Bernard Kenny

KENNY: PROPERTY TAX RELIEF CLEARLY CONSTITUTIONAL

TRENTON - Senate Majority Leader Bernard F. Kenny Jr. today dismissed Republican efforts to block tax relief for senior citizens, the disabled and homeowners who need the credits to be provided by the legislative reform initiative.

"The Republicans should be ashamed of themselves for playing partisan games with our tax relief proposal.

"It's clearly constitutional under Article VIII, Section I, Paragraph 5.

"We were very conscious of the Uniformity Clause throughout our hearings during the summer and this reform initiative clearly dwells within its boundaries.

KENNY URGES SENATE REPUBLICANS TO RALLY THEIR OWN LOCALS

TRENTON - Senate Majority Leader Bernard F. Kenny Jr. today said Senate Republicans should "rally their own local municipalities" to adopt pay-to-play ordinances instead of pushing for a statewide mandate on the issue.

"With all due respect to Senator (Leonard) Lance (the Senate Minority Leader), there's almost 50 municipalities in his district (23) and only one or two, if that, have adopted local pay-to-play ordinances," said Senator Kenny. "That's hardly a groundswell."

WATSON COLEMAN: COMPTROLLER MUST HAVE AUTHORITY
TO EXAMINE DEVELOPMENT CONTRACTS
Majority Leader Sends Letter to Kenny Seeking to Ensure Power Is Included
For Review of Local Projects

(TRENTON) -- Calling it a "vital question of policy that affects New Jersey's quality of life," Assembly Majority Leader Bonnie Watson Coleman today signaled that she opposes efforts to weaken her state comptroller bill by prohibiting the proposed watchdog agency from exercising oversight of development deals with municipalities.

**PREVIEW**

SENATE TO TAKE UP CIVIL UNIONS, PROPERTY TAX BILLS THURSDAY

TRENTON - On Thursday, December 14, the Senate is set to consider measures which would create civil unions for same-sex couples in New Jersey and begin the necessary infrastructure reforms to make property tax savings sustainable in the Garden State.

The Senate is scheduled to begin their voting session at 2:00 PM in the Senate Chambers.

The appointment of Barbara Netchert as Hudson County Clerk has hit some major obstacles, according to a report in the Jersey Journal's Political Insider column.

Netchert, who runs the Jersey City Department of Housing, Economic Development and Commerce, was expected to replace Javier Inclan, who is supposed to be taking a job on Governor Jon Corzine's staff. She is an ally of County Executive Thomas DeGise, and her nomination reportedly played a role in ending Jersey City Councilman (and DeGise Chief of Staff) William Gaughan's challenge to incumbent Assemblywoman Joan Quigley.

But Corzine is now in hot water with Hudson County Democrats for not following protocol by clearing the appointment with the HCDO. The HCDO is run by the county's twelve Democratic Mayors (some of whom did not know about the Inclan-for-Netchert switch until a November 29 on PoliticsNJ.com) and DeGise. Senate Majority Leader Bernard Kenny told the Jersey Journal that the Governor's Office has apologized to him for that slight. Until Kenny signs off, Inclan's offer of employment is essentially on hold.

There are other candidates now on the short list for County Clerk, including Hoboken Councilman Ruben Ramos and Deputy County Clerk Mary Jane Desmond. Desmond, a former Republican who served on the Bayonne City Council, is an ally of Mayor/State Senator Joseph Doria.

The Jersey Journal also reported that four-term Hudson County Sheriff Joseph Cassidy is in danger of losing party support for re-election in 2007. Jersey City Mayor Jerramiah Healy wants Jersey City Deputy Police Director Juan Manuel Perez to get the job.

For extreme junkies: the Democratic nomination for Hudson County Sheriff is a good thing to have -- the last time the Republicans won the post was in 1904, when John Kaiser, helped by President Theodore Roosevelt's coattails, upset incumbent John Zeller. Democrat James Kelly ousted Kaiser in 1907.

KENNY TO SENATOR ALLEN - DON'T SCARE SENIORS WITH FALSEHOODS

TRENTON - Senate Majority Leader Bernard F. Kenny Jr. said it is "absolutely irresponsible" for Republican Senator Diane Allen to try to frighten senior citizens into thinking their rebates are being threatened by recommendations he made today as co-chairman of the Joint Committee on Constitutional Reform and Citizens Property Tax Convention.

"The most immediate message that has to be conveyed to seniors is that Senator Allen is dead wrong in her statements about seniors having their rebates jeopardized," said Senator Kenny. "It is clear to anyone who actually read the report that we are not only protecting the rebates for seniors, but seeking to provide additional property tax relief for our elderly.

CHAIRS OF CONSTITUTIONAL REFORM PANEL SEEK TO CUT PROPERTY TAXES

TRENTON - Senator Bernard F. Kenny Jr. and Assemblyman John Burzichelli, co-chairs of the legislative tax relief panel reviewing constitutional issues, today said they will seek to provide 20 percent reductions in total property tax liability for as many New Jersey residents as possible through a new system of direct tax credits.

"The State Constitution allows for a property tax credit program and we believe it will be more efficient and vastly more beneficial to working families than a rebate program," said Senator Kenny, D-Hudson. "Our goal is to significantly reduce the property tax bills of our homeowners."

'We have a framework for a new property tax relief system that will deliver more money back to homeowners and do it in a more efficient and cost-effective manner," said Assemblyman Burzichelli, D-Gloucester. "The 20 percent reduction in property taxes would rank as the largest reduction in property tax bills in state history."

BIONDI-CORODEMUS: MONDAY'S MEETING A GOOD ARGUMENT FOR ALL-PUBLIC MEMBER ETHICS PANEL

BIONDI AND CORODEMUS SAY JOINT COMMITTEE ON ETHICAL STANDARDS MIGHT BE BETTER OFF WITHOUT LEGISLATORS

LITTELL: HOLD HEARINGS ON HEDGE FUND DEBACLE
$16 Million In Public Employees' Pension Monies Lost In Less That A Month

Senator Robert Littell, (R-24), the Senate Republican budget officer will call on Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee Chairman, Senator Bernard Kenny, to hold hearings on the collapse of the Aramanth hedge fund.

Statehouse sources say that Senate President Richard Codey's decision to give Wayne Bryant's Budget and Appropriations Committee chairmanship to Majority Leader Bernard Kenny reflects Bryant's fear that he might have trouble getting it back someday if the post went to Paul Sarlo or Barbara Buono. Majority Leaders traditionally do not chair major committees.