State Sen. Bob Smith (D-Piscataway) today in New Brunswick.

NEW BRUNSWICK -  State Sen. Bob Smith (D-Piscataway) believes local contests will drive Democratic Party turnout in Middlesex County and improve Gov. Jon Corzine's opportunity for victory, particularly local fights in Woodbridge and New Brunswick.

"I'm on the hustings every night, and I can feel the momentum turning our way," said Smith, appearing with Corzine at an event to promote the governor's Return to Work program.

But talk to Democrats privately about the gubernatorial race and their worry inevitably runs to Middlesex, where Corzine scored 67% in the Democratic Primary, and where Republican Chris Christie signs make front lawn statements everywhere in the sprawl of blue collar towns here.

Sensing opportunity, Christie and his running mate, Kim Guadagno, campaigned avidly in Middlesex this summer, hitting the fairgrounds and street parades in places like Edison and Sayreville and generally stirring more enthusiasm for their candidate than a comparatively moribund Democratic Party effort.

SMITH-GORDON-BEACH BILL TO AUTHORIZE OPEN SPACE BONDING SIGNED INTO LAW

TRENTON – A bill sponsored by Senate Environment Committee Chairman, Senator Bob Smith, and Committee members, Senators Bob Gordon and Jim Beach which will give voters in November the option to approve up to $400 million in open space borrowing was signed into law today by Governor Corzine.

“Simply put, New Jersey cannot afford the consequences if we fail to act to make an investment in open space preservation,” said Senator Smith, D-Middlesex and Somerset. “Allowing programs like Green Acres and farmland preservation to lapse would be a huge setback for open space preservation, and would open the doors for developers to pave over sensitive open space throughout the State. This bonding initiative provides necessary stop-gap funding for our various open space preservation programs, and buys us a little more time to develop a consensus around permanent funding for open space in New Jersey.”

SMITH STATEMENT ON JOINT HEARING ON BARNEGAT BAY AND SHORE ISSUES

LACEY TOWNSHIP – Senator Bob Smith, D-Middlesex and Somerset, and Chairman of the Senate Environment Committee, issued the following statement today regarding the joint hearing between his panel and the Assembly Environment and Solid Waste Committee on the environmental conditions facing the Barnegat Bay and Little Egg Harbor estuaries and other important issues facing the Jersey Shore:

“New Jersey residents from Cape May to High Point are proud of our pristine Jersey shore and rightly so. The Shore region is the jewel in our State’s tourism crown, with visitors to the State flocking by the thousands to our beautiful beaches and vibrant bays every summer.

“However, the lasting beauty and attraction of the Jersey shore comes at a price, and that price is continued and responsible stewardship by elected leaders and Shore residents who can make a difference.

MEDIA ADVISORY - SENATE AND ASSEMBLY ENVIRONMENT PANELS TO HOLD JOINT HEARING ON ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITION OF BARNEGAT BAY

LACEY TOWNSHIP – The Senate Environment Committee and the Assembly Environment and Solid Waste Committee will conduct a joint hearing Thursday, July 30 at the Lacey Township Municipal Building to discuss environmental concerns regarding pollution in the Barnegat Bay.

SMITH-SWEENEY BILL TO AUTHORIZE OPEN SPACE BONDING APPROVED IN SENATE

TRENTON – A bill sponsored by Senate Environment Committee Chairman, Senator Bob Smith, and Senate Majority Leader Steve Sweeney which would give voters in November the option to approve up to $400 million in open space borrowing was approved by the Senate today by a vote of 26-7, receiving final legislative approval.

“Open space preservation is at the very core of maintaining our quality of life in the Garden State,” said Senator Bob Smith, D-Middlesex and Somerset. “Well-maintained parks, pristine forests, protected farms and untainted watershed are a necessary alternative to overdevelopment and suburban sprawl. We owe it to future generations of New Jersey residents to protect at-risk open space, and ensure that the garden stays in the Garden State for many years to come.”

