The new Senate committee lineups are taking shape and I just got my hands on the list of committee chairmen/women. Some seem like a natural fit (Vitale, Scutari for ex.) while other appear wildly out of place given their backgrounds and leadership skills. But that's just my take.
Anyway, follow me below the fold to learn who the Senate's gavel-bearers will be for the next 2 years.
At the request of State Senator Van Drew, State Senator Weinberg has agreed to hold a JOINT Hearing of the " Health, Human Services, and Senior Citizens " Committee to discuss the unwarranted closure of the Vineland Developmental Center.
The Hearing will be held on Tuesday (May 17th - ed.) at 1: 00 P.M. at the Vineland City Hall, 640 E.Woods Street.
The public is asked to attend and voice their opinion.
Thank you Senator Weinberg for making this happen!!!
Apparently, when Chris Christie was in elementary school, he slept through the social studies class that discussed separation of powers. In case he's reading this blog, I'll take just a moment to remind him that there are three branches of government that are equal - the executive (governor of the state, or president at the national level), the legislature, and the judiciary. Each has powerful checks and balances on the other two branches to ensure that one single leg of this three-legged stool we call government does not get too big and topple over the entire stool.
As news continues to come out about the budget deal that has been reached, the question of where the votes will come from to pass it becomes even more important. Some of the initial reaction hasn't been terribly favorable. Senator Sacco won't be a supporter because of UEZ funds:
Sacco said North Bergen has raised UEZ funds his city has used to build a mall on a formerly blighted area, to fix roads and to create a turn lane on routes 1 and 9.
"I don't know how to get a reversal," Sacco said. "This is a major disappointment. I absolutely cannot support this budget."
"It's unlikely I'll vote for it as it's currently devised," Whelan told PolitickerNJ.com. "Whether there can be enough tweaks to get me there, it remains to be seen."
We did not run on the kind of deep cuts in property tax relief to suburban and rural communities that we see in the final budget bill.
If all Republicans in both bodies support the budget, they need 4 Democrats in the Senate and 8 in the Assembly to get things to the Governor's desk. If you've seen comments from your members of the Legislature, let us know in the thread. And if they're not on the record yet, give them a call. Here is a list of Legislators and their contact information.
New Jersey legislators seem determined to push sports betting even though it's illegal under federal law. The new strategy seems to be to amend the state constitution and hope some judge lets New Jersey trump the feds. (Hey, it worked for the Tea Party.) Senator Lesniak made a pretty impressive statement:
When Manchester United plays Chelsea at Wembley Stadium, London, in the Premier League, the second most successful sports league in the world, fans can place a bet on either team right at the stadium. When the San Francisco 49ers take on the Denver Broncos at Wembley Stadium on Sunday October 31st of this year, the fans will not be able to place a bet at the stadium, because the National Football League, to protect the integrity of its sport, will not allow the betting windows to open. The fans will have to walk across the street to place their bets. The Broncos will no doubt be favored by a touchdown.
"Insane? You bet it is. Just as insane as the federal ban on sports betting which forces the public to bet illegally with bookies or at off shore internet sites, out of the reach of our law enforcement agencies, or legally at the safe haven created by Congress in Nevada and Delaware...
In another statement promoting Atlantic City, Van Drew said an amendment would "send a strong, unified message." Personally I am finding it hard to care, and when I see "send a message," I translate it as "making no real difference" and "doomed to fail," but this sports betting push bears watching. Any ideas?
If a Democrat beats Congressman Frank LoBiondo in this November's election, it won't be State Senator Jeff Van Drew doing it. Van Drew has confirmed to Coastal Broadcasting that he will not be running against LoBiondo in this November's election. The State Senator will be up for reelection 2011, along with Assemblyman Nelson Albano and Matt Milam. Cape May Councilman David Kurkowski ran against LoBiondo in 2008, in the Republican's most recent victory.
After he didn't pull the trigger in 2008 with all the wind at the back of Democrats, I wasn't expecting him to jump in this year given the current climate. He didn't close the door on a future run however:
"I'm not going to be running in this cycle," said Van Drew, D-Cape May, Cumberland, Atlantic.
While Van Drew will not run, Egg Harbor Township resident George Sakura says he plans to run. He hasn't spoken to the Atlantic County Chair about his run yet and says he plans on running not against LoBiondo, but against the idea of lobbyists running the country. We will have to see if anyone else steps forward to challenge for the Democrats and if he gets anyone running against him from the right in the primary as well.
Jeff Van Drew (D-Dennis)
Shirley Turner (D-Trenton)
Nicholas Sacco (D-North Bergen)
Ronald Rice (D-Newark)
John Girgenti (D-Hawthorne)
Fred Madden (D-Washinton Twp)
James Beach (D-Cherry Hill)
Stephen Sweeney (D-West Deptford)
Paul Sarlo (D-Wood-ridge)
Senator Van Drew is honestly the only person on this list who deserves a pass, his district is just overwhelmingly Republican.
