Albert Coutinho

Twelve members of the State Assembly had more than $100,000 cash on hand as of the most recent reports filed with the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission:

Assemblyman Albert Coutinho (D-Newark)

NEWARK - Running for re-election this year in the 29th Legislative District, Assemblyman Albert Coutinho (D-Newark) today dispelled rumors that he wants to run for City Council in 2010, and publicly endorsed East Ward incumbent Augusto Amador despite a burgeoning political challenge by Coutinho's friend, local businessman Peter Pantoliano.

“No disrespect to the City Council, but I believe I can accomplish more where I am now than on the City Council,” said Coutinho. “I have no interest in running for the council. I have zero interest. I’ll be fully supportive of the Booker Team next year.”

Old pal Pantoliano is working hard to secure both Coutinho’s and Mayor Cory Booker’s support.

“Al is very supportive of me,” Pantoliano said. “He has said in the past that the city would suffer if I were not the councilman. As for Cory, I’ve supported him over the years, and we have a great dialogue and friendship. If he can’t support me because of certain political realities, I understand, but I am trying to win his support.”

SCHAER / LAMPITT / COUTINHO BILL TO TEACH KIDS FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY CONTINUES ADVANCING

Legislation Would Create Pilot Program To Educate High Schoolers

(TRENTON) – Legislation Assembly members Gary S. Schaer, Pamela R. Lampitt, and Albert Coutinho sponsored to initiate a pilot program to educate high school students on personal finance management so they can avoid irresponsible spending habits that lead to excessive personal debt and bankruptcy was released Thursday by a Senate committee.

“Too many young people have taken an ‘out of sight, out of mind’ attitude to their personal finances, setting themselves up for financial hardship before they even get their college degree,” said Schaer (D-Passaic/Bergen/Essex), a professional financial advisor. “We must do a better job of preparing students to be financially responsible adults.”

JOHNSON / DeANGELO / EVANS / CONAWAY / COUTINHO BILL CREATING CHECK-OFF FOR FOOD PANTRY DONATIONS CONTINUES ADVANCING

(TRENTON) – Legislation sponsored by Assembly members Gordon Johnson, Wayne DeAngelo, Elease Evans, Albert Coutinho and Herb Conaway to address recent shortages and closings at food pantries continues to advance.

The legislation would establish the “Community Food Pantry Fund” in the Department of the Treasury and allow taxpayers to voluntarily donate a portion of their income tax refund to it.

McKEON /  

McKEON / CRYAN / BARNES / COUTINHO / POU BILL TO SPEED CLEANUP OF CONTAMINATED SITES NOW LAW

New Law Aims to Expedite Clean-Up Of More Than 20,000 Toxic Sites

(TRENTON) – Legislation Assembly members John F. McKeon, Joseph Cryan, Peter J. Barnes III, Albert Coutinho and Nellie Pou sponsored to expedite the clean-up of contaminated sites through improved licensing and oversight of remediation professionals was signed today by Gov. Jon S. Corzine.

DEMOCRATIC BILL TO EXPAND URBAN TRANSIT TAX CREDIT CLEARS COMMITTEE HURDLE

An Assembly committee today released legislation that would expand the qualifications of the Urban Transit Hub Tax Credit to allow more corporate capital investment and development projects to be sited alongside the state's mass transit centers.

Assembly Speaker Joseph Roberts (D-Camden) has picked Assemblyman Albert Coutinho (D-Newark) to replace Joseph Vas (D-Perth Amboy) on the Assembly Budget Committee.  Vas was stripped of his committee assignments and leadership posts following his indictment on state corruption charges last month.

Celeste Riley (D-Bridgeton), who won a special election convention to replace Douglas Fisher, who is now the Secretary of Agriculture, will take Fisher's seat on the Assembly Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee.  She has also been assigned to the Regulated Professions and Telecommunications and Utilities Committee.

Linda Stender (D-Fanwood) has been named to the Assembly Appropriations Committee for the remainder of the legislative session.  She will replace Reed Gusciora (D-Princeton), who too Vas' post as Chairman of the Assembly Commerce and Economic Development Committee.

Assemblyman Albert Coutinho (D-Newark)

NEWARK – The creeping disillusion Fred Linhares felt with the East Ward Democratic Party reached its denouement two weeks ago when the Ironbound attorney, Kean University professor and former municipal judge changed his party affiliation from Democrat to Republican and filed to run for the Assembly in the 29th Legislative District. 

“I’ve been a registered Democrat my whole life,” said Linhares, 40, who served on the local bench from 1999 to 2002, when he hung up his robes to run for freeholder on a ticket with then-county executive candidate Tom Giblin.

That ticket famously lost to Joe DiVincenzo and his team, and when it comes to assessing the self-styled progressive Linhares, who admits he feels no heartfelt tug from the GOP and says he voted for Ralph Nader in the last three presidential elections, members of his former party generally point to 2002 as Linhares’s real turning point in politics.

“I’ve known Fred Linhares since we were kids, and I think he should have stayed as a judge. I respect everyone’s right to run, but he was a good municipal judge,” said Assemblyman Albert Coutinho (D-Newark).

NEWARK - Payne family patriarch, Former Assemblyman Bill Payne (D-Newark), backed up his nephew’s off-the-line challenge in the 28th District today, but said he has not yet reached a decision about his own comeback in the neighboring 29th District.

"I’m circulating petitions," Payne told PolitickerNJ.com.  I have another couple of days to give it some thought. I’m still weighing all the options."

The filing deadline to submit petitions to run for Assembly is 4 p.m., Monday, April 6th.

Two years ago, the Essex County Democratic Committee offered Payne a shot at reelection to his Assembly seat, but the veteran South Ward lawmaker and older brother and consigliere of U.S. Rep. Donald Payne (D-Newark), insisted on trying to move up to occupy the seat vacated by former state Sen./Mayor Sharpe James.

From left: U.S. Rep. Donald Payne, Sen Ronald Rice, Andre Reames, Bill Payne, Freeholder/Councilman Donald Payne, Jr., and Craig Stanley

NEWARK – Democratic Party stronghold Essex was supposed to be quiet this season as Newark and the environs reflect on a North Ward-City Hall lovefest and prepare for the reelection campaign of Gov Jon Corzine. 

Now the Payne family appears mobilized on the primary horizon here in the 28th District and potentially in the 29th, though insiders say it's unlikely they will be able to escalate a fullscale battle, even if they choose to fight.

After getting bumped out of office by an Adubato-Booker alliance in 2007, family scion former Assemblyman Craig Stanley (D-Irvington) is trying to scratch his way back into the legislature and finding little organizational support in the process with two weeks to go before the April 6th state filing deadline.

Essex sources on all sides say there’s little or no chance Chairman Phil Thigpen will award the District 28 party line to Stanley over incumbents Assemblyman Ralph Caputo (D-Belleville) and Assemblywoman Cleopatra Tucker (D-Newark) - not in a gubernatorial election year when an unpopular Corzine faces more than a warm body challenge from the Republican Party, and party chieftains are intent on trying to keep his troops in line. 

Thigpen himself is cryptic on the Stanley issue.