VAN DREW, ALBANO, MILAM PRAISE ATTORNEY GENERAL’S OFFICE FOR OPPOSING PTI FOR DENTIST CHARGED WITH DUMPING MEDICAL WASTE

(1st Legislative District) – Senator Jeff Van Drew and Assemblymen Nelson Albano and Matt Milam today praised the Attorney General’s Office for opposing pretrial intervention for a Pennsylvania dentist charged with dumping medical waste off Cape May waters last year.

The waste closed several beaches around Labor Day weekend.

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WHELAN-VAN DREW CASINO BILLS RECEIVE FINAL LEGISLATIVE APPROVAL

Measures Would Relieve Regulatory Pressures off Casino Industry, Allow Casino Employees to Run for Local Office

TRENTON – A package of bills sponsored by Senator Jim Whelan, the Chairman of the Senate Wagering, Tourism and Historic Preservation Committee, and Senator Jeff Van Drew, which would remove archaic casino regulations which hamper economic growth and would allow casino employees to run for local office was approved by the Legislature today.

“As that national recession continues to worsen, the casino industry is among the hardest hit,” said Senator Whelan, D-Atlantic. “We need to remove some of the regulatory barriers to economic vitality for the casinos, and we need to give casino workers a voice in their local government. These bills will help strengthen the economic well-being of Atlantic City’s gaming industry and ensure true representative government on the City Council.”

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VAN DREW BILL TO INCREASE PENALTIES FOR MEDICAL WASTE AND WATER AND OCEAN POLLUTION APPROVED IN COMMITTEE

TRENTON – A bill sponsored by Senator Jeff Van Drew which would increase civil penalties for medical waste and water and ocean pollution was unanimously approved by the Senate Environment Committee today.

“New Jersey depends on clean and pristine oceans as the engine which drives tourism along the Jersey Shore,” said Senator Van Drew, D-Cape May and Cumberland and Vice Chairman of the Environment Committee. “When someone knowingly and intentionally harms our ocean waters, the resulting beach closures can cost our communities millions of dollars in lost revenue. We need penalties in place which reflect the seriousness of ocean dumping and improper disposal of medical waste, and make people think twice before they shortcut existing disposal policies.”

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Vineland businessman Sam Fiocchi said today will seek the Republican nomination for State Assembly in the first district, which is expected to be one of the most competitive legislative races of the year.

"It's just the state of affairs in New Jersey. I've been a small businessman," said Fiocchi, a Vineland resident who heads up a family run irrigation company.  "It's difficult to operate in this business environment, and I'm a Republican. I always felt if you want to make change, you have to step up and do something about it."

Three Republicans have submitted letters of intent to party leaders of the three counties that make up the southernmost legislative district in New Jersey.  They'll compete for two spots on the county lines to take on incumbent Democrats Nelson Albano (D-Vineland) and Matt Milam (D-Vineland).

The district is politically competitive, and both parties view Albano and Milam as vulnerable, especially without the benefit of State Sen. Jefferson Van Drew (D-Dennis) at the top of the ticket.

Michael Donohue, an attorney from Cape May County who came close to winning an assembly seat in 2007, is running and is expected to have no problem securing the party nod.  The real competition will likely be between Fiocchi and Upper Township Committeeman Frank Conrad.

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The departure of Douglas Fisher from the Legislature will mean Speaker Joseph Roberts will need to appoint a new Chairman of the Assembly Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee.  There's a good chance that Nelson Albano, a two-term Assemblyman from Vineland, will get the job.  Albano, one of a handful of Democrats from politically competitive districts, is expected to face a tough re-election campaign this year without the benefit of popular State Sen. Jefferson Van Drew (D-Dennis) at the top of the ticket. 

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With limited opportunities to pick up State Assembly seats in November, Republicans are expected to pour extensive resources into the state's southernmost tip - a traditionally Republican area currently represented by three Democrats.

"You look at the map, and District 1 is definitely their number one priority," said Monmouth University pollster and political science professor Patrick Murray.  "It's going to be tough. Cape May is a huge Republican County.  It's going to be a year where we're not going to have a high turnout.  You're going to get the voters who vote every year, and they're going to be Republicans down there."

