Derek Roseman

Asked to comment on the Property Tax Assistance and Community Development grants program, which a budget staffer today testified gave key legislators sole discretion of millions of dollars in grants during fiscal years 2005 and 2006, Assembly Majority spokesman Derek Roseman gave the following response:

“We’re not aware of the specifics of today’s testimony, but in recent years we’ve implemented new rules and regulations that open up the budget process more than ever before and let the public see every requested budget change and exactly who is proposing it.”

The press conference yesterday headlined by Assembly members Allison Littell McHose  (R-Franklin) and Jay Webber (R-Morris Plains) that attacked the Clean Elections program produced several reverberations today. 

McHose (R-Franklin) took a comment by a staffer of the Assembly Democrats yesterday in response to the press conference as a promise that Assembly Speaker Joe Roberts (D-Camden) would work to rid the state of pay-to-play contributions.

A report in the Asbury Park Press said that Assembly Democratic spokesman Derek Roseman told the paper that Roberts “plans to reform pay-to-play in the fall.”

McHose took that sentence to mean a ban on the practice, and went on to call for more stringent measures.

There is a little bit of chatter today over a comment made by an Assembly Democratic spokesman about Republican Assemblywoman Alison Littell McHose yesterday, after McHose held a news conference advocating an end to the public financing of legislative elections – a pet project of the Assembly leadership: "Allison is a special interest puppet who is not terribly bright and doesn't stand for anything, so of course she's against cleaning up elections in New Jersey,” Derek C.S. Roseman told PolitickerNJ.com.

TRENTON -- With the future of the Fair and Clean Elections program hanging in the balance and its supporters set to try to negotiate its fate in two weeks, four of its opponents gathered in the State House today to question not only the program's effectiveness, but the sincerity of some of its proponents.

Assembly members Jay Webber (R-Morris Plains) and Allison Littell McHose (R-Franklin) joined Virginia-based Center for Competitive Politics (CCP) President Sean Parnell and Center for Policy Research (CPR) of New Jersey Executive Director Greg Edwards to outline preliminary findings of the CCP's report that they say shows the program has been ineffective in virtually all of its stated goals.

Most notable, according to Parnell, was the fact that special interest groups still appeared to exert large influence in collecting the hundreds of $10 donations needed to participate in the program.

An unofficial legislative committee will meet in two weeks to figure out the future of the state’s Fair and Clean Elections program, the status of which is in serious jeopardy.

The bill renewing the program, which was tested as a pilot project in 2005 and 2007, was pulled from consideration in June after both the programs’ backers and detractors raised concerns about the new legislation.

Last month it was dealt an even more serious setback, when the U.S. Supreme Court, in Davis v. Federal Election Commission, struck down the federal Millionaire’s Amendment, which allows out-funded candidates more leeway with campaign contribution limits. At the request of Assembly Democrats, the non-partisan Office of Legislative Services (OLS) wrote an opinion stating that the Clean Elections program’s “rescue funds” – meant to give a boost to candidates facing attacks from an outside group or a well-funded opponent who opted out of the program – would likely be ruled unconstitutional under the Supreme Court precedent.

ASSEMBLY PANEL CLEARS OLIVER/GREENSTEIN MEASURE
UPDATING STATE'S WRONGFUL DEATH LAW
Assemblywomen Say Reforms to Help Victims' Families 'Long Overdue'

(TRENTON) -- Legislation Assemblywomen Sheila Y. Oliver and Linda Greenstein are sponsoring to broaden New Jersey's wrongful death law to give surviving relatives greater ability to seek damages following the loss of a loved one was released today by an Assembly committee.

MAYER/GORDON BILL DECREASING PENALTIES FOR DRIVERS WHO FORGET LICENSES, OTHER DOCUMENTS PASSES ASSEMBLY

(TRENTON) - The Assembly today approved legislation sponsored by Assemblymen David Mayer and Bob Gordon sponsored to provide drivers who forget to carry their license, registration, or proof of auto insurance relief from exorbitant fines and the threat of having their car impounded.

CHIVUKULA/GREENSTEIN BILL UPGRADING PENALTIES
FOR Rx DRUG TAMPERING CLEARS ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE

(TRENTON) -- Legislation Assembly members Upendra Chivukula and Linda Greenstein sponsored to stiffen penalties against persons convicted of tampering with prescription medicines was released today by an Assembly committee.

CONSUMER AFFAIRS PANEL TO TAKE UP
PRO-SHOPPER LEGISLATIVE PACKAGE
Measures to Require Stores to Charge Customers Advertised 'After-Rebate' Prices,
Expand Gift-Card-Buyer Protections Top Consumer-Friendly Bills to be Considered

(TRENTON) -- The Assembly Consumer Affairs Committee tomorrow is scheduled to consider a package of legislation aimed at enhancing shoppers’ rights through more transparent pricing and product labeling and disclosure policies.

ROBERTS STATEMENT ON GOVERNOR CORZINE'S
STATE OF THE STATE ADDRESS

(TRENTON) -- Assembly Speaker Joseph J. Roberts, Jr., today issued the following statement on Governor Jon Corzine's first State of the State address: