Gusciora (D) 02:03
Ralph Caputo (D) 05:58
Annette Quijano (D) 07:40
Holly Schepisi (R) 13:20
Michael Patrick Carroll (R) 21:35
Peter Barnes (D) 22:33
Voting 28:01
Blue Jersey Writer Testifies at Assembly Judiciary Committee Hearing on Marriage Equality
At this past week's hearing, three Blue Jersey writers testified in favor of the bill to promote marriage equality in the state. One of these writers, Loretta Weinberg, also happens to be the Senate Majority Leader and a prime sponsor of the bill. Here is her opening testimony.
Assemblyman Reed Gusciora is one of the sponsors of A1, the Marriage Equality and Religious Exemption bill. Here is his testimony from yesterday's hearing at the Assembly Judiciary Committee. His remarks completely negate the arguments of the opponents of marriage equality.
The first person giving testimony at yesterday's Assembly Judiciary Committee hearings on marriage equality was Speaker Sheila Oliver. If the results of the last civil rights referendum in New Jersey were allowed to stand, she would not today have the right to vote, let alone run the lower house of the legislature.
Only Blue Jersey has gavel-to-gavel video coverage of yesterday's marriage equality hearings at the Assembly Judiciary Committee. I'll be editing and uploading the more relevant material over the next few days. Some will be frontpaged, some will appear on the sidebar, so be sure to check there, too.
I felt like a witness to history, and someday I'll be able to tell my grandson that Grampa was there when New Jersey worked to end yet another chapter in institutional discrimination.
Below are post-hearing comments from Assemblyman Reed Gusciora, Senate Majority Leader Loretta Weinberg, and Garden State Equality's Steven Goldstein.
Gusciora is a gentleman. His comments about freshman Assemblywoman Holly Schepisi are generous and conciliatory. I would have been less kind. Schepisi's first vote in her political career was one to perpetuate discrimination. I'll post Schepisi's remarks later, but suffice it to say that although she appeared torn in her decision, she based it partly on the fact that the e-mails she received were 50-3 in favor of marriage discrimination. She touted the all-to-familiar themes of "separate but equal" arrangements for marriage and the old "some of my best friends are gay" line.
Weinberg and Goldstein were in maximum kvell mode after the vote - deservedly so. Unlike the recent Senate hearings, at yesterday's session everyone who desired to testify was given that opportunity.
Videos are below the fold.
Technical note: One legislator I spoke with had trouble viewing prior videos on his iPad, probably because iPads do not support Flash. I've uploaded these videos in QuickTime format. The files are larger and take more time to upload. If anyone has problems with videos, please send direct email to deciminyan@gmail.com
Assemblywoman Pamela Lampitt of Cherry Hill has recently been chosen to chair a new committee to address women's and children's issues. I visited her in her Voorhees office today to learn about the goals of that committee as well as her opinions on other important issues. We discussed marriage equality, state education policy, the problems in nearby Camden, the setback for anti-bullying initiatives, and property tax reform. Also discussed was the slow pace of implementation of the medical marijuana law, where she proposed in interesting solution to the problem of finding dispensary sites.
While I would have loved to have seen Wagner run for a number of reasons, it seemed to me (just my gut feeling from some discussions and observations I had) that others were more enthusiastic about her running than she may have been. This is no knock against her - it is a huge undertaking and commitment to run for Congress, and Garrett has been known to play dirty against his opponents (recall he smeared former opponent and Rabbi Dennis Shulman as anti-Israel).
This creates a void in terms of big name NJ politicos who can raise the attention and money required to mount a successful run against a very well-funded Garrett. Whether this was in the works for a while, whether this clears the way for former NY Giant Harry Carson to make a run (which has a lot of appeal as well as some potential hurdles), or whether it opens the door for a primary fight among a number of already-declared other candidates remains to be seen.
Either way, this decision by Assemblywoman Wagner to not run (if confirmed) is too bad as it would have brought a different and more high profile seasoned politician to challenge Garrett with more built in and coordinated support from the Democratic Committee of Bergen County. Hopefully, whoever emerges as the challenger will receive coordinated support that will be needed up and down the ballot - especially with the Presidential and Senatorial races this coming year. It is a big opportunity for Democrats in Bergen County and hopefully it isn't a missed opportunity.
After the upheaval and sadness in the NJ Legislature following the death of Assembly Minority Leader Alex DeCroce - at the Statehouse and in the very last hour of Lame Duck - most of the traditional agenda-setting, the reorganization, and speeches of the Legislature were put off until Tuesday, Jan. 17.
Today, we're posting remarks as prepared for delivery of the top majority leadership in both Houses - on the Senate side of President Steve Sweeney & Majority Leader Loretta Weinberg, and on the Assembly side of Speaker Sheila Oliver and Majority Leader Lou Greenwald.
It's important to see what they promise, how they see the challenges ahead, and what their best intentions for the new session are. We'll be watching for both the successes and the failures. We're damn sure you will be. But right now, as they set off to begin New Jersey's 215th Legislature, I've got nothing but my best wishes for their fortitude, internal integrity and stamina as they face down a Republican governor working to make a national brand of himself, at the expense of the people of New Jersey.
Please note that any formatting errors are likely my own, and not the legislators'.
Remarks as prepared for delivery by incoming Assembly Majority Leader Lou Greenwald Jan. 17, as the NJ Assembly reorganized for the 215th NJ Legislature:
I am truly honored to stand here before you today and to welcome both my colleagues of many years and the new members joining us here today.
Let me take a moment to introduce myself. My name is Louis Greenwald. And the privilege of being selected by my friends and colleagues as your new Majority Leader of the 215th legislative body is underscored by the challenges facing our neighbors, friends and constituents all across New Jersey, even today.
Remarks as prepared for delivery by Speaker Sheila Oliver Jan. 17, as the NJ Assembly reorganized for the 215th NJ Legislature:
Ladies and gentlemen, distinguished guests, colleagues, friends and family − thank you very much for coming today and for your gracious and warm welcome.
On behalf of everyone sitting behind me, I want to offer our sincere gratitude to the people of New Jersey for the support and trust they have placed in us.
Last week the New Jersey General Assembly - and for that matter, the entire state of New Jersey - was struck by an inconceivable tragedy when we lost our friend Alex DeCroce.
We have mourned Alex ever since, and will never forget his great service to the people of our state. He was a gentleman, a statesman and a tireless advocate for what he believed was right. He was a fixture in the Assembly and it will be difficult to move on without him.
And as we mourn Alex, let's also take a moment to honor the memories of two other friends and public servants who served New Jersey with distinction: Assemblyman Peter Biondi who would have been serving his eighth term; and former Assemblywoman Carol Murphy.
On behalf of the New Jersey Assembly, I thank them all for their service. Let us all pause in a collective moment of silence in their honor.
I'm no fan of Gabriela Mosquera. She's got limited experience and is just not ready to assume the role as a New Jersey Assemblywoman. She's a loyal soldier to the South Jersey Democratic machine, and would not be an independent voice in the Assembly. If I lived in the district and were to ever vote for a Republican, Pat Fratticcoli, one of Mosquera's opponents, would get my vote. But that's not my call. Nineteen thousand voters in District 4 overwhelmingly selected Mosquera and her running mate Paul Moriarty over their opponents Fratticcioli and Shirley Lovett.
That's why today's Supreme Court decision is so troublesome. As the Gloucester County Times reported,
Minutes before the 215th Legislature - including the Fourth District's Gabriela Mosquera - was set to be sworn into office today, a Supreme Court order issued a stay that keeps the Democrat Assemblywoman-elect from raising her right hand and taking her seat in the Assembly.
I'm no lawyer, and don't have the insight of the testimony and evidence that the court heard, but for me as a citizen, their decision lacks common sense. Shirley Lovett, the top Republican vote getter, is contesting Mosquera's victory based on an arcane residency requirement that was shot down by the Supreme Court a decade ago. And while the residency requirement is the law, it's just plain wrong in my opinion.
The Democrats will continue their fight - after all, this is just a stay, not a disqualification. Let's hope they prevail and the voices of the voters of the district are heard. And let's hope that Gabby Mosquera grows into the job quickly and establishes herself as an independent advocate for Democratic ideals.
That's how Garden State Equality's leader Steven Goldstein described the pace of the marriage equality effort in New Jersey. He spoke briefly at today's legislative press conference in Trenton:
Among the scores of Democratic politicians in today's crowded Marriage Equality press conference was one federal official, Congressman Rush Holt. Holt represented the entire New Jersey congressional delegation - all seven congressmen and both senators - in expressing their support for the Marriage Equality bill, S1. Holt's brief remarks are below; the text of the letter is after the fold.
There are few Republicans that I would consider voting for. But if I see a member of the GOP who I think would bring the party back to becoming a viable loyal opposition instead of a bunch of extremist corporatists, I would consider voting for that candidate.
Shelley Lovett was such a candidate in the recent election, a Republican running for Assembly from the Fourth Legislative District in Gloucester County. While she lost to political neophyte Gabriela Mosquera, Lovett was the kind of Republican we need in Trenton. When I met with Lovett back in October, she said "public education is the most important thing we can give our children" - heresy in the Christie religion. Lovett was open to the idea of giving voters a say in the establishment of charter schools and had concerns about the use of standardized tests in teacher evaluation as proposed by Governor Christie's "reforms." Lovett's Assembly running mate, Pat Fratticcoli, is also a member of that dying breed of moderate Republicans, and had either one been elected, I would not have been disappointed.