I've never been more disgusted and embarrassed than I was today to be a Democrat.
Can we make this the official primary candidate suggestion list?
Governor Corzine said on Friday that he will intervene and join Senator Lesniak's lawsuit seeking to overturn a federal prohibition on sports betting:
"The federal government's prohibition on sports betting for some but not all states is fundamentally unfair," Governor Corzine said. "There should be uniformity in the application of federal law. If one state is allowed to legalize betting on sports events, all states should be allowed the same opportunity."
[snip]
"Delaware's entry into sports wagering and table games is a serious threat to the both the casino and horse racing industries in New Jersey," Governor Corzine said. "We must do everything in our power to stay competitive. We simply cannot afford to sit back and let neighboring states press an unfair advantage against us anytime, and certainly not in the midst of this global economic crisis."
Senator Van Drew had a good deal to say on Corzine joining the lawsuit including a call to Senator Codey to post the bill for a vote because he thinks pushing legislation will move the lawsuit quicker:
"While I think Senator Lesniak will ultimately be successful in arguing the unconstitutionality of the federal sports betting ban, I think now is the perfect time for New Jersey to make a statement right here within our own borders that we won't let our casinos become uncompetitive and obsolete when compared to gaming establishments in Delaware, Pennsylvania and New York.
"During the last three legislative sessions, I've sponsored bills to legalize sports betting in New Jersey, regardless of the federal ban. That legislation has passed the Assembly this session, but remains stalled in the Senate.
"Today, I'd like to call on Senate President Codey to post the bill, so we can jump-start the discussion of legalized sports betting within the Garden State.
"Posting the bill is a calculated risk. If Senator Lesniak is successful in court, we want to have the legislative framework ready, so we can begin legal sports wagering at our State's casinos as soon as possible.
"However, if the bill moves through the Legislature and becomes law before Senator Lesniak ultimately wins in court, our efforts to implement legal sports betting would most likely garner a court challenge - giving us another opportunity to weigh the constitutionality of the federal ban in court, and hopefully, speeding up the process in terms of deliberation of Senator Lesniak's suit.
New Jersey lawmakers dropped the ball on this by not taking action against the federal law sooner. We just hope the mistake doesn't cost too many more jobs in an already battered Atlantic City.
They could have challenged the law sooner, but I don't know if that would have made a difference necessarily. Maybe the thinking now is that even if they can't get it legalized or win the lawsuit, they can say they did everything to try and get it done with the decision being out of their hands. And if they do actually win the suit, jackpot.
We have all seen the stories of beaches being closed when medical waste washes up along shore. Senator Van Drew and Assemblymen Albano and Milam are sponsoring legislation to crack down on illegal dumping:
One notable news story that happened during the Andrews announcement and subsequent Lautenberg-Andrews fallout was that a somewhat unknown, but possibly formidable, opponent emerged at the last moment for Frank LoBiondo in NJ-02. David Kurkowski, a Cape May councilman, has made a late bid for LoBiondo's congressional seat, and Democrats are clearing the slate for him to go mano-a-mano with the person who once pledged a six-term limit, then reneged. Kurkowsi has deep roots in Cape May, judging from his resume, his company, and his personal webpage, and he credits his environmental and preservation efforts as councilman as some of his best accomplishments:
In Cape May, Kurkowski has been a strong supporter of saving the historic Beach Theatre, refurbishing the Washington Street Mall, building a new convention center and getting wireless Internet.
In his first comments to the Press of Atlantic City, Kurkowski lays out a general strategy for the November election:
"I'm committed to peace and prosperity. I believe the wartime economy has had a tragic effect on our country. I lay a lot of blame on LoBiondo and his support of Bush and the war. I will be attacking him on many issues,"
This will work if voters pay close attention to LoBiondo's actual stand and record on Iraq, stem cell research, and immigration - and if independent publications like Blue Jersey pick up the slack and force the press and papers to cover LoBiondo's problematic record, as with what happened, for example when Blue Jersey began covering LoBiondo's role in the Deepwater scandal in 2006.
Cumberland County, and other NJ-02 counties such as Atlantic Co., have cleared their party lines for Kurkowski, and CC Chair Lou Magazzu, who once ran unsuccessfully against LoBiondo, seems to be an unofficial advisor to Kurkowski. The two other candidates, Viola Thomas-Hughes, who ran a spirited, but resource-deficient, campaign in 2006, and another candidate, Bridgeton schoolteacher Celeste Riley, have both apparently cleared the way for Kurkowski.