SMITH ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND RENEWABLE ENERGY LEGISLATIVE PACKAGE APPROVED IN SENATE

TRENTON – A legislative package sponsored by Senator Bob Smith, Chairman of the Senate Environment Committee, which would promote energy efficiency and renewable energy projects in New Jersey was approved by the Senate today.

“Energy efficient technology and renewable energy systems are the wave of the future, and represent our best way to conserve our world’s ever-dwindling natural resources,” said Senator Smith, D-Middlesex and Somerset. “Not only does energy efficiency and renewable energy make great environmental sense, but as New Jerseyans look to stretch every penny farther during the current economic downturn, these concepts have practical fiscal benefit, too. We need to promote new renewable energy projects and energy efficiency standards to move away from our dependence on foreign oil and give New Jerseyans an option for low-cost home energy.”

SMITH-SWEENEY BILL TO AUTHORIZE OPEN SPACE BONDING APPROVED BY BUDGET PANEL

TRENTON – A bill sponsored by Senate Environment Committee Chairman, Senator Bob Smith, and Senate Majority Leader Steve Sweeney which would give voters in November the option to approve up to $400 million in open space borrowing was approved by the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee today by a vote of 12-2, with one abstention.

“Since the 1960s, in good times and in bad, through Republican and Democratic administrations, New Jersey voters have approved every open space preservation bonding initiative put before them,” said Senator Bob Smith, D-Middlesex and Somerset. “That’s a testament to just how important this cause is to the people of the Garden State. Open space preservation is an issue that transcends party politics and municipal and county boundaries, and I hope everyone can get behind efforts to protect and preserve undeveloped lands in the State.”

SMITH BILL TO OFFER INCENTIVE FOR ENHANCED ENERGY EFFICIENT HOMES ADVANCES IN BUDGET COMMITTEE

TRENTON – A bill sponsored by Senator Bob Smith, Chair of the Senate Environment Committee, which would create a program for down-payment assistance for home buyers looking to purchase enhanced energy efficient homes was approved by the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee today by a vote of 8-4, with 3 abstentions.

“As homebuyers are trying to stretch every penny to the limit, energy efficient construction is becoming a major selling point in the struggling real estate market,” said Senator Smith, D-Middlesex and Somerset. “I think many homebuyers recognize that, while they may have to pay a little bit more up front for an energy efficient home, overall, they will be saving bundles on their home energy and heating bills. This bill would make energy efficient homes even more attractive for environmentally aware and cost-savvy homebuyers, and enhance the State’s conservation and emission control efforts.”

SMITH LICENSED SITE REMEDIATION PROFESSIONALS BILL SIGNED INTO LAW

Measure Would Break Backlog Of Site Remediation Projects By Allowing Professional Review, Approval

TRENTON – A bill sponsored by Senator Bob Smith, Chairman of the Senate Environment Committee, which establishes a licensed site remediation professional program in New Jersey to speed up the clean-up of contaminated sites around the State was signed into law today by Governor Corzine.

“This new law represents a huge step forward in revitalizing and remediating contaminated sites and transforming them into viable real estate,” said Senator Smith, D-Middlesex and Somerset. “For so long, polluted sites have been allowed to linger because the State simply didn’t have the resources in the DEP (Department of Environmental Protection) to cut down on the backlog. Through this law, environmental consultants would be deputized by the DEP to handle non-sensitive site clean-up approval, and we can finally begin to reclaim some of these sites for the people of the Garden State.”

SMITH BILL TO AUTHORIZE OPEN SPACE BONDING APPROVED IN COMMITTEE

TRENTON – A bill sponsored by Senate Environment Committee Chairman, Senator Bob Smith, which would give voters in November the option to approve up to $600 million in open space borrowing was approved by the Environment panel today by a vote of 4-1.

“Open space preservation is absolutely vital to preserving the quality of life in New Jersey,” said Senator Smith, D-Middlesex and Somerset. “As the most densely populated state in the nation, there is more pressure to build on every open area in the State than anywhere else in the country. While I believe we need a healthy, consistent and sustained effort to preserve open space through dedicated funding, this bill will make sure that pristine open space isn’t gobbled up by suburban sprawl before we can finally come to agreement on just what that dedicated funding should look like.”