NJ Assembly 
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Thu Feb 02, 2012 at 09:55:30 AM EST
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UPDATE 7:25: Full Assembly will take A-1 up Feb. 16.
UPDATE 5:10pm: After nearly 7 hours of testimony, the Assembly Judiciary Committee voted 5-2 to send A-1 to the full Assembly for consideration. The vote: YES: Johnson, Gusciora, Caputo, Quijano, Barnes. NO: Carroll, Schepisi. Straight party-line vote.
 Garden State Equality's Steven Goldstein in a rare moment of calm
Today, Assembly Judiciary Committee hears testimony on A-1. At the Senate panel session, though there were far more people who showed up and were prepared to testify for equality, about an equal number of pro's and con's were chosen to address the committee. This morning, Garden State Equality showed up at the crack of dawn to greet supporters, many of whom arrived wearing EQUALITY The American Dream tee-shirts. Gov. Christie's response to the rise in the legislature of this issue was the ill-advised and ignorant statement about the civil rights movement which got him a week of the kind of national coverage people usually don't want.
 Crowd waits at Assembly Judiciary, many in EQUALITY t-shirts
Listen LIVE here.
Please note: You'll need Windows Media Player, which takes a few moments to download. There's a link for it on the Statehouse media page. Hearings often start late, so keep refreshing the page until it's up.
We'll keep this an Open Thread. So if you're listening or in the audience, please let us know what you're hearing and thinking.
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Thu Feb 02, 2012 at 08:54:39 AM EST
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Today, the Assembly Education Committee is scheduled have a hearing on charter schools; specifically, on a bill that would require local approval for charter applications and expansion.
Mother Crusader reports that the New Jersey Charter Schools Association - which is funded by the Walton Foundation, among others - is asking its members to call members of the committee and tell them to kill the bill.
After the jump, find the names and numbers of the Education Committee members. Tell them you support A1877 and A2147, which will require local approval for charters, and increase charter accountability and reporting requirements.
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Wed Feb 01, 2012 at 08:48:00 PM EST
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Thursday morning, the New Jersey Assembly Judiciary Committee will hear testimony and then vote on A-1, the marriage equality bill, first up in the legislation line-up for the Assembly in the 215th NJ Legislature.
Eight days ago, Senate Judicary heard hours of testimony, then voted 8-4 to send the bill (companion to the Assembly bill) to the full Senate. Far more people showed up to testify on the pro-side, including a long list whose names were read at the end. Testimony on the pro-side was uplifting, accepting, community- and family-minded. Testimony on the anti-side repeatedly invoked Anne Heche as some kind of emblematic figure for a misguided impression of gay life. And there was talk of marriage equality leading to people marrying their dogs. All the infuriating, bigoted stuff you always hear trotted out when some folks get a microphone.
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Mon Jan 09, 2012 at 11:54:46 PM EST
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This was written late last night, with some morning additions. But some people are still hearing this for the first time, so we'll leave this up top for a while. Today's morning news roundup can be found here. - Rosi
 Senator Weinberg informed us late tonight that 26th District Assemblyman Alex DeCroce has just died in the New Jersey statehouse. He was 75.
Update: Due to the death of Assemblymember DeCroce, all swearing in festivities as well as the State of the State have been cancelled. The governor, who is required by state Constitution to address the Legislature ,will simply speak about and eulogize his friend and their colleague at 1pm today. The more formal State of the State address, where the Governor lays out his agenda for the coming year, will be postponed.
Senator Loretta Weinberg described an awful scene. Shortly before midnight, with legislators headed out to their cars after a long night, Weinberg saw people running towards the men's room on the lower level toward the state house back. Via Star-Ledger State Police Lt. Stephen Jones said a physician on hand attended to the legislator but he was found to be dead. We now know that physician was Herb Conaway, 7th District Assemblyman and the NJ Legislature's only physician.