A Rasmussen poll released Monday found Republican John McCain leading both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama inside the margin of error in New Jersey. McCain, who leads Obama 46-45 and Clinton 45-42, is boosted by his 61% favorability rating in the state.
Almost two weeks ago, The Atlantic City Press ran http://www.pressofatlanticcity... a story that has had me giddy: Citing unnamed sources, they say that popular state senator Jeff Van Drew is "seriously" considering running against Frank LoBiondo in district -02.
The article states:
It had appeared the Democrats' top prospect, state Sen. Jeff Van Drew, would not run for LoBiondo's House seat. Insiders said the party was ready to concede the district, which covers all or parts of six southern counties.But Van Drew can't be counted out just yet. Why? On Feb. 5, 1.1 million New Jersey Democrats turned out for the presidential primary. That number shattered records for voting in a state primary.
In other words, the massive Democratic turnout for our 5 February primary, a turnout of 2-1 over Republicans, has Van Drew considering whether this is his time to run. At the end of last year, Blue Jersey posters http://www.bluejersey.com/show... chimed in on candidates whom they would like to see run against LoBiondo (Alisa Cooper, an Atlantic County freeholder, is a person I forgot to add to the list) -- but this was when it looked like Van Drew, a newly-minted state senator, wasn't running.
There are reasons for Van Drew not to run: He was just elected to the state senate and could look like he is too ambitious or neglecting his district if he runs for congress, LoBiondo has a massive war chest saved for his campaigns and would be tough to beat anyway, two races in N.J. are already top 10 pick-up chances for Dems, and 2010 or 2012 may be a better year in terms of timing and a possible LoBiondo retirement.
One unnamed reporter with whom I spoke suggested that Van Drew may bet waiting until the 4 March primaries to see if Obama is indeed the nominee. If Obama wins both those major states, he suggested, Van Drew may jump in. In the past, Van Drew voiced support for Richardson or Biden to be the nominee; but since that didn't materialize, he seems to be waiting to see if the more-electable Obama is at the top of the ticket.
As of right now, there isn't a single Democrat who has filed to run against LoBiondo, from what I've researched, and Sen. Whelan, a top-tier candidate, has ruled out running. But there comes a time to throw caution to the wind. Though I voiced concerns about Van Drew running so soon for Congress, I think that he is talented enough to serve as state senator and run for national office, and I encourage him to go after LoBiondo. If I'm reading the tea leaves correctly, then, with Obama at the top of the ticket, much of the country will go Democratic in the upcoming election, and district 02 is the most Democratic district out of any Republican-held district in the state. Let's make it three remaining GOPers (at the most) left representing N.J. in Congress after November. Run for Congress, Senator Van Drew!
In the wake of the Michael Vick trial and other high profile animal cruelty cases, New Jersey lawmakers have made it a priority to put tougher animal welfare laws into the books and rightly so. Both Republicans and Democrats are co-sponsoring several bills that will have real-world impact on the well being of pets in the state of New Jersey. Besides the Vick trial, one of the impetuses for these bills is the case of Angel, a pit bull terrier puppy that was beaten and starved to death in the state; hence, the name "Angel's Law" has stuck for animal cruelty laws that protect pets from such cruelty.
(Promoted by njdem: I don't know if I agree that Van Drew & Whelen shoudn't run, but this is certainly a seat we should pay attention to. 2008 could be a really big year. - promoted by njdem)
Promoted by njdem: I don't know if I agree about Van Drew or Whelan running (or not), but we should definitely pay attention to this seat. 2008 could be a big year.
In less than one year, voters will decide who will face Bush rubber-stamp Frank LoBiondo, and as of now, not a single Democrat has filed to run against him, to the best of my knowledge. While every other district in N.J. has strong Democratic challengers, there still isn't a strong challenger, let alone any challenger, for LoBiondo's seat.
You may not be aware of this, but there's a newly-elected state senator that goes by the name of Van Drew who may be a viable candidate. Kidding aside, both Van Drew and Jim Whelan, top tier candidates, should not be running for this seat in 2008 and instead should serve a few years in the state senate before gunning for congress. (After the recent death penalty vote, I wonder if I don't prefer Whelan at this point). Last month, after winning his seat, Van Drew even said:
"I want to enjoy my victory. It's been less than a week," Van Drew said. "I want to spend some time with my family and get reacquainted, organize my legislative offices and prepare for the state Legislature."
What does that leave us for 2008? (Take the flip to find out!)
It turns out it's not just a bunch of liberals criticizing Representative Frank LoBiondo. Wally Edge is reporting that Republicans are grumbling about LoBiondo's failure (or inability?) to help their state legislators. The NJ2 congressional district is likely to have two more Democratic state senators, Jeff Van Drew and Jim Whelan:
Internal polls in both districts show the Democratic challengers with a lead against the GOP incumbents.
