SMITH BILL ALLOWING GREENWOOD LAKE COMMISSION TO CHARGE FEES RECEIVES SENATE APPROVAL

Measure Would Give Lake Officials Dedicated Revenue Stream for Environmental Cleanup

TRENTON – A bill sponsored by Senator Bob Smith which would authorize the Greenwood Lake Commission to charge certain fees to permanently fund environmental cleanup of the lake was approved by the Senate today by a vote of 21-17.

“As New Jersey seeks financial reckoning in terms of how we fund our biggest priorities, we’re going to look for programs to become more self-sufficient,” said Senator Smith, D-Middlesex and Somerset, and the Chair of the Senate Environment Committee. “For many years, we’ve funded the operations of the Greenwood Lake Commission from State coffers, to ensure that the lake remains a top-tier recreation destination in the tri-State area. But as we continue to try to do more with less, we need to give the Commission a dedicated revenue source to continue its mission of preserving the natural beauty of Greenwood Lake.”

SMITH BILL ALLOWING GREENWOOD LAKE COMMISSION TO CHARGE FEES ADVANCES

Measure Would Give Lake Officials Dedicated Revenue Stream for Environmental Cleanup

TRENTON – A bill sponsored by Senator Bob Smith which would authorize the Greenwood Lake Commission to charge certain fees to permanently fund environmental cleanup of the lake was approved by the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee today by a vote of 8-3, with 1 abstention.

“As New Jersey struggles to find funding for our State’s biggest environmental priorities, we need to ask other agencies to do more with less, and move towards self-sufficiency,” said Senator Smith, D-Middlesex and Somerset, and the Chair of the Committee. “The Greenwood Lake Commission would be able to support itself through a modest user fee imposed on those who enjoy the lake. Given our nearly chronic budget shortfalls and the diversion of funds away from environmental projects, user fees would be an important mechanism to allow the Commission to continue its work maintaining Greenwood Lake.”

ADLER-SMITH BILL TO EXEMPT RENEWABLE ENERGY SYSTEMS FROM PROPERTY TAXES APPROVED IN SENATE

TRENTON – A bill sponsored by Senators John H. Adler and Bob Smith which would exempt renewable energy systems, such as solar panels, from local property taxes was approved today by the Senate by a vote of 37-0.

“With skyrocketing fuel and energy costs, renewable energy is about more than just saving the environment,” said Senator Adler, D-Cherry Hill. “We should encourage more New Jersey families to turn to solar panels, and make sure that people can afford to go green.”

SMITH BILL TO CREATE PANEL TO REVIEW CRIMINAL SENTENCING APPROVED

TRENTON – A bill sponsored by Senator Bob Smith which would consolidate and refocus efforts to review the State’s criminal sentencing provisions to ensure greater fairness and efficient use of New Jersey’s resources was approved by the Senate today by a vote of 38-0.

“New Jersey’s lawmakers have recently relied on mandatory minimum sentencing guidelines to tell their constituents that they’re tough on crime,” said Senator Smith, D-Middlesex and Somerset, and a member of the Judiciary Committee. “However, the side effect of the convoluted sentencing guidelines on the books is a State judiciary without judicial discretion, unable to make penalty decisions from the bench. We need to take a serious look at the maze of sentencing guidelines in New Jersey, and where appropriate, give greater discretion to the talented judges appointed in the Garden State.”

SMITH RENEWABLE ENERGY PACKAGE APPROVED IN COMMITTEE

TRENTON – A package of bills sponsored by Senator Bob Smith which would promote renewable energy throughout the State of New Jersey was unanimously approved by the Senate Economic Growth Committee today.

“As fuel prices soar, and it’s becoming more and more expensive to keep our homes cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter, we need to look to alternative energy to offset our needs,” said Senator Smith, D-Middlesex and Somerset, the Chair of the Senate Environment Committee. “Everyone in the State should be able to take advantage of renewable energy systems, not just the wealthy elite who can afford home installation. We need to clear obstacles to renewable energy generation facilities, and ensure that we make a Statewide push for cleaner, cheaper energy which moves us away from our dependency on foreign oil and older, environmentally-damaging technology.”

SMITH BILL ALLOWING GREENWOOD LAKE COMMISSION TO CHARGE FEES APPROVED

Measure Would Give Lake Officials Dedicated Revenue Stream for Environmental Cleanup

TRENTON – A bill sponsored by Senator Bob Smith which would authorize the Greenwood Lake Commission to charge certain fees to permanently fund environmental cleanup of the lake was unanimously approved by the Senate Environment Committee today.

“As New Jersey struggles with nearly chronic budgetary shortfalls, we need to look to new ways to fund worthwhile programs,” said Senator Smith, D-Middlesex and Somerset, and the Chair of the Committee. “Government agencies at all levels are being asked to do more with less, and all options are on the table to balance our books and bring back a sense of fiscal responsibility to Trenton. It’s time that some of our State’s commissions and localized programs move towards self-sufficiency.”

SMITH BILL TO CREATE PANEL TO REVIEW CRIMINAL SENTENCING ADVANCES

TRENTON – A bill sponsored by Senator Bob Smith which would consolidate and refocus efforts to review the State’s criminal sentencing provisions to ensure greater fairness and efficient use of New Jersey’s resources was unanimously approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee today.

“In an effort to appear tough on crime, New Jersey’s lawmakers have, over the years, relied on mandatory minimum sentences to get the point across,” said Senator Smith, D-Middlesex and Somerset, and a member of the Judiciary Committee. “However, by removing judicial discretion from the criminal justice system, we’ve unwittingly created a monster of one-size-fits-all penalties for even non-violent crimes. We need to take a look at the criminal justice system in New Jersey, and adopt a fairer set of guidelines which makes the most of State resources.”

ADLER-SMITH BILL TO EXEMPT RENEWABLE ENERGY SYSTEMS FROM PROPERTY TAXES APPROVED IN BUDGET COMMITTEE

TRENTON – A bill sponsored by Senators John H. Adler and Bob Smith which would exempt renewable energy systems, such as solar panels, from local property taxes was unanimously approved by the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee today.

“Renewable energy is our best chance to fight global warming and to reduce our carbon footprint,” said Senator Adler, D-Cherry Hill. “We need to do everything we can to make sure that renewable energy systems are affordable for families and businesses and promote green technology.”

SMITH-HAINES MEASURE TO CALL FOR STOP-GAP OPEN SPACE BONDING INTRODUCED

TRENTON – A bipartisan bill sponsored by Senators Bob Smith and Philip E. Haines which would ask voters to approve $300 million in stop-gap open space funding for the next two years was introduced and referred to the Senate Environment Committee today.

“As we continue discussions on a permanent funding mechanism for open space acquisition in New Jersey, we need to be constantly aware that the clock’s running out on the current pot of open space funding,” said Senator Smith, D-Middlesex and Somerset, and the Chairman of the Environment Committee. “If we allow funding to lapse, Green Acres, farmland and historic preservation are going to come to a screeching halt, and we’ll be forced to start from scratch in protecting open space from overdevelopment and suburban sprawl. Voters have consistently supported open space bonding at the ballot box, and we need to ask for their support again, to ensure that the progress we’ve made over the last four decades in protecting open space is not undone.”

Prominent, Diverse Group of Democratic Figures Signifies Broad Support