What do you think, Blue Jersey? - promoted by Rosi
At the forefront of education reform is how we can do a better job identifying and developing excellent teachers. This is of course rooted in the notion that since teacher quality is the greatest in-school determinant of student academic achievement, then in order to improve student learning we need to look at teacher practices within the classroom.
The stakes are high and we cannot be lured into settling on simplistic solutions to solve complex educational issues. Test scores using "value-added measures" (VAM) attempt to measure teacher quality with test scores by employing complex assumptions and statistical modeling to account for nonschool factors affecting student achievement.
While some research has been done using VAM to evaluate teacher effectiveness, there is significant disagreement over which statistical approach is best and to what extent any given one will produce accurate and unbiased measures of a teacher's impact on student achievement.
Diane Allen just blew through a considerable amount of the goodwill and community support rightly extended to her while she battled cancer. How'd she do that? She sat for two days of tough and unpleasant veto override discussions ... and did absolutely nothing. She didn't vote in lockstep with Gov. Christie, as her colleagues did. She didn't vote at all. She sat there for two full days, not engaging. Staring at the screen of her laptop (I'm not kidding) and avoiding eye contact. Abstaining (counts as "no"). Allen - one of 4 co-chairs, along with Loretta Weinberg, of the Women's Legislative Caucus. Allen - who's flip-flopped before, giving up low-income Jersey girls when her rich, white, male governor yanked her home. Allen - cancer survivor, whose inaction widens the crack for other women with cancer to fall through. And, I might add, a woman who knows better, letting Sen. Cardinale claim Planned Parenthood promotes child prostitution, and saying nothing.
And that, as my father used to say, is chickenshit.
Allen deserves to lose the respect of her colleagues in both parties in the Senate, and women in her District should know the votes she sat through. While Diane Allen was battling cancer, her seat in the Senate was held for her for all the months she couldn't show up. And her colleagues, constituents, and anybody who covers NJ politics (including us) held a quiet vigil, hoping for the best health outcome. People were pulling for her, and she deserved nothing less.
But among the votes Allen Farmvilled through (or whatev) was Weinberg's "determined effort" to overturn Christie's de-funding of family planning & women's health clinics that would in turn then be eligible for 9-1 matching funds from the federal government. A return of $67.5 million on an input of $7.5 million. Not much of what Allen eventually said about her 2 days of Clarence Thomasing makes sense. Her statement to politickernj is baffling, as was her statement today, at the end.
If Diane Allen's chief concern is that New Jersey's broke, she contradicts herself, going along with the governor's pissing away $67.5M in health care dollars. I'm surprised at Allen, a prime sponsor of the Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights. A sometimes-ally. But that doesn't excuse this.
Allen, you should know, gets health care on your dime - the same that state workers get. But you won't hear her complain about that.
Allen is the beneficiary of excellenthealth care and the best screening for her tough oral cancer that money can buy. And Allen let slide health care for women with none of the privileges and deference she enjoys, and a standard of living far below what NJ taxpayers help Allen to live at. Planning to help women avoid unwanted pregnancies, so all babies get the best start possible. Maternal & infant health. Doctor time to spot illness early so it's treatable.
And yes, Diane Allen. Early detection for cancer.
Voters in LD-7, especially women, should know there is an alternative: Democrat Dr. Gail Cook, educator, mayor of Beverly and an ovarian cancer survivor. Dr. Cook's running mates are Assemblyman Herb Conaway, a medical doctor, and up-and-comer Troy Singleton. Conaway voted last year for Loretta Weinberg's legislation that would have restored women's health care services, but Christie vetoed the bill. And all three support restoration of those funds. If you want to make a donation to Dr. Cook's team, the info's on her website.
As we did all day yesterday, Blue Jersey will be LIVE-Tweeting today's NJ Senate session, and observing the Democrats' almost-certainly doomed efforts to overturn some of Gov. Christie's harshest cuts - to his own budget that he submitted. What succeeded in this session is getting Republicans on the record defunding and sometimes dismantling programs New Jerseyans depend on. And go on the record they did, saying some pretty crappy, pretty stupid and pretty inaccurate things. Here's Sweeney, Codey and Greenstein talking about that.
Deciminyan is in the Senate gallery, and we hear he's even found a power outlet. This is in the absence of the gavel-to-gavel coverage of important legislative sessions that NJN used to provide. Ironically, NJN was killed in this very House of the Legislature because of backroom dealmaking. And apparently, thusfar, the disappointing NJTV has no interest in turning their cameras on this kind of legislative session.
The session is just starting. You can also try watching the NJ Legislature website's video feed, but I'm not sure how the quality will be. Yesterday, it was skipping and stopping every few minutes.
Soon after yesterday's NJ Senate session, engineered to get Republican legislators on the record item by item dismantling programs and funding many New Jerseyans must depend on, senators Steve Sweeney, Dick Codey (current and past Senate presidents) and Linda Greenstein sat down for an interview before 101.5's microphones. And somebody turned the video camera on.