With a "major Republican player" badmouthing LoBiondo anonymously, and Republican Francis Blee supporting Whelan, the wheels are coming off the Republican party in South Jersey. Meanwhile, everyone understands that Van Drew or Whelan will sooner or later be a strong challenger for Congress.
New Jersey Republicans know they can't beat Democrats on the issues, so in 2007, they will try to run against straw men instead.
Last Month, Republican State Senator Nick "Straw Man" Asselta attacked Democratic Assemblymen Jeff Van Drew and Nelson Albano for voting against an amendment that would prohibit Governor Corzine from studying asset monetization. Van Drew and Albano actually voted for the amendment.
Less than three weeks later, "Straw Man" Asselta is at it again. Three times in the last two days, his campaign has attacked Van Drew and Albano in press releases claiming that the Assemblymen want to sell New Jersey's toll roads. Asselta reasons that a vote for a budget is a vote for monetization--as if he's never voted for a bill containing a provision or two he didn't like.
Asselta has a real problem. He's running against the most active, hardest-working legislator in the state, and if his press releases are any indication, he's a single-issue candidate without any policy ideas of his own. To attack his opponent on an issue on which they both essentially agree is a sign of desperation, not a sign of strength.
State Sen. Raymond Lesniak has formed a "Coalition Against Bigotry and Hate" with several religious leaders, equal-rights activists and ethnic groups to oppose NJ101.whine's radio hosts Carton and Rossi, saying they are spewing hate and bigotry almost daily. The response: "Carton said, "We are surprised and disappointed that at a time when we should be uniting communities, Senator Lesniak and his Coalition Against Free Speech have decided to pick the eve of the holiest of holidays to further divide us as a people." " Ugh.
Some North Jersey towns are using a floor-area ratio in order to discourage McMansions, but the formula could have some effects on remodeling and expansions, according to the Record.
Open Thread: What do you want to talk about today, Blue Jersey?
Governor Corzine signed the property tax reform package. You'll recall that it offers a substantial credit to property owners (with a high income cutoff) and a cap on annual property tax increases of 4%. You can find analysis in any paper today.
Carla Katz and Rae Roeder dropped their lawsuit to block the CWA union vote on the proposed state workers contract. The CWA union claims votes are being cast in "unprecedented numbers."
President McCormick spoke to Rutgers students and the budget situation looks poor. The Outstanding Scholars Recruitment Program has been eliminated due to lack of funds.
It also comes in the wake of last month's three-alarm fire that destroyed the Chili's and Porterhouse Steaks & Seafood restaurants on Route 70. Fire officials determined the blaze started from a lit cigarette butt flicked into mulch near Chili's takeout door.
So be careful if your mulch gets dry, not that you have to worry today.
Cumberland County Democrats chose Joe Pepitone to run for freeholder, but there is no word yet if Jeff Van Drew will run for Senate or Assembly. He should announce tomorrow.
Christie rejected a call to investigate Corzine's gifts to Katz. That's the kind of restraint that got other USAG's fired. He is (reportedly) seeking info on Sharpe James.
Assemblyman Jeff Van Drew wants to legalize sports betting. My first thought is that this could be a move to build support to challenge Frank LoBiondo, but then again, I might be totally off base.
By the way, at Blue Jersey we are using the tags of the form "LD3" and "LD37" to refer to legislative districts. "NJ3", etc. are reserved for the congressional districts.
PSEG CEO Ralph Izzo called for tough greenhouse gas limits in front of Congress, breaking with most utility executives.
Public Service Announcement I: Several MVC offices are unable to process licenses due to a verizon glitch. Is this the place to complain that not only did my verizon service not work last night, but the outsourced call center employees who read off scripts are completely useless? If you have a phone line problem, you get a knowledgable union guy, but DSL is hopeless.
Public Service Annoucement II: New schedules for buses and trains are going into effect.
Finally, Cynthia Burton of the Inquirer observes that the Republican state senate delegation is moving right as moderates retire:
"It's inevitable we are going to get more conservatives because a bunch of the people retiring are not conservative," said Assemblyman Michael Patrick Carroll (R., Morris), one of a handful of conservative legislators who refer to themselves as the Mountain Men.
I imagine that the name "Mountain Men" was chosen to signal how out of touch the group is with New Jersey. jmelli has already noted the racial angle. Another interesting quote is here:
Kevin Collins, a conservative Republican strategist, has been advising clients for years to run to the right. He's working on the "Reagan Republican Team" race in Bergen, Passaic and Essex Counties.
Collins says the party can get support from socially conservative Democrats - the kind who voted for President Ronald Reagan - with more conservative candidates.
