Brown to Sponsor Bipartisan Ethics Reform Package
Senator Chris Brown will sponsor a bipartisan package of ethics proposals to strengthen restrictions on lobbying, enhance financial disclosure requirements, and increase transparency in the legislative process.
Sen. Chris Brown will sponsor a bipartisan package of ethics proposals to strengthen restrictions on lobbying, enhance financial disclosure requirements, and increase transparency in the legislative process. (SenateNJ.com)
“What’s the difference between the Jersey Devil and ethics reform in New Jersey? Up until now, you had a better chance of spotting the Jersey Devil,” said Brown. “Hopefully, working in a bipartisan manner with Governor Phil Murphy and my legislative colleagues Senator and former Governor Dick Codey and Assemblyman Ryan Peters, we will change that. Cleaning up greed and corruption in Trenton is something we – Democrats, Republicans, and Independents – can all agree on. We need to loosen the grip special interests have on state government by increasing transparency and making government more accountable to our working families and retirees.”
Testa: Taxes are the Root of New Jersey’s Problem
Progressive Groups Looking for More, More, More
Senator Michael Testa called the $3 billion tax increase plan promoted this week by a coalition of progressive organizations “a recipe for disaster.”
Sen. Michael Testa derided a plan to increase taxes by $3 billion, floated this week by liberal organizations. ‘Taxes are the problem, not the solution,’ he said. (Flickr)
“Trenton has tried and failed to tax our way out of trouble,” said Testa (R-1). “These liberal groups lust for billions in tax and spending increases that will do irreparable harm to the economy and the quality of life in our state. New Jersey is well known for having some of the highest taxes in the nation. Hard-working families are already stressed to the breaking point.”
LD1 Team Encourages Retirees to Apply for “Senior Freeze” Property Tax Relief Program
Senator Michael Testa, Assemblyman Erik Simonsen, and Assemblyman Antwan McClellan are reminding eligible New Jersey homeowners to file an application for the Senior Freeze Property Tax Relief Program.
Testa, Simonsen, and McClellan are reminding eligible New Jersey homeowners to file an application for the Senior Freeze Property Tax Relief Program. (©iStock)
“If you’re a New Jersey senior citizen and you own a home, you may be eligible for a property tax break that could save you a substantial amount of money,” said Testa (R-1). “If you’re living on a fixed income, the Senior Freeze Program can provide some extra peace of mind. This valuable form of property tax relief can help our retirees afford to stay in their homes right here in the Garden State.”
Oroho: Time to Act on “Path to Progress” Reforms to Address Local Government Waste Identified in SCI Report
Senator Steven Oroho (R-24) said a new report by the State Commission of Investigation (SCI) on waste and abuse in local public employee compensation and benefits demonstrates the need to advance “Path to Progress” reforms.
Sen. Steven Oroho said a report by the State Commission of Investigation on waste and abuse in local public employee compensation and benefits demonstrates the need to advance ‘Path to Progress’ reforms. (Pixabay)
“Sadly, the SCI’s scathing report on outrageous compensation schemes offered by some local governments is not surprising,” said Oroho, the Senate Republican Budget Officer. “These are the same abuses that our bipartisan workgroup targeted for reform in the solutions we offered to lower the cost of government.”
Thompson Bill Exposes the Source of Nuisance Phone Calls
Spoofing Tactics Used by Telemarketers Would be Banned
Legislation introduced by Senator Sam Thompson would hang up the phone on telemarketers hiding their identities by spoofing the name or phone number displaying on caller ID.
Sen. Sam Thompson has introduced legislation cracking down on telemarketers that barrage consumers with calls from spoofed phone numbers. (SenateNJ.com)
“Spoof calls are increasing. The phone rings and you have no idea who is on the other end of the line,” said Thompson (R-12). “Marketers shouldn’t be able to hide their names or locations. This bill will remove the anonymity and people will know exactly who is on the line before they decide to answer the call or ignore it.”
Monmouth Lawmakers Take Skeptical Look at JCP&L Request for Rate Increases
Senator Declan O’Scanlon, Assemblywoman Serena DiMaso and Assemblyman Gerry Scharfenberger are calling on the state Board of Public Utilities to thoroughly evaluate a request from Jersey Central Power & Light to increase electric rates.