Tomorrow, the NJ legislature will be sworn in. Tonight, was the last day of the lame duck session, a long day and night of legislative decisions. The NJ Assembly began their day at 1pm.
DeCroce has been the Assembly's Republican Leader since 2003, served as the Republican Conference Leader from 2002-2003 and was the Deputy Speaker from 1994-2001. DeCroce serves in the Assembly on the Legislative Services Commission. He has served the 26th district since 1989.
Our deepest sympathies to the Assemblyman's wife Betty Lou, to his family, friends and staff, to DeCroce's 26th District partners Sen. Joseph Pennacchio and Asm Jay Webber, and to colleagues who expected a fresh start tomorrow with swearing in and new session and will now mark tomorrow feeling the loss of a 23-year colleague.
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Mon Dec 13, 2010 at 04:47:29 PM EST
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The New Jersey Senate, like the NJ Assembly before it, has sided with ill and suffering New Jerseyans to protect them from an ideologue governor. Today, the full Senate voted to reject Gov. Christie's unnecessarily restrictive rules on NJ's already-conservative medical marijuana law. Christie's going to have to rethink and rewrite how the state will distribute marijuana intended for sick people. He'd better get moving.
Governor Christie's wasting sick people's time. Maybe he should make one less cute video of himself and spend the time working on sensible regulations, and get this done. He's governor of all of New Jersey, not just the people who agree with him, and he is charged to do his job with all New Jersey's laws, not just the ones he likes.
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Wed Dec 01, 2010 at 11:49:31 AM EST
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Assemblywoman Connie Wagner (via PolitickerNJ):There are currently 13 districts without a woman in the New Jersey state legislature," she said in an email. "That means 2.83 million people in New Jersey are being solely represented by men. Women make up more than 50 percent of the population, but only 28.3 percent of New Jersey legislature is female." Each time a seat opens up is an opportunity to send a very loud message to to the party's base that the Democratic Party values fairness and diversity.
the good, the bad, the ugly below the fold
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Sun Oct 03, 2010 at 11:00:00 AM EDT
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With a hyperactive, demanding, impatient governor in the opposing party, it's time for you to display more energy, confidence, dispatch, strength, and oomph. This week you released the following statement on the Assembly's reform agenda: "We laid out a timeframe quite some time ago that would allow us to take a thoughtful and deliberative approach. We have been working diligently to advance thorough and substantive reforms that will have a real impact on helping local governments meet the new two-percent cap and make a real difference in people's lives... We have already considered a number of bills and we approved two property tax reforms today." "Thoughtful, deliberative, and diligent" are OK, but not much oomph there.
On September 12 after the summer recess, several Assembly panels met to discuss how the recently enacted state budget is affecting residents and businesses. At the conclusion of the meetings you released the following statement, "This budget will have many deep impacts on the lives of New Jerseyans, and we plan to monitor it closely to see what might be done to ease the pain." "Monitoring closely" is OK, but not much oomph there.
In February after marriage equality was voted down in the Senate, you spoke at a rally in Montclair about three key priorities: Don't Ask, Don't Tell, ENDA, and school bullying. The first two matters you have little control over, but you evinced strong passion over the harm of bullying and the need for legislation. I understand that work on the bill is underway and that Assemblywomen Valerie Vainieri Huttle (D-Bergen) and Mary Pat Angelini (R-Monmouth) plan to introduce such a bill shortly. In your speech in Montclair you displayed some oomph. It is time for more.
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Fri Oct 01, 2010 at 01:32:09 PM EDT
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Barocas, Legal Director of NJ's ACLU, suggests our Governor look in the mirror, and our Senate President's words ring hollow. - promoted by Rosi
It didn't take long for my feelings of horror and sadness at the suicide of Tyler Clementi to turn into anger - anger not just at the unfeeling young students who so cruelly invaded Tyler's privacy, but at our state's leaders who, through their refusal to provide gay and lesbian citizens with full equality, have stigmatized gay and lesbian relationships and set the tone for tragedies like this to occur.
