After our 11:00 am news conference today on the Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights - it was a packed house of Democratic legislators, Republican legislators and journalists, including Jay Lassiter for Blue Jersey - Valerie Vainieri Huttle went into the Assembly, circulated the sponsor sheet and guess what? 43 signatures! 43 sponsors, two more than the 41 votes required for passage.
All of us who've worked on the bill are a teary with happiness. We owe much to Valerie and her chief of staff Phil Meisner and legislative staffer Andrea Katz, to Mary Pat Angelini and her chief of staff Ryan Sharpe, and on the Senate side to Barbara Buono and her chief of staff Anthony Reznik. Thanks as well to former Division on Civil Rights Director Frank Vespa-Papaleo, director of the New Jersey Coalition on Bullying Awareness and Prevention Stuart Green, director of the New Jersey Anti-Defamation League Etzion Neuer, Garden State Equality vice chair Luanne Peterpaul and our colleagues at the Gender Rights Advocacy Association of New Jersey.
And thank you, Blue Jersey, for being the unwavering progressive voice as always for the most vulnerable in our society.
By the way, there would have been more Assembly sponsors today, but time ran out - so look for more in the days to come. So far we have much of the Democratic Caucus, plus Republican leader Alex DeCroce and Republican conference leader Jon Bramnick among other Republicans.
On the Senate side, today wasn't a quorum day for the bill to be formally introduced there - that will be after the election. But the Senators who have announced their support for the bill so far include prime sponsors Barbara Buono, Diane Allen and Loretta Weinberg, plus Jennifer Beck, Paul Sarlo, Raymond Lesniak, Steve Sweeney, Dick Codey,
Jim Beach and Jeff Van Drew - and we have only just begun.
Again, we warmly embrace the support of all legislators, whether they supported us on previous bills or not. The dignity and safety of New Jersey's kids are at stake. And with bipartisan support, we are on our way to passing a bill that will improve students lives greatly.
As Rodgers and Hammerstein expressed in their 1949 musical South Pacific, bullying and discrimination are linked together, start at an early age, and can be a "learned" activity influenced by family members. Altering our NJ school environment is an essential step.
Assemblywoman Valerie Vainieri Huttle (D-37) and Senator Barbara Buono (D-18) will introduce on Monday the eagerly anticipated harrassment, intimidation and bullying (HIB) awareness and prevention legislation. It is expected that it will have bipartisan support, including Assemblywoman Pat Angelini (R-11), and Senators Diane Allen (R-7) and Thomas Goodwin (R-14).
Their bill is squarely aimed at the school environment where discrimination and bullying often begin. It will provide that training on HIB be a part of the training required for public school teaching staff members in suicide prevention. It will create a fund for state grants to school districts. It will include sections on enforcement and response to HIB and on accountability of schools, districts and the state. It will also require the addition of an anti-bullying policy and enforcement mechanism to the student code of conduct of every public college and university. A link to the full bill will be posted in this diary as soon as it is introduced in the legislature.
On Friday President Obama released his video It Gets Better. In it he says "When I was a young adult, I faced the jokes and taunting that too many of our youth face today, and I considered suicide as a way out. One of my co-workers recognized that I was hurting. She cared enough to push me to seek help." This NJ bill will be a critical step in preventing and providing support for so many people who, like President Obama, know the pain and trauma bullying can cause. Kudos to Valerie Vainieri Huttle, Barbara Buono and all who helped shape the bill. We wish it a successful and speedy trip on the way to enactment.
The Blue Jersey community just heard about State Senator Diane Allen's diagnosis with an aggressive form of cancer. Our thoughts and prayers are with her as she battles this disease, and we wish her and her family nothing but the best.
I don't know that it's much of a surprise that a first term Congressman in what has been considered a more conservative district is a target of the GOP, but John Adler makes the list:
Republicans hope an improved national political environment will help them contest many of the seats it recently lost. Of the 70 targets, 45 are freshmen and sophomores elected in the 2006 and 2008 wave elections.
House Republicans also appear confident that difficult votes on health care and energy legislation will put battle-tested members from conservative districts in trouble. There are over a dozen Blue Dog Democrats on the list, including those who have coasted to re-election in recent years.
When asked recently, potential challenger Diane Allen said it was "kind of early" for her to make a decision yet, but that she was watching and he hadn't done what she felt he needed to do yet. Their challenger in 2008, Chris Myers has been rumored to be the next Senator from Burlington County when the current Senator Phil Haines is appointed to be a judge in the fall, seemingly taking him out of the running. I'll put the full list and NRCC memo below the fold. Adler is the only NJ Democrat targeted by the NRCC.