Ironically, Sweeney muses on the Governor's power, even with a reach of several hundred miles away on vacation. NJ GOP was in lockstep, except for Jennifer Beck's return to at least a surface pro-women stance, joining the Democrats' attempt to override Christie's cutting out of funds for women's health and family planning programs. Codey complains about the gamesmanship of Christie's cutting his own budget, after the legislature returned it to him intact. Greenstein, for me, was the most effective, recalling some of the revolting things Republicans said on the Senate floor yesterday. That was Day #1 of this effort. Day #2 was scheduled to start 10am today, and is running late.
Deciminyan will be live-Tweeting it all day at @bluejersey.
If you haven't heard the news that Olympic champ Carl Lewis is running for NJ Senate then, well, welcome back to the Planet. Because the race in NJ's 8th district pitting challenger Lewis against GOP incumbent Dawn Addiego is generating tons of curiosity and intrigue!
(Quick note, because Addiego was given her seat by party bosses this will be the first Senate run for both candidates. So you're free to place quote marks around the term incumbent in Addiego's case.)
Last week, I posted on my FB wall that I was supporting Jeff Gardner's primary campaign -- in particular the Money Bomb going on today. A friend -- a fairly progressive person in her own right -- sent me a note asking why would I spend money on someone who isn't in my own district. Wouldn't my dollars be better spent helping local candidates (myself included) in Flemington and Hunterdon County.
On the surface she's right. Democrats -- let alone anyone willing to call themselves a progressive -- don't have the easiest time in my part of New Jersey. We need all the help we can get. If I forego my Venti Skinny Vanilla Latte, shouldn't that $5 be invested locally? more below
Blue Jersey heard from Senator Loretta Weinberg from the State House about an hour ago that the telecom bill pushed by Verizon - S2664 - is being held up and may not be voted on today - and that the bill may in fact undergo substantive changes. We're hearing from elsewhere that Sen. Sweeney has pulled the bill from consideration for today.
There's been a howl of protest against this bill and its Assembly companion over the last few weeks, particularly following a combined efforts watchdog report from New Jersey Policy Perspective (NJPP) and Demos that found the bill would result in hikes in the average phone bill, the elimination of key consumer protections.
Sen. Weinberg told Blue Jersey this morning that her offices were blitzed with calls on this bill - encouraged by the coalition led by NJ Citizen Action (NJCA) and AARP- urging a NO vote. The NJ League of Municipalities has also been messaging mayors to oppose the bill. Sen. Weinberg also told us that she got calls from the pro-S2664 forces, a Grover Norquist group that seemed to confuse their own members about the bill.
Quite a few NJ newspapers have had no trouble seeing through the haze:
Herald News called the bill, "ill-considered legislation goes too far too quickly and could leave citizens choking in the dust."
Star-Ledger: "legislators shouldn't strip customers of protections, or a cheap and basic phone service."
Home News Tribune/Courier News: "Does anyone really believe that a Verizon or Comcast, their hands freed by fewer controls, would then offer the same services, or even more, for lower rates? We don't. The vast majority of consumers don't. But they're not the ones pulling the strings in Trenton."
APP urges NJ Senate: "Jam the signal on the telecom 'choice act.'"
Full disclosure: Blue Jersey's running an ad from the coalition opposing this bill; we'd be opposing it even if we weren't. The coalition is broad; you can read the partners here.
Note: Jay went to the state house to testify today - Rosi
But I love Jay Lassiter. We moved the clean needle bill out of the Senate Health & Human Services Committee today. Interesting vote on that one. We also established an overwhelming transcript to put on the desks of the entire legislature which spells out all the reasons why we must overrule the DHSS regs on Medical Marijuana. Thank you Senator Nick Scutari for providing the leadership!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Joey Novick put this status up on his facebook page comparing the MTV show Jersey Shore to the NJ State Senate and he comes up with this:
Ouch! Thurman Hart reminded us in the comments that thankfully we don't have to watch the Senators shake their money makers. When Babs questioned why Joey was demeaning neanderthals, he offered this clarification:
1-The only members of the State Senate who were actually referenced in the joke above were the 20 who voted to oppose ---6 Ds and 14 Rs. They were the only Neanderthals.
2- I apologize to any Neanderthals who felt demeaned by the comparison to members of the State Senate. I regret any harm done, which was unintended.
If elected officials hope to get the bills passed through this session of the Legislature, today is the last day. The Senate Judiciary Committee is scheduled to meet and both houses have voting sessions.
Still another bill getting some attention has already passed the Senate and is up for a vote in the Assembly would force groups to wait a decade between tries to change the way municipal governments are elected. Legislation in the Assembly would create a permanent public school choice program to allow parents to move their kids to schools located across district lines. The Enviropolitics blog took a look at all of the environmental legislation that is in play today.
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.
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
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.
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 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.
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 "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.
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.
