Joan Voss

If the Assembly leadership elections go as expected, Joseph Cryan (D-Union) will give up the Education Committee chairmanship to become Majority Leader.   Democratic sources that Joan Voss (D-Fort Lee), the vice chair of the committee and a retired public school teacher, is not under consideration for the post.  One possible candidate is Patrick Diegnan (D-South Plainfield), who chairs the Assembly Higher Education Committee; that could clear the way for Pamela Lampitt (D-Cherry Hill), who works for the University of Pennsylvania, to take that slot.  But Diegnan gets that his panel is of importance to Rutgers University, which is important to Middlesex County Democrats.

The Private Enterprise Political Action Committee (PENPAC), which is part of the Commerce and Industry Association of New Jersey (CIANJ), has endorsed 37 candidates for State Assembly - including two Democrats.   There is some political significance to these endorsements: if Republican Christopher Christie becomes Governor, CIANJ is positioned to become the dominant pro-business trade association in the state.  Republicans have complained that the relationship between recent Democratic Governors and the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce and the New Jersey Business and Industry Association have been too cozy.  Indeed, some Republican leaders say that if the GOP wins the governorship, the chamber and BIA may have to make some leadership changes to remain relevant.

All this puts CIANJ, whose chairman, Richard Goldberg, was an early Christie supporter, in a potentially good position.  GOP leaders view Joan Verplanck of the Chamber of Commerce and Phil Kirshner of BIA, as entirely too close to Gov. Jon Corzine.

DIEGNAN, LAMPITT & VOSS PUSH BILL TO ENSURE STUDENTS KNOW NJ STARS ELIGIBILITY

(TRENTON) – With New Jersey students set to return to class, Assembly members Patrick Diegnan, Pamela R. Lampitt and Joan Voss are sponsoring legislation to ensure high school juniors and seniors are aware that they could be in line for a NJ STARS full-tuition scholarship.

The New Jersey Student Tuition Assistance Reward Scholarship (NJ STARS) program provides full-tuition county college scholarships to students who graduate in the top 15 percent of their high school class.

“No high school student should be left unaware that they could qualify for NJ STARS,” said Diegnan (D-Middlesex), the Assembly Higher Education Committee chairman. “NJ STARS is allowing thousands of deserving students who might not have had the means to attend college to work towards a degree that will benefit them for the rest of their lives. Every student who has a chance at the same success should know they, too, could have the same opportunity.”

***MULTIMEDIA PACKAGE***

ROBERTS / VOSS / PRIETO ON NEW LAW PROVIDING INSURANCE COVERAGE OF AUTISM, DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITY TREATMENTS

(TRENTON) - Assembly Speaker Joseph J. Roberts, Jr. and Assembly members Joan M. Voss and Vincent Prieto today issued a multimedia package on a new law they sponsored to make New Jersey the 15th state to mandate health insurers cover treatments for autism and developmental disabilities.

The bill was signed Aug. 13 by Gov. Jon S. Corzine during a public ceremony at PSE&G Children's Specialized Hospital in New Brunswick.

ROBERTS / VOSS / PRIETO BILL TO REQUIRE COVERAGE OF AUTISM & DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITY TREATMENTS NOW LAW

(NEW BRUNSWICK) – Legislation Assembly Speaker Joseph J. Roberts, Jr., Assemblyman Vincent Prieto and Assemblywoman Joan Voss sponsored to make New Jersey the 15th state to require health insurers to cover treatments for autism and other developmental disabilities is now law.

“Many New Jersey families already are being stretched to their financial edge – but without health coverage for their loved ones, countless families are bankrupting themselves just to give their child the potential for a bright future,” said Roberts (D-Camden). “This measure offers real and meaningful hope that they will not battle alone.”

VOSS & WAGNER: RAMAPO FEE HIKE REMAINS UNACCEPTABLE

(38th Legislative District) – Assemblywomen Joan Voss and Connie Wagner (both D-Bergen) today blasted Ramapo College officials for passing a 6 percent increase in tuition and fees, saying the college must either again go back to the drawing board or lose federal stimulus aid.

Under state budget law, college tuition and fee hikes are capped at 3 percent for the upcoming academic year for an institution to retain its federal stimulus aid.

“Ramapo’s attempt to get students to pay more than our cap continues to be insulting and outrageous,” said Voss. “Ramapo cannot violate the budget and then expect to get additional stimulus money. They have more work to do if they expect to both force students to pay more than we allowed and get stimulus aid.”

SCALERA / VOSS / PRIETO BILL PROMOTING HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS FOR DISABLED, VISUALLY IMPAIRED NOW LAW

Law Directs State’s Interscholastic Sports Group To Encourage & Oversee ‘Adapted Athletics’ Competitions

(TRENTON) – Gov. Jon S. Corzine today signed legislation Assembly members Fred Scalera, Joan Voss and Vincent Prieto sponsored to direct the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association to actively develop competitive sports programs for youths with disabilities.

“Kids with disabilities who aspire to play sports should get every opportunity to do so,” said Scalera (D-Essex/Bergen/Passaic). “All children, regardless of physical disabilities, intellectual disabilities or impairments, should be able to enjoy the exhilaration of sports and enjoy the thrill of competition.”

VOSS & WAGNER WELCOME STATE REVIEW OF DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS; SAY STRONG OVERSIGHT WILL HELP PROTECT TAXPAYERS

(38th LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT) – Assemblywomen Joan Voss and Connie Wagner today welcomed Gov. Jon S. Corzine’s executive order requiring the immediate suspension of any pending applications for state approval of development projects in a municipality where the sitting mayor is charged with public corruption.

VOSS, WAGNER: RAMAPO MUST RETHINK FEE HIKE
OR LOSE FEDERAL STIMULUS AID
Unapproved 12 Percent Increase Violates State Budget

(38th Legislative District) - Assemblywomen Joan Voss and Connie Wagner (both D-Bergen) today blasted Ramapo College officials for passing an excessive and ill-conceived 12 percent increase in tuition and fees, saying the college must either go back to the drawing board or lose any federal stimulus aid.

Assemblywomen Joan Voss (D-Fort Lee) and Connie Wagner (D-Paramus) have both called on arrested Ridgefield Mayor Anthony Suarez, a fellow Democrat, to resign.

"Good government is based on mutual respect, confidence and trust and when one of these ingredients is missing then the elected official must step down so that government can move forward," said Wagner. "I hope the Mayor is correct when he says he is innocent of these very serious allegations. But right now he needs to step aside, take care of his legal issues, and let the business of the town move forward."

Ridgefield is located in the 38th Legislative District, which is represented by Wagner, Voss and state Sen. Bob Gordon (D-Fair Lawn).  The district’s voters are not strangers to corruption, as they used to be represented by former state Sen. Joe Coniglio (D-Paramus), who was convicted of steering state grants to Hackensack University Medical Center, where he was employed as a consultant.