Sen. Declan O’Scanlon, Asw. Serena DiMaso and Asm. Gerry Scharfenberger urged thorough scrutiny by the Board of Public Utilities following a request from Jersey Central Power & Light for a $186 million increase of electric rates. (SenateNJ.com)
“We call on the BPU and the state rate counsel to thoroughly vet this request. Our first reaction to any call to raise costs on ratepayers must be skepticism. Has every effort been made to lower and control costs?” asked O’Scanlon (R-Monmouth). “We acknowledge that investments in infrastructure upgrades that we’ve called for take resources, but cost savings must be exhausted before any approval of rate increases takes place.”
Veterans Organizations Join Pennacchio in Support of General Kearny’s Legacy
Senator Joe Pennacchio today welcomed support from veterans groups across New Jersey expressing anger and disappointment with legislation that would remove the statue of American war hero Philip Kearny from the prestigious National Statuary Hall Collection at the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C.
The state’s two largest veterans organizations joined Sen. Joe Pennacchio’s efforts to stop legislation that would replace the statue of American war hero General Philip Kearny from the National Statuary Hall Collection in Washington, D.C. (©iStock)
“Our veterans understand better than anybody the sacrifices made by a man who stood tall as a hero in not one but two of our nation’s transformative wars, including losing an arm and eventually making the ultimate sacrifice in the Civil War,” said Pennacchio (R-26). “I am proud of the veterans organizations that have added their voices to this discussion.”
The state’s two largest groups representing vets, the American Legion and the Veterans of Foreign Wars, have risen up in defense of Kearny’s legacy.
Kean: $3 Billion in Tax Hikes Is Not the Answer to New Jersey’s Problems
Senate Republican Leader Tom Kean rebuked the idea that $3 billion in annual tax increases would solve New Jersey’s fiscal woes.
Sen. Tom Kean rebuked the idea that $3 billion in annual tax increases would solve New Jersey’s fiscal woes. (Wikimedia Commons)
“Democrats believe that hiking our taxes by $3 billion will fix New Jersey’s problems, but that’s an economic fallacy,” said Kean (R-21). “New Jersey’s property taxes and business taxes are already the highest in the nation, leading nearly half of New Jerseyans to consider moving their families and work out of the Garden State. The Legislature must reject policies like these that have never worked and focus our efforts on making New Jersey more affordable and competitive.”
Continue Reading…
Bucco: NJ Needs Tax Relief, Not Billions in New Spending
Senator Anthony M. Bucco said calls from a progressive coalition for $3 billion of higher taxes and new spending is the exact opposite of what New Jersey should do to improve affordability for families.
Sen. Anthony M. Bucco said calls from a progressive coalition for $3 billion of higher taxes and new spending is the exact opposite of what New Jersey should do to improve affordability for families. (Pixabay)
“Despite what these left-wing groups are saying, New Jersey’s problem isn’t that we tax and spend too little, it’s that we tax and spend too much,” said Bucco (R-25). “How many times have we been promised that another billion or two in taxes is the answer to all of our state’s problems? It’s never worked. We’re now stuck with the highest taxes in the country and a crisis of affordability that’s driving families and retirees from New Jersey in droves.”
Pennacchio/Testa Introduce a Series of Vaccine Bills to Support Parental Rights & Improve Legal Recourse for Adverse Reactions
Senator Joe Pennacchio and Senator Michael Testa have introduced legislation that is designed to give parents more information about the vaccines offered to their children and provide improved legal recourse when adverse reactions to vaccinations occur.
Legislation by Sen. Joe Pennacchio and Sen. Michael Testa would give parents more information about the vaccines offered to their children and provide improved legal recourse when adverse reactions to vaccinations occur. (Pixabay)
“This legislation is intended to improve upon the haphazard approach to vaccinating our children, which often occurs with no warning to parents and little opportunity to make well-informed choices,” said Pennacchio (R-26). “Parents deserve to be told in advance of an appointment about vaccinations that will be recommended, and given information about vaccine ingredients, efficacy, and risk. Vaccines should be treated no differently than any other drugs. They deserve the same scientific scrutiny that we give to all medicines. A parent has a right to know what is being injected into their child’s body and that it has been properly tested.”
