Christopher Bateman

Our Communities, Our Schools, Our Taxes –

Not Trenton's and Not the Court's

Voting yes on the Senate confirmation of New Jersey Supreme Court Associate Justice Barry Albin early this morning was the Republican leader of the State Senate, Thomas Kean, Jr. (R-Westfield).  Christopher Bateman (R-Branchburg) and Sean Kean (R-Wall) were also among a group of Republicans who voted to confirm Albin, who may now serve on the state's top court until he reaches the age of seventy in 2022.

Joseph Spicuzzo, who serves as the Middlesex County Sheriff and the Democratic County Chairman, is on the Senate Judiciary Committee agenda.  Gov. Jon Corzine has appointed him to a seat on the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority, and he is seeking Senate confirmation.  Spicuzzo was supposed to appear before the panel on Monday, but he called in sick.  He is expected to be confirmed, but will need Republicans to agree to agree to an emergency on his nomination if the full Senate is to vote on him at their session this afternoon.  If not, he won't get a vote -- and the seat -- until the lame duck session.  Don't expect the GOP to extend any courties to Spicuzzo, who is getting the job because Corzine decided to dump former Senate President Raymond Bateman, the 1977 Republican candidate for Governor.  Bateman's son is State Sen. Christopher Bateman (R-Branchburg), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Democratic sources say that Gov. Jon Corzine will reappoint Frederick Butler to the Board of Public Utilities and that Linda Stender (D-Fanwood) will seek re-election to a fifth term in the State Assembly.  There had been speculation that Butler would be replaced with Stender, who has been pushing for a state post following her second defeat in a race for Congress last November.

Speculation that Assemblywoman Linda Stender (D-Fanwood) could be headed to the Board of Public Utilities raises a question regarding political control of the BPU.  

Stender is reportedly under consideration for the seat currently occupied by Frederick Butler, a BPU Commissioner since 1999.  Some Democrats, sources say, are not happy that Gov. Jon Corzine might dump Butler, who spent seventeen years on the Assembly Democratic staff, including seven as Executive Director. 

If Democrats lose the 2009 gubernatorial election, the new Republican Governor would be able to designate one of the Republican Commissioners to serve as President.  The current BPU President, Jeanne Fox, would retain her seat, but the new Republican Governor would have the option of elevating one of the GOP Commissioners, former State Sen. Nicholas Asselta (R-Vineland) or former Assemblywoman Elizabeth Randall (R-Hillsdale), to the presidency.

BPU Commissioners serve six year terms, and traditionally the party that controls the governorship gets three of the five seats.  But if the Senate confirms a new BPU appointee, it would stop Republicans from holding a majority of seats until 2012, when Joseph Fiordaliso is up.

The only leverage the GOP has in the appointment process is senatorial courtesy.  Senate Minority Leader Thomas Kean, Jr. (R-Westfield) could block Stender, and State Sen. Christopher Bateman (R-Branchburg) could block Butler.  Union County Republicans would not be pleased if Kean signed off on Stender.

Look for Republicans to slow down on signoffs for gubernatorial appointments that require Senate confirmation, according to sources familiar with a meeting of the Senate Republican Caucus two weeks ago.  Several Senators, reading polling data that shows Gov. Jon Corzine in trouble in November, want to stop filling positions that could go to the Republicans in January.  Last week's announcement that Corzine would dump former Senate President Raymond Bateman from his seat on the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority has reportedly pushed some Republicans over the top.  Bateman's son is State Sen. Christopher Bateman (R-Branchburg), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

State Sen. Christopher Bateman (R-Branchburg) has won a seat on the Senate Judiciary Committee

State Sen. Christopher Bateman (R-Branchburg) will get a new seat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, and Senate Minority Leader Thomas Kean, Jr. (R-Westfield) will take the new seat on the Senate Education Committee, sources say.

Last month, the Senate expanded the size of the Judiciary Committee from eleven to thirteen members, adding an eighth Democrat and a fifth Republican.  Senate President Richard Codey (D-Roseland) has already named State Sen. Brian Stack (D-Union City) to fill the new Democratic seat.

The Senate Labor Committee was also expanded from five to seven members.  Codey named State Sen. James Beach (D-Voorhees) to that post.

Republican Municipal Chairs in seventeen of the 21 towns in Somerset County have endorsed former U.S. Attorney Christopher Christie for the Republican gubernatorial nomination, along with GOP County Chairman Dale Florio and 68 elected officials.  Somerset County will award their organization line at their convention tonight.

Christie’s supporters include State Sen. Christopher Bateman (R-Branchburg), Assembly Minority Conference Leader Peter Biondi (R-Hillsborough), Assemblywoman Denise Coyle (R-Bernards), all five Freeholders, and the Sheriff and County Clerk.

Senate Republicans have agreed to a rules change that will expand the size of two Senate committees.  The Judiciary Committee will go for eleven to thirteen (eight Democrats and five Republicans), and the Labor Committee will increase from five to seven (four Democrats and three Republicans).  Brian Stack (D-Union City) will get the Judiciary post, and James Beach (D-Voorhees) will get the Labor seat. 

On the Republican side, things are a little more complicated.  Sean Kean (R-Wall), a pro-Labor Republican, is expected to get the new Labor Committee seat.  For the Judiciary seat, Senate Minority Leader Thomas Kean, Jr. might be forced to choose between two Senators who want the assignment:  Christopher Bateman (R-Branchburg) and Kevin O'Toole (R-Cedar Grove).  This puts Kean in the uncomfortable position of possibly passing over O'Toole, the Essex County Republican Chairman and the Chairman of the GOP County Chairmen, for the second time this year.  Kean picked Anthony Bucco (R-Boonton) to serve as the ranking Republican on the Appropriations Committee after Leonard Lance resigned to take his seat in Congress.

The Senate Judiciary Committee will consider the nomination of Jeanne Fox for another term as President of the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities.  There is no longer much drama with this nomination: Republican Judiciary Committee members are likely to vote against her, but Fox has the votes from the Democratic majority for Senate confirmation.

If Democrats lose the 2009 gubernatorial election, the new Republican Governor would be able to designate one of the Republican Commissioners to serve as President.  BPU Commissioners serve six year terms, and traditionally the party that controls the governorship gets three of the five seats. 

One of the three Democratic Commissioners, Frederick Butler, a former Executive Director of the Assembly Democratic Office, is up for reappointment in June 2009.  For Republicans to take control of the BPU next January, Republican State Sen. Christopher Bateman would need to block the nomination of Butler, a Belle Mead resident, for the remainder of the legislative session.  Short of a resignation, that would give a Republican Governor a chance to make his own appointment.