The first district is made up of Cape May County, a large part of Cumberland County and a small part of southern Atlantic County.

Republicans see the district's total Democratic control as a fluke brought about by state Sen. Jeff Van Drew (D-Dennis), the most conservative Democrat in the Senate whose coattails in 2007 are credited with helping his two assembly running mates, Nelson Albano (D-Vineland) and Matt Milam (D-Vineland) across the finish line.

This time, Van Drew isn't on the ballot.  Instead, Albano, who's in his second term, and Milam, a freshman - both from Cumberland County -- are below an unpopular Democratic governor and are likely to face at least one Republican candidate who comes from Cape May County - a Republican stronghold that dominates the district.

Dennis Township Attorney Michael Donohue, who came up about 2,000 votes short of Milam in 2007, plans to run again, and will likely have the support of Republican leaders.

Upper Township Committeeman Frank Conrad, who owns three small businesses in the district, has submitted a letter of intent to run, but he's been pretty quiet about it Read More >

Attorney Michael Donohue announced today that he’s trying again for an assembly seat in the 1st District, which is expected to be one of the major legislative battlegrounds this year.  

Donohue ran unsuccessfully with Norris Clark in 2007 against Democrats Nelson Albano (D- Vineland) and Matt Milam (D-Vineland).  He came within 2,000 votes of Milam in this traditionally Republican district– a sweep that many observers attributed to the coattails of state Sen. Jeff Van Drew (D-Cape May), the most conservative Democrat in the state Senate. 

“Ronald Reagan said nearly three decades ago that government is not the solution to our problems, government IS the problem,” said Donohue, a Cape May County resident, in a statement.   “What we are faced with now is the need for the radical restructuring of state government in order to have some hope for prosperity in New Jersey in the future.   If companies that have been in existence for a hundred years realize that only through eliminating divisions and downsizing can they survive, then our state government better wake up to the same reality immediately.”

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VAN DREW-MADDEN BILL TO PERMIT VETS’ ORGANIZATIONS TO GIVE UNCLAIMED VETS’ CREMAINS PROPER BURIAL SIGNED INTO LAW

TRENTON – A bill sponsored by Senators Jeff Van Drew and Fred Madden to permit funeral directors to release the unclaimed cremains of a deceased veteran to a certified veterans’ organization for proper burial was signed into law today by the Governor. The sponsors noted that this law will allow the remains of veterans which have sat unclaimed to receive a send-off fitting of the veterans’ service to their country.

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Gov. Jon Corzine has a potential problem in South Jersey, where a new Quinnipiac University poll shows him trailing former U.S. Attorney Christopher Christie by five points, 42%-37%. The poll defines the South Jersey region as Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester and Salem counties.  In 2005, Corzine beat Republican Douglas Forrester in this part of the state by 49,825 votes, a 56%-44% margin, and lost only in Cape May County.

In South Jersey, Corzine has a favorable/unfavorable rating of 43%-43%, and an upside-down approval rating of 42%-44%.  Nearly half the voters (47%) say he does not deserve to be re-elected, and 70% say they are dissatisfied with the direction New Jersey is headed. 

Against conservative Steven Lonegan, the former Mayor of Bogota, Corzine is ahead by nine points, 42%-33%, among South Jersey voters - not a great showing against a Republican whose name is not recognized by 88% of the region's voters.

Some Democrats suggest that Corzine could boost his chances in the region by picking a South Jerseyan for Lieutenant Governor.  And some Republicans think Christie could enhance his lead by doing the same thing.

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WHELAN-VAN DREW BILL TO RELIEVE REGULATORY PRESSURES OFF ATLANTIC CITY CASINO INDUSTRY ADVANCES IN SENATE COMMITTEE

TRENTON – A bill sponsored by Senator Jim Whelan, the Chairman of the Senate Wagering, Tourism and Historic Preservation Committee, and Senator Jeff Van Drew, which would remove some of the archaic regulations within the Casino Control Act which hamper the economic stability of the casino industry in Atlantic City was unanimously approved by the Senate Wagering panel.

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