Now that Chris Christie has chosen his running mate for Lieutenant Governor, people are already looking toward the next elections. Some attention will be paid to who challenges Freshman Congressman John Adler. Diane Allen, who was under consideration apparently to run with Christie, was asked about the prospects of a challenge to Adler in 2010:
"It is kind of early, and truthfully it's just nothing I've given any thought to," she said.
Allen said that her decision will depend on whether Adler does a good job addressing the district's issues.
"I've had conversations with John Adler about things I think need to be done, and we'll see if he gets them done," said Allen. "He hasn't yet."
I'm guessing another consideration will be the warchest that Adler is amassing. He raised the most money of any Frontline Democrat in the Country for the 2nd quarter and has received very favorable coverage for his work reaching out to constituents around the district.
As the final weeks of the Republican primary unfold, Chris Christie and Steve Lonegan will be busy campaigning, trading criticisms of one another, and making the case on the air waves and the internet that they alone are best suited to take on Jon Corzine in this November's gubernatorial election.
Corzine, and whoever wins the GOP nomination on Primary Day, will also undertake the historic task of selecting an individual to run as their respective party's candidate to be the first Lieutenant Governor in New Jersey history. Below the fold is a list of ten possible Republican contenders. It is subjective and, more than anything, written to solicit the opinions of Blue Jersey readers on the strengths and weaknesses of each potential pick.
Please click the headline, read on, comment away, and look out this Thursday for an analysis of potential Democratic choices for Lieutenant Governor.
Yesterday, the State Senate overwhelmingly passed the Party Democracy Act, which will bring transparency to the state's county committees. The bill's passage was the first legislative success for a new bipartisan caucus of women in the legislature led by Senators Loretta Weinberg (D-Bergen) and Diane Allen (R-Burlington) and Assemblywomen Grace Spencer (D-Essex) and Amy Handlin (R-Monmouth).
Republicans Sean Kean and Phil Haines, of Monmouth and Burlington County respectively, voted no. It's unclear what motivated Kean's vote, but Haines is an ally of the Burlington County Republican Party and its Chairman Glenn Paulsen, someone who is not particularly interested in transparency. Diane Allen has quarreled publicly with Paulsen, and tensions between her and the rest of the BurlCo Republican delegation are still high enough that Allen's office almost never co-authors press releases with her fellow Burlington County Republican lawmakers.
Ciesla and Bateman were absent; the latter was recovering from surgery to treat an infected foot. Five other lawmakers either missed the vote or abstained: Brian Stack (D-Hudson), Nick Sacco (D-Hudson), Paul Sarlo (D-Bergen), Joe Kyrillos (R-Monmouth) and Jim Beach (D-Camden).
The State Senate approved the bipartisan Party Democracy Act 31-2 earlier today. The bill will bring transparency to county parties by requiring county clerks to maintain membership lists for Republican and Democratic county committees. The bill's two primary sponsors, Bergen County Democrat Loretta Weinberg and Burlington County Republican Diane Allen, are both independent-minded Senators who have clashed with corrupt county parties in the past. S930's counterpart in the Assembly A1904, boasts seven sponsors and cosponsors from both parties.
The Senate session at 1 PM TODAY is to discuss the Party Democracy Act ethics reform bill. Think of it as making our democracy more democratic by preventing the loopholes in our County Committee system that created such a monster as Joe Ferriero.
Please CALL your NJ State Senators. This bill will help EVERYONE avoid the problems and pitfalls in a system where our state legislators can be CHOSEN without a full general election. (Think Blagovevich and Burris).
Roughly one third of our sitting state legislators were chosen by the County Committees that some folks want you all to think are nothing more than country clubs or moose lodges or something like that. We can pick a STATE SENATOR by just having a county committee special election. The Committees MUST be run in a fair and democratic way.
This Act will help make those Committees work for our constituents, not just the Party Bosses, like Ferriero and Norcross.
Two years ago today, New Jersey enacted a civil unions law by a wide margin. Compelled by the New Jersey Supreme Court to deliver full equality to same-sex families, the Legislature copped out and chose to demean thousands of New Jersey families (denying over a third of them equal rights like health benefits, hospital visitation, financial security, and more), because they were politically afraid to support marriage equality. A few legislators bravely spoke out in favor of true equality, realizing you cannot have Equality and Diet Equality, you can only have true equality or a sham.
Were some legislators justified in the political fears that led them to support civil unions over true equality? No.
A new poll, commissioned by Gannett (the news org that operates the APP, the Home News Tribune, the Courier Post, and other papers) shows that New Jersey voters support marriage equality 50%-40%.
Every time, there's been an excuse from legislators too politically afraid to stand up for what's right. But that's all they are: excuses. There are no excuses anymore. Gannett has no axe to grind here, no political agenda. And it is straight-up reporting that the voters of New Jersey respond favorably to marriage equality, based on credible and unbiased polling. If the poll is at all biased (which we doubt, as Monmouth University is a renowned, fair NJ pollster), it likely skews to the right. The numbers remain. A strong majority of New Jerseyans support marriage equality.
So, we're paging Steve Sweeney, Dick Codey, Diane Allen, and other members of the New Jersey State Senate who have appeared lukewarm or quiet on the issue of marriage equality. Senators, you have no more room for excuses. Fundamentally, you either support full equality or you don't; you must either stand up for what's right or cave in to baseless political fear and timidity. New Jerseys same-sex families have suffered because of civil unions; that's not in doubt. You can either recognize that suffering and fix it by enacting marriage equality this year, or you can turn a blind eye.
The truth is, there are no half-assed attempts at equality. It's time for members of the New Jersey Senate to stand up and be counted, and it's time for members of the Blue Jersey community to turn up the heat and call these wavering senators today.
For the first time since 1882, a Democrat will be sworn in as the next Congressman from New Jersey's 3rd Congressional District. The perfect political storm known as the 2008 election has broken a 126-year drought and turned an impressive state Senator into a promising Congressman-Elect. But it was not a storm that "just happened". It was a storm that was planned and executed with precision.
State Senator John Adler announced his campaign for Congress to challenge then sitting Congressman Jim Saxton very early, on September 20, 2007. From the beginning, Adler waged his campaign on progressive values; his decision to challenge Saxton came shortly after Saxton voted against expanding S-CHIP. This would have been his second time challenging Saxton (Adler ran in the then 13th Congressional district in 1990), but on November 9, 2007 Congressman Saxton announced he would not seek re-election due to health reasons. Now the race was for an open seat, an easier proposition for Adler.
To understand the political dynamics at play, you first have to understand the geographic composition of the district. The 3rd District includes Cherry Hill in Camden County, most of Burlington County and a sizable chunk of Ocean County. On the Democratic side, the field cleared for Adler and he received the early support of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. On the Republican side, many wanted Burlington County native State Senator Diane Allen to run. When she declined, Chris Myers emerged as the Burlington County Candidate.
At odds with the establishment Republicans in her home county, Allen said she was happy to drive the hour and a half to stand with Lance against the Stender/DCCC attack machine.
She said she's working hard for the McCain/Palin ticket and for local candidates. As for publicly backing the machine-endorsed Medford Mayor Chris Myers in his fight with state Sen. John Adler (D-Camden) - or taking a shot at Myers - Allen demurred on both counts.
"My card is full," she said.
Yep. Not only have Myers' own employees dissed him, now the rank-and-file of his own party are just not going to mention him at all.
The newest member of the Assembly, Annette Quijano, spoke today at a Trenton press conference marking Women's Equality Day, the 88th anniversary of the 19th Amendment granting women the right to vote. The press conference was called by Women Advocating for Good Government, WAGG-NJ, a task force of the NJ Women's Political Caucus, whose mission is:
to increase the number of women in the legislature and other levels of government, to educate women in the political process, and to empower women to take leadership positions in the state, county, and local political organizations.
Assemblywoman-Select Quijano discussed her recent appointment and how pleased she was to have the support of women throughout the state. She talked about having a clear understanding of issues facing women and families, having been raised by a single mother.
Senator Shirley Turner reminded the audience that the year she was elected to the NJ Senate, there were only 2 women, so with her election and that of Sen. Diane Allen's the same year, they doubled the number of women in the Senate. Today there are 9.
Former Assemblywoman Rose Marie Heck, Chair, WAGG-NJ said:
We have gone through a number of years which have tarnished the reputation of our state. Now, with women entering the chambers in greater numbers than at any time in history, we look forward to responsive representation in a bi-partisan spirit by women who have the best interests of their constituents at heart.
Founding Chair and former NOW NJ President Myra Terry noted that the number of women in the NJ legislature is now at a historic high of 35 out of 120, bringing New Jersey's ranking among all 50 states from 15th to 14th for the percentage of women in a state legislature.
Zulima Farber, President of LUPE (Latinas United for Political Empowerment) and former NJ Attorney General, also discussed the close vote in the county committee meeting and praised State Democratic Party Chair Joe Cryan continued efforts to increase the number of women in office.
Former Assemblywoman Joan Wright, WAGG's executive director, announced the a new WAGG initiative to sponsor Town Hall Meetings in the southern, central, and northern parts of the state featuring panels of women legislators and highlighting their work. The first of the series will be held at the
Alice Paul Institute, Mount Laurel, NJ, on Wednesday, September 24, 2008, 6 to 9 p.m.
The Party Democracy Act is making its New and Improved Debut for 2008. The bill has been completely vetted and refined.
Will this be the start of a new era?
If The Party Democracy Act passes - it could be the very first official nail in the coffin of party boss politics in the State of NJ.
If the Party Democracy Act passes - NJ may no longer be the poster child for political corruption, but a model for ethics reform in the US.
If the Party Democracy Act passes - it will be easier for ANY democrat with a passion for serving the public to choose who winds up on the ballot.
If the Party Democracy Act passes - I won't have to wonder if my county committee vote actually was counted or not.
If the Party Democracy Act passes - I won't have to worry about my entire Tenafly Municipal Committee - including the entire Elected Town Council being challenged at the BCDO special elections.
If the Party Democracy Act passes, I will be able to blog more about other things than what my Party Boss is up to THIS time.
If the Party Democracy Act passes, I won't have to worry about forged resignation letters turning up with my name on them.
If the Party Democracy Act passes, I will be able to sleep at night, knowing that democracy is alive and well in my beloved state, and that the voices of my fellow NJ voters are actually - finally - heard.
Lets help this Bill PASS. Please.
Here is the official press release:
January 24th, 2008 Contact: Heather Taylor, 732-548-9798 x.1
Sponsors Pledge to Fight for Adoption of Party Democracy Act Bill filed today.
While filing the Party Democracy Act for the 2008-2009 session, the Senate and Assembly sponsors renewed their pledge to seeing the bills adoption in the new legislative session. The Party Democracy Act guarantees county political parties operate under a constitution and bylaws and sets a fair process for the filling vacancies in public office. The sponsors of the Act are Senators Loretta Weinberg and Diane Allen, and Assemblywomen Linda Greenstein, Amy Handlin, Valerie Vainieri Huttle, Charlotte Vandervalk, and Assemblyman Gordon Johnson. The legislation was developed by the Citizen's Campaign Legal Task Force.
For far too often County Political Parties have operated in a closed and undemocratic manner with party chairs wielding immeasurable power over the award of ballot lines, campaign cash, and the filling of vacancies in public office. The legislation lays the groundwork for the county committeepeople---the elected neighborhood party representatives - to have clearly spelled out and fundamentally fair set of rules.
Senator Loretta Weinberg said, "This is really a step to protect the rights of the most grassroots members of our two party system. Party leaders should support and lead the way on this bill."
Senator Diane Allen said, "This bill empowers our county committee people to do what they were elected to do so decisions are made by the people not by a single party boss."
Assemblywoman Linda Greenstein said, "As a candidate who ran for Assembly in 1999 as a relative political outsider, I appreciated the open process in both Mercer and Middlesex counties that allowed me to build support among county committee-people without the threat of backroom deals. I would like to see a similar open convention process in all counties to encourage women, minorities and others to participate in the political process."
Assemblywoman Amy Handlin said, "This bill will open doors to new talent. It will encourage the development of independent thinkers in both parties -- exactly what New Jersey needs at every level of government."
Assemblywoman Valerie Vainieri Huttle said, "Government reform begins with political reform. Keeping our political party system honest and transparent will help ensure the integrity of our democracy here in New Jersey."
Assemblyman Gordon Johnson said, "It is amazing that in a Country that is the beacon of democracy to the world, there are institutions that do not function democratically. It is the responsibility of the state and national government to foster democracy and insure its proper function in its institutions. That responsibility extends to the political party apparatus of New Jersey. It falls to us to make sure that this most basic platform of democracy operates democratically."
Citizen's Campaign spokeswoman Heather Taylor said, "We are pleased to have such strong sponsors behind this effort to restore democracy to the political parties, we plan to lead an aggressive grassroots campaign to see this bill's adoption."
The legislation:
*Mandates county political parties adopt constitution and bylaws. Currently, it is optional for county political parties to have a constitution or by-laws. Constitutions and by-laws ensure fundamental fairness and allow all participants to know the rules of the game. Without them, political parties operate under clubhouse rules which are known by few and often result in domination by the chair. The actual content of the constitution and bylaws will still be determined by each individual county political party in a manner they choose.
* Because County Party Constitutions and bylaws are currently optional, it can be very difficult to obtain valid copies of the bylaws and constitution. It is critical to maintain a political culture where the rules are the rules, and they are available to all participants. In the case of a vote to fill a vacancy, it is even more important that those who wish to run for a vacancy be able to obtain the rules immediately.
*Requires voting machines for party committee votes to fill vacancies in public office. Voting machines are critical to enabling county committeemembers to vote their conscience, free from the threat or perception of intimidation from party bosses who in many cases control their livelihood. County Committees elect to vacancies in the legislature and board of freeholders.
*Requires the County clerk to maintain a list of the county party committees. For candidates seeking nomination or election in a committee vote to fill a vacancy in public office, it is critical to know who are the eligible voters. In the case of Senator Weinberg's special election, she was unable to get an official list for several days while the list was being changed last minute. By establishing a standard list which must be updated and a public record, last minute replacements will not be allowed.
*Provides for resignation, vacancy and appointment records to be maintained by County Clerk to ensure the lists accuracy. Notarized resignation letters to be submitted to the clerk. Persons selected to fill a va cancy on the county committee will also file a certificate of acceptance which regularly elected county committeepersons file. The Citizen's Campaign is a non-partisan organization which devises innovative government reforms and promotes citizen leadership.
The actual Bill filed just today - in black and white and hot off the presses!
AN ACT concerning county political party committees and amending R.S.19:5-3 and R.S.19:13-20.
BE IT ENACTED by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. R.S.19:5-3 is amended to read as follows: 19:5-3. The members of the county committees of political parties shall be elected annually at the primary for the general election in the manner provided in this Title for the selection of party candidates to be voted for at the general election by voters of a municipality. The county committee shall consist of one male and one female member from each unit of representation in the county. The male receiving the highest number of votes among the male candidates and the female receiving the highest number of votes among the female candidates shall be declared elected. Members of the county committee shall actually reside in the districts or units which they respectively represent. The county committee shall determine by its bylaws the units into which the county shall be divided for purpose of representation in the county committee.
The members of the county committee of each of the political parties shall take office on the first Saturday following their election, on which day the terms of all members of such committees theretofore elected shall terminate. The annual meeting of each county committee shall be held on the first Tuesday following the primary election, except that when such meeting day falls on a legal holiday then the said meeting shall be held on the day following, and when such meeting day falls on the day of a municipal runoff election within the county then said meeting may be held on the day following, at an hour and place to be designated in a notice in writing to be mailed by the chairperson of the outgoing county committee to each member-elect, at which annual meeting the members of such committee shall elect some suitable person as chairperson who shall be a resident of such county to hold office for 1 year, or until a successor is elected. The chairperson of the outgoing county committee shall transmit, with the notice of the annual meeting, a copy of the constitution and bylaws to any newly elected committee member. The members shall also elect a vice-chairperson of the opposite sex of the chairperson to hold office for 1 year or until a successor is elected and the vice-chairperson shall perform all duties required by law and the constitution and bylaws of such committee. The members of the county committee shall adopt a constitution and bylaws, ensuring fundamental fairness and the rights of the members of the county committee in the governance of the county party. Any person elected or appointed to membership on the county committee pursuant to R.S.19:5-2 may request, in writing and by certified mail to the county chairperson, such constitution or bylaws. The committee member requesting the constitution or bylaws shall receive the constitution or bylaws within 48 hours of the receipt of the request by the chairperson. The chairperson shall preside at all meetings of the committee and shall perform all duties required by law and the constitution and bylaws of such committee.
When a member of a county committee ceases to be a resident of the district or unit from which elected, a vacancy on the county committee shall exist. A member of a county committee of any political party may resign his or her office to the committee of which he or she is a member, and upon acceptance thereof by the committee, a vacancy shall exist. A vacancy in the office of a member of the county committee of any political party, caused by death, resignation, failure to elect, or removal for cause, shall be filled for the unexpired term by the municipal committee of the municipality wherein the vacancy occurs, if there is such committee, and if not, by the remaining members of the county committee of such political party representing the territory in the county in which such vacancy occurs. The chairperson of the outgoing county committee shall provide a copy of the constitution and bylaws to any committee member appointed pursuant to R.S.19:5-2 to fill a vacancy within three business days of the committee member's selection.
The chairperson of the county committee of the several political parties shall, before April 1, certify to the clerk of each municipality in the county the unit of representation in such municipality, together with the enumeration of the election district or districts embraced within such unit.
(cf: P.L.1980, c.105, s.3)
2. R.S.19:13-20 is amended to read as follows:
19:13-20. In the event of a vacancy, howsoever caused, among candidates nominated at a primary election for the general election, which vacancy shall occur not later than the 51st day before the general election, or in the event of inability to select a candidate because of a tie vote at such primary, a candidate shall be selected in the following manner:
a. (1) In the case of an office to be filled by the voters of the entire State, the candidate shall be selected by the State committee of the political party wherein such vacancy has occurred.
(2) In the case of an office to be filled by the voters of a single and entire county, the candidate shall be selected by the county committee in such county of the political party wherein such vacancy has occurred.
(3) In the case of an office to be filled by the voters of a portion of the State comprising all or part of two or more counties, the candidate shall be selected by those members of the county committees of the party wherein the vacancy has occurred who represent those portions of the respective counties which are comprised in the district from which the candidate is to be elected.
(4) In the case of an office to be filled by the voters of a portion of a single county, the candidate shall be selected by those members of the county committee of the party wherein the vacancy has occurred who represent those portions of the county which are comprised in the district from which the candidate is to be elected. At any meeting held for the selection of a candidate under this subsection, a majority of the persons eligible to vote thereat shall be required to be present for the conduct of any business, and no person shall be entitled to vote at that meeting who is appointed to the State committee or county committee after the seventh day preceding the date of the meeting. Within 20 days after the meeting of each county committee that is held on the first Tuesday following the primary election at which committee members are elected, the municipal clerk shall certify to the county clerk an official list of the duly elected county committee members. The county party chairperson shall have a continuing duty to report to the county clerk any vacancies, resignations, and committee positions filled pursuant to R.S.19:5-2 or 19:5-3. A report of a resignation shall be accompanied by a notarized letter of resignation signed by the resigning committee member. Notice of vacancies in the membership of a county committee that are filled pursuant to R.S.19:5-2 or 19:5-3 shall be accompanied by a certificate of acceptance signed by the newly selected member. The official list of the county committee members maintained by the county clerk shall be deemed to be a government record and only those county committee members listed thereon seven days prior to a selection to fill a vacancy and otherwise qualified to vote on the vacancy shall be entitled to vote on filling a vacancy pursuant to this section. In addition, every person appointed to the county committee shall file with the county clerk a certificate of acceptance which shall be preserved by the county clerk as a government record. In the case of a meeting held to select a candidate for other than a Statewide office, the chairperson of the meeting shall be chosen by majority vote of the persons present and entitled to vote thereat. The chairperson so chosen may propose rules to govern the determination of credentials and the procedures under which the meeting shall be conducted, and those rules shall be adopted upon a majority vote of the persons entitled to vote upon the selection. If a majority vote is not obtained for those rules, the delegates shall determine credentials and conduct the business of the meeting under such other rules as may be adopted by a majority vote. All contested votes taken at the selection meeting, as referenced in subsections a. and b. of this section, shall be by secret ballot in a voting booth of the type used in primary and general elections.
b. (1) Whenever in accordance with subsection a. of this section members of two or more county committees are empowered to select a candidate to fill a vacancy, it shall be the responsibility of the chairpersons of said county committees, acting jointly not later in any case than the seventh day following the occurrence of the vacancy, to give notice to each of the members of their respective committees, as certified by the county clerk, who are so empowered of the date, time and place of the meeting at which the selection will be made, that meeting to be held at least one day following the date on which the notice is given.
(2) Whenever in accordance with the provisions of subsection a. of this section members of a county committee are empowered to select a candidate to fill a vacancy, it shall be the responsibility of the chairperson of such county committee, not later in any case than the seventh day following the occurrence of the vacancy, to give notice to each of the members of the committee, as certified by the county clerk, who are so empowered of the date, time and place of the meeting at which the selection will be made, that meeting to be held at least one day following the date on which the notice is given.
(3) A county committee chairperson or chairpersons who call a meeting pursuant to paragraph (1) or (2) of this subsection shall not be entitled to vote upon the selection of a candidate at such meeting unless he or she or they are so entitled pursuant to subsection a.
(4) Whenever in accordance with the provisions of subsection a. of this section the State committee of a political party is empowered to select a candidate to fill a vacancy, it shall be the responsibility of the chairperson of that State committee to give notice to each of the members of the committee of the date, time and place of the meeting at which the selection will be made, that meeting to be held at least one day following the date on which the notice is given.
c. Whenever a selection is to be made pursuant to this section to fill a vacancy resulting from inability to select a candidate because of a tie vote at a primary election for the general election, the selection shall be made from among those who have thus received the same number of votes at the primary.
d. A selection made pursuant to this section shall be made not later than the 48th day preceding the date of the general election, and a statement of such selection shall be filed with the Attorney General or the appropriate county clerk, as the case may be, not later than that day, and in the following manner:
(1) A selection made by a State committee of a political party shall be certified to the Secretary of State by the State chairperson of the political party.
(2) A selection made by a county committee of a political party, or a portion of the members thereof, shall be certified to the county clerk of the county by the county chairperson of such political party; except that when such selection is of a candidate for the Senate or General Assembly or the United States House of Representatives the county chairperson shall certify the selection to the State chairperson of such political party, who shall certify the same to the Secretary of State.
(3) A selection made by members of two or more county committees of a political party acting jointly shall be certified by the chairpersons of said committees, acting jointly, to the State chairperson of such political party, who shall certify the same to the Attorney General.
e. A statement filed pursuant to subsection d. of this section shall state the residence and post office address of the person so selected, and shall certify that the person so selected is qualified under the laws of this State to be a candidate for such office, and is a member of the political party filling the vacancy. Accompanying the statement, the person endorsed therein shall file a certificate stating that he or she is qualified under the laws of this State to be a candidate for the office mentioned in the statement, that he or she consents to stand as a candidate at the ensuing general election and that he or she is a member of the political party named in said statement, and further that he or she is not a member of, or identified with, any other political party or any political organization espousing the cause of candidates of any other political party, to which shall be annexed the oath of allegiance prescribed in R.S.41:1-1 duly taken and subscribed by him or her before an officer authorized to take oaths in this State. The person so selected shall be the candidate of the party for such office at the ensuing general election. Each candidate for the office of Governor or the office of member of the Senate or General Assembly filing a certification shall annex thereto a statement signed by the candidate that he or she:
(1) has not been convicted of any offense graded by Title 2C of the New Jersey Statutes as a crime of the first, second, third or fourth degree, or any offense in any other jurisdiction which, if committed in this State, would constitute such a crime; or
(2) has been so convicted, in which case, the candidate shall disclose on the statement the crime for which convicted, the date and place of the conviction and the penalties imposed for the conviction. Such a candidate may, as an alternative, submit with the statement a copy of an official document that provides such information. If the candidate has been convicted of more than one criminal offense, such information about each conviction shall be provided. Records expunged pursuant to chapter 52 of Title 2C of the New Jersey Statutes shall not be subject to disclosure.
(cf: P.L.2005, c.136, s.21)
3. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill requires county political party committees to adopt and distribute a constitution and bylaws. The bill requires the constitution and bylaws to ensure the representative rights of members of the county committee in the governance of the county party. In addition, the bill provides that within 20 days of the first county committee meeting after a primary election, the municipal clerk will certify to the county clerk an official list of the county committee members. The bill provides the chair of a county committee will have a continuing duty to report changes in the committee membership, with appropriate documentation, to the county clerk. It also provides that the official list of the county committee members maintained by the county clerk will be a government record that is accessible to the public and only those county committee members listed thereon seven days prior to a selection to fill a vacancy and otherwise qualified to vote on the vacancy will be entitled to vote on filling a vacancy. In addition, every person appointed to the county committee will be required to file with the county clerk a certificate of acceptance.
Requires adoption and distribution of constitutions and bylaws by county political party committees; requires certified list of committee members to be filed with county clerk.
The Party Democracy Act, sponsored by New Jersey State Senators Diane Allen (R) and Loretta Weinberg (D), is a step in the right direction. How the major County political parties operate in New Jersey is largely unknown. Yet, they have a great deal of power, including the ability to fill legislative vacancies as they arise. Reform is needed to create more openness and accountability of our County political parties.