A line from my testimony to the New Jersey legislature during the 2009 marriage equality debate echoed hauntingly in my mind: "When the state itself segregates people, it grants the rest of society permission to do the same. Through its example, the legislature excuses bigotry and emboldens bullies." keep reading below the fold
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Fri Sep 03, 2010 at 06:19:10 PM EDT
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Well, we now know the "guest list" for the first formal legislative inquiry, by the NJ Assembly Appropriations Committee, on the Race to the Top education that cost New Jersey school kids $400 million in resources and Bret Schundler his job. The big name here, of course, is Schundler, who's already made it clear he has a story to tell.
Hearing will take place Tuesday at 10 am in Committee Room 11, State House Annex 4th Floor.
Bret Schundler, former NJ Education Commissioner
Richard Bagger, Governor's Chief of Staff
All members of the administration's Race to the Top team who presented before the US Dept. of Education.
Any staff from the administration involved in the preparation of the state's Race to the Top Application.
Gregg Edwards, Gov. Christie's Dir. of Policy
Maria Comella, Gov. Christie's Communications Director
Michael Drewniak, Gov. Christie's Press Secretary
Department of Treasury officials with knowledge of the contract awarded to Wireless Generation
Any members of the administration that worked with the US Dept. of Education in the preparation of the Race to the Top application
The individual(s) who delivered the application from NJ to Washington, D.C.
Representatives of Wireless Generation (consultants)
This is the list to date of those invited to appear before the committee, which appears to leave room for the possibility the list may grow. Either way, it's going to be a long Labor Day weekend for a lot of people doing prep, both for those doing the questioning and those expected to answer for the governor's administration. Big Tuesday.
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Mon Mar 15, 2010 at 09:15:00 AM EDT
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 Five Senate committees will meet today and the Assembly will hold a voting session with twenty nine bills on the agenda for consideration.
The Senate Judiciary will consider three nominations including Thomas Considine to be Commissioner of the Department of Banking and Insurance, Bob Martin to be Commissioner of the Department of Environmental Protection and Poonam Alaigh to be Commissioner of the Department of Health and Senior Services. The Martin nomination has raised concerns from environmental groups and the Alaigh nomination has had people on the right up in arms.
The Economic Growth committee will consider Senator Lesniak's legislation that would change the way affordable housing is done in New Jersey. The State Government Committee has invited Catherine Starghill, Esq., Executive Director of the NJ Government Records Council to discuss the Open Public Records Act (OPRA). The Environment Committee has seven bills up for consideration including bills dealing with the highlands and renewable energy.
Among the legislation up for consideration in the Assembly voting session is a bill that would convert property tax rebates to direct credits on the tax bill. Also on the agenda is a bill sponsored by Burzichelli to direct the State Commission of Investigation to look into the finances and operations of the New Jersey Interscholastic Athletic Association. Still another bill would create a New Jersey Honor Guard Ribbon for the New Jersey National Guard. And then A-2420 eliminates the 10-day waiting period for certain shareholder actions not concerning mergers and acquisition activity governed by state law.
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.
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Mon Feb 22, 2010 at 09:15:00 AM EST
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It's a light schedule compared to recent scheduled days as the Senate will have a voting session, the Judiciary Committee will consider two nominations of Governor Christie and the Assembly budget committee will hear testimony from the Acting State Treasurer on the estimated FY 2010 shortfall and the Governor's plans for closing the shortfall.
The Judiciary committee will consider the nominations of Lee Solomon to replace Fred Butler leading the BPU and Bret Schundler to replace Lucile Davy as commissioner for the Department of Education.
For the Senate voting session, they will start by honoring the Cooper doctors and nurses who went to assist with earthquake relief in Haiti. Much of the attention will focus on the pension and benefits reform package - bills S-2, S-3, and S-4. Another bill up for consideration, S-19 would authorize the President of the Senate to take legal action concerning certain federal legislation prohibiting sports betting.
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.
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Thu Feb 18, 2010 at 09:30:00 AM EST
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It's going to be an extremely busy day in Trenton with both the Assembly and Senate holding committee hearings.
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.
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Mon Feb 08, 2010 at 08:00:00 AM EST
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It will be a busy day in Trenton today as both the Assembly and Senate will have committees meeting. They will hear testimony, consider legislation and hold confirmation hearings for the new Governor's cabinet members.
The Senate Judiciary Committee will consider the nomination of Paula Dow to serve as the State's Attorney General. If confirmed by the Senate, she would be the first African-American woman to serve as the State's top law enforcement official. The will also interview Glenn K. Rieth to succeed himself as Adjutant General of the Department of Military and Veterans' Affairs.
The State Government, Wagering, Tourism and Historic Preservation Committee will hear testimony from State Comptroller Matthew Boxer on his office's audit report on financial mismanagement in Atlantic City's municipal government. They will also consider a constitutional amendment allowing for in-person and account wagering on sports events at Atlantic City casinos and racetracks. The Military and Veterans Affairs Committee has invited Major General Rieth of the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs to update the Committee on departmental activities.
Representatives of the Department of Environmental Protection have been invited to discuss the draft water discharge permit for the Oyster Creek
nuclear generating station in the Environment and Energy Committee. The Economic Growth Committee will have Senator Lesniak's bill to abolish COAH up for discussion for the 2nd time. The release contained this note: Senator Lesniak stressed that the bill is still "a work in progress," and noted that he was open to input from all sides to ensure his proposal is more successful than COAH's failed bureaucracy which has created unwieldy mandates on municipalities and failed to build necessary affordable unit for the State's residents. The Assembly Financial Institutions Committee will receive testimony concerning various issues related to reimbursements by health insurance carriers to out-of-network health care providers. The Higher Education Committee will conduct a discussion with invited participants concerning the positive economic impact institutions of higher education have on the State. The Regulatory oversight and gaming committee will hear testimony from invited speakers concerning the regulatory process in New Jersey and problems that it has presented for businesses in the State.
There is also plenty of legislation up for consideration. I'll put the full list of bills on the agenda below the fold. As always, if you can't make it to Trenton, you can listen to the hearings here.
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Thu Jan 07, 2010 at 09:30:00 AM EST
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Talk about a busy day in Trenton. The lame duck session isn't so lame anymore with both the Senate and Assembly holding voting sessions and Senate Committees meeting as well. If you're planning on heading to Trenton, get there early. There are a few bills that will draw particular attention and packed board lists on both sides.
There are over 70 bills up in the Senate voting session and over 60 bills up in the Assembly. The Senate will see the Commerce, Community and Urban Affairs, Education, Judiciary, Transportation and Health Committees meet. In those committees, 21 bills will be considered. The Judiciary committee will also consider nominations. Following the Community and Urban Affairs committee meeting, a public hearing will be held on the The New Jersey State Commission of Investigation (SCI) Report: "The Beat Goes On" - Waste and Abuse in Local Government Employee Compensation and Benefits; the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs (DCA), Division of Local Government Services Performance Audit of the City of Newark.
Marriage Equality has it's day in the Senate as Legislators will stand up and be counted. It appears to be an uphill climb for passage of the bill, but much attention will focus on this debate and vote. Another hot button topic up for a vote is legislation that would allow in state tuition rates for undocumented students. A bill in the Assembly that would put a delay on water rules is opposed by environmental groups and now the EPA as well. The Assembly will also vote on domestic violence legislation.