For all the talk of the huge ugly battle that would be the GOP primary campaign in NJ-3, Ocean County Boss George Gilmore could cut everyone off at the knees if he supports the Burlington County Boss backed candidate, Chris Myers.
At the BurlcoGOP coup er county committee meeting hastily called at the behest of Boss Glenn Paulsen, who was seeking to regain his power by having puppet and next door neighbor Bill Layton serve as chairman, he showed his cards about where he'd be placing his money...
Burlington County Republican boss Glenn Paulsen said Saturday that he is supporting Christopher Myers
With Diane Allen out of the race thanks to the civil war that she was having with Paulsen, it looks like Myers will be the clear choice coming out of Burlington County. Camden County will accept whatever candidate the bosses tell them. So now Gilmore has to decide if he wants to stand up for his county or bow to the pressure of State Chair Tom Wilson and the Burlco Boss because Myers wants to go play there too...
Myers, who lives in Burlington County and is the presumptive favorite to get that county party's nod for a congressional bid, has sent his resume to Ocean County GOP Chairman George Gilmore and will participate in a candidate screening process this weekend.
I won't hold my breath for the Ocean county candidates going through the Burlco screening process because Paulsen has already decided for everyone, but Gilmore seems to have an open mind...
"I've said from the beginning that if the three county organizations can get behind one county candidate, that would be great," said Gilmore.
So what will Gilmore do? Will he support one of his own, creating what many say will be a bitter primary battle or will he strike a deal allowing Burlington to be the Parent to Ocean's child status once again? Besides, what's the point of letting the voters decide when you can have 2 bosses agree for everyone that will be represented by their choice? You gotta love Jersey.
The Evans-Novak political report now lists NJ-3 as Leans Democratic, after Diane Allen announced she won't be running for the seat:
When Rep. Jim Saxton (R) last month joined the long list of retiring Republican congressmen, his district, while competitive, appeared to be more likely than not to stay in GOP hands. Now, that has changed, and the 3rd District in New Jersey has become the fifth GOP open seat to move into the Democratic column.
State Sen. Dianne [sic] Allen (R) was the initial favorite here. She represents a Democratic part of the district in Burlington County, which borders with Pennsylvania and is near Camden, N.J. and Philadelphia. Ocean County is the other half of the district, and the more Republican part. Allen would have had a leg up in the race once she combined her own base in Burlington with the GOP leaning Ocean County.
The Party Democracy Act was officially introduced yesterday. The bill is to make Party Committees more honest in their deliberations and elections and to prevent the gaming of the system that Party Bosses in NJ have been able to get away with for the past century.
Two chairmen who run their parties with an iron fist cry that the bill is "unconstitutional". In whose warped little undemocratic country, may I ask?
I find it odd that two men who don't beleive that their organizations should be run in a Democratic way would run screaming to the state constitution. You can't have it both ways, boys. You either run your fiefdoms undemocratically and ignore the constitution, or you run your organizations honestly and abide by the constitution. But you can't continue to do what you've been doing, disenfranchising duly elected committee men and women, while calling on the Constitution to save your sorry selves.
Lest you think I am only talking about Democratic Bosses only, the Chairman of the State Republican party says its like going after the Chamber of Commerce or Little League and telling them what they can and can't do. Gee, next thing you know they'll be going after how mom makes her apple pie.
No, Mr. Wilson. Think of it more like telling the Little League in town that they can't exclude non-white kids anymore. Or like telling the Chamber of Commerce that they must seat black patrons at the same counter as white patrons. It's about making the democratic process more democratic. It's about giving everyone a seat at the counter, or on the bus.
I'm sorry if the few boys in control who want to continue the members-only club that our state government has become to enrich their personal piggy banks, are teed off. No, wait, no I'm not. If they aren't afraid of this bill, then it wasn't written right.
But for them to use the State Constitution to perpetuate Pay to Play and the disenfranchisement and rigged elections as practiced by the Party Bosses in NJ - the guys who give us all a bad name - is just a little disingenous, if not nauseating. I can just hear the Church Lady expressing her sympathy for the poor Party Bosses now. "Now, you care about the Constitution! How Special!"
I'm running off at the moment, so this will just be a brief hit and run diary. PolitickerNJ (unrelatedly: anybody else not fond of the new name?) is reporting that State Senator Diane Allen will not be running in 2008 to fill the seat of retiring Congressman Jim Saxton.
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