While the spotlight will shine on those bills, there is plenty more up for a vote. I'll put the full list of bills up for consideration either in the committees or sessions today below the fold. If you can't make it to Trenton, you can follow along live here. NJN will be broadcasting
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Sun Jun 21, 2009 at 11:25:23 PM EDT
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It almost feels like Groundhog Day. Last Monday I did the Under the Dome preview and we had the Budget bills up in both the Assembly and Senate Committee. One week has gone by and we're back to the Assembly and Senate committees for round 2 of budget considerations after the Governor Announced last Thursday that the Tax Amnesty program had been a few hundred million dollars more successful than expected. In fact the Assembly Budget Committee agenda says this is a continuance of the June 15 meeting.
Both the Senate and Assembly Budget committees will also consider the legislation that would put a question on the ballot to appropriate $600 million to the Green Acres Open Space Preservation fund.
The Senate Budget and Appropriations committee has a full agenda in addition to the budget including a bill that would clarify the procedure for the elimination of non-operating school districts. The Assembly companion of that bill is up in the Assembly Education as well. Another bill in the Senate Committee would improve the structure, financing, and fiscal management of higher education in New Jersey by implementing many of the recommendations contained in the October 2007 Report of the State Commission of Investigation (SCI).
The Assembly budget committee will consider legislation dealing with emergency responders that would bar employers from firing or suspending employees who don't report to work because they're providing emergency services. They will also consider the Weinberg/Allen legislation that requires adoption of constitutions and bylaws by county political party committees, requires certain information concerning committee members to be filed with county clerk and eliminates fixed terms for committee members and chairs.
The Senate Judiciary Committee has a long list of nominations for consideration from judges, to prosectors to boards and commission members. State Supreme Court Justice Barry Albin will have his hearing. As will Sharon Harrington who is being nominated to the Casino Control Commission and Stephen Scaturro who would replace her at the Motor Vehicle Commission. Nominees for the State Parole Board, NJ Sports and Exposition Authority, Pinelands Commissin, Highlands Council and South Jersey Transporation Authority will get consideration.
The full list of bills up for consideration in the committees is listed below the fold. As always, you can follow along with live streaming feeds through the Legislature's website.
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Mon May 18, 2009 at 08:45:00 AM EDT
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The Senate has a full schedule of committee meetings on tap and the Assembly Appropriations comittee will also meet in the morning.
The Assembly Appropriations committee will hear testimony regarding autism coverage. Speaker Roberts and renowned autism treatment and research advocate Bob Wright will testify in support of the bill to require insurers to cover autism treatments.
The Senate Community and Urban Affairs Committee is scheduled to discuss a bill that would bar local officials from lobbying or advocating for certain matters. The ban would take effect if they had a conflict of interest with the topic and, for example, recuse themselves from a related vote. Another bill requires municipality to report all long and short-term financial and tax agreements to DCA; makes reporting a condition for receipt of special Municipal Aid.
The Law and Public Safety and Veterans' Affairs committee will have the Department of Military and Veterans' Affairs brief the committee on troop deployments and issues facing members of the armed forces who are returning to New Jersey following active duty service in a military operation. Another bill would establish a task force to study issues facing returning members of the United States Armed Forces and New Jersey National Guard and make recommendations on how State should address issues. There are also a few veterans tax bills up for residents to offer support on their income tax forms.
The Judiciary committee has a list of confirmations for boards and commissions including Joe Ripa to become the Camden County Clerk after Jim Beach resigned to become State Senator.
The Education committee has the "New Jersey College Student and Parent Consumer Information Act" up for consideration which requires each four-year public institution of higher education to provide on its website certain information regarding its costs, faculty, and graduation rates. They will also consider a bill that establishes New Jersey Student Athlete Cardiac Screening Task Force.
The Health Committee has a bill up that requires applicants and employees of State psychiatric hospitals, developmental centers, and veterans homes to undergo drug testing.
As always, you can follow along with live streaming feeds through the Legislature's website. I've also put all of the legislation up for consideration below the fold.
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Thu May 07, 2009 at 08:30:00 AM EDT
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They're back at it in Trenton with committees on both the Senate and Assembly sides considering bills and hearing testimony.
The Assembly Higher Education Committee will receive testimony from Michael Angulo, Executive Director of the Higher Education Student Assistance Authority, concerning the New Jersey Better Educational Savings Trust Program (NJBEST).
The Assembly Budget Committee will consider the FY2010 budgets of the state departments of Environmental Protection and Corrections as well as the Board of Public Utilities and the State Parole Board. Mark Mauriello, commissioner of DEP, is scheduled to testify at 10 a.m. Board of Public Utilities President Jeanne Fox also will be present. Corrections Commissioner George Hayman will make his presentation at 2 p.m. Parole Board Chairwoman Yolette Ross also will be in attendance.
The Senate Environment committee will talk open space funding and hear amendments to a ballot question that will propose $600 million in bonding.
The "New Jersey Fair Debt Collection Practices Act" would give consumers a way to dispute and verify debt information to ensure its accuracy and set penalties for abusive debt collectors. That bill will get consideration in the Assembly Consumer Affairs Committee. The Assembly Commerce and Economic Development Committee will consider a measure to expand eligibility for the state?s Urban Transit Hub Tax Credit program.
The Assembly Health and Senior Services Committee will consider legislation (A-1264/A-3371/A-3633) that would require the state to publicly report medical errors on a hospital-by-hospital basis and prohibit physicians and hospitals from charging patients for certain medical errors. The committee will also consider legislation (A-137) that would provide for automatic enrollment in one of two state-funded prescription drug assistance programs for low-income senior citizens.
The full list of bills up for consideration is listed below the fold. As always, you can follow along with live streaming feeds through the Legislature's website.
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Mon Mar 16, 2009 at 12:00:00 AM EDT
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There will be just one Senate Committee meeting on Monday, but both Houses are in session with full agendas. Here's some highlights of what's on tap, with the full board lists below the fold.
Legislation changing the future role of the DEP in contaminated site remediation, which would establish licensed site professionals, will get a vote before both the Assembly and Senate. This bill has appeared to be on the fast track and will face it's final hurdles before reaching the Governor's desk. Pension Deferral Legislation is up in both houses as well. It's the slimmed down version that defers for one year, rather than three years. Both houses will also consider legislation that requires developers to offer solar energy systems in certain new home construction.
In the Senate, they have a bill up that would amend the civil commitment law to authorize an involuntary outpatient commitment provision for persons needing treatment at a mental health treatment facility. The provision would apply for adults with mental illness, whose illness causes them to be dangerous to themselves or others, but who are unwilling to accept the treatment they need. Another bill would make changes to the Casino Service Industry Licensing, Casino Service employees, testing of gaming devices, casino simulating and unclaimed casino obligations. Still another would permit blood donation at 16 years of age with parental consent. They'll vote on legislation that would create the "New Jersey Residential Mortgage Lending Act" which concerns certain licensed mortgage and consumer lending practices, supervision and enforcement. Still another bill would modify laws concerning affordable housing and make an appropriation to the Affordable Housing Trust Fund.
Over in the Assembly, they'll consider 77 bills including one to toughen financial penalties against illegal ocean dumping. "The Foreclosure Rescue Fraud Prevention Act" would require foreclosure consultants and distressed property purchasers who contract with homeowners in financial distress to adhere to certain foreclosure prevention practices. Separate legislation requires lenders to give homeowners information about programs to cure defaults before initiating a foreclosure proceeding. Another bill aimed at protecting consumers would invalidate any contract that requires the customer to waive their right to file a complaint. New Jersey could become the 11th state with a "Silver Alert" system to notify the public about missing elderly people. The plan is based on the "Amber Alert" system used by state police to locate missing children. They'll also vote on replacing specialty license plates with a decal system. There is an Internet safety package that would give law enforcement enhanced abilities to crackdown on child Internet crimes. The bills are part of Attorney General Anne Milgram's Internet safety initiatives.
As always, you can follow along with live streaming feeds through the Legislature's website.
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