Joe Roberts

Senate Majority Leader Steve Sweeney (D-West Deptford), right, with Assembly Speaker Joe Roberts (D-Camden)

ATANTIC CITY - Ready to be the next Senate President, state Senate Majority Leader Steve Sweeney (D-West Deptford) just told a crowd of mayors, council people and govenrment types that now is not the time to drive marriage equality through the legislature.

"It's an important social issue," Sweeney tells NJN Chief Political Correspondent Michael Aron in response to a question.

"If we learned anything in this last election it's that the main issue right now is the economy," Sweeney adds.

He says the legislature should consider marriage equality at another time.  

From left: Roberts, Sweeney, Aron, Kean and DeCroce

ATLANTIC CITY - NJN Chief Political Correspondent Michael Aron has a panel on a stage here in one of the break-out-rooms of the Atlantic City Convention Center.

It's a familar group of legislative leaders, but in place of Senate President Richard Codey (D-Roseland) sits Senate Majority Leader Steve Sweeney (D-West Deptford).

The Sweeney for Codey swap for this public television show taping anticipates Monday's senate Democratic caucus vore when Sweeney figures to defeat Codey.

So it's Sweeney and outgoing Assembly Speaker Joe Roberts (D-Camden) versus Senate Minority Leader Tom Kean (R-Westfield) and Assembly Minority Leader Alex DeCroce (R-Parsippany) on an Aron-anchored On the Record episode to air this coming Sunday at 9 a.m. and 11 a.m.

It's just starting.

SPEAKER ROBERTS TO INTRODUCE ADDITIONAL MEASURES TO HELP N.J. COMBAT NATION’S HIGHEST AUTISM RATE

Two New Bills Meant to Help Adults with Autism, Developmental Disabilities

(TRENTON) – Assembly Speaker Joseph J. Roberts Jr. on Tuesday announced he will introduce additional legislation to further help New Jersey combat its highest-in-the-nation autism prevalence.

One bill would permit adults with autism to voluntarily place their names on a new state registry that will help New Jersey improve its planning and services for those with autism.

The other would revise the state’s Law Against Discrimination to specifically prohibit discriminatory acts against people with autism.

Assemblywoman Sheila Oliver (D-East Orange)

Her early critics quietly grumble that she's a political neophyte - the preferred Essex County term of art for someone who rises too quickly in politics.

But Assemblywoman Sheila Oliver (D-East Orange), a veteran of East Orange local politics, said she is more than ready to assume the lead role in the lower house come Nov. 23rd, when both the Assemby and the senate are scheduled to vote on leadership. 

Her rapid ascent coincides with the fast dimming political career of lame duck Gov. Jon Corzine.

"He genuinely wanted to effectuate glaring social issues of interest to a broad cross section to advocay groups, but did not understand the complexity of navigating the shark and barracuda filled waters of New Jersey politics," said Oliver when asked to reflect on Corzine's legacy.  

Poised with a sufficient number of caucus votes to become the Assembly's first African American woman speaker as succesor to Speaker Joe Roberts (D-Camden), Oliver said she received a phone call yesterday from Gov.-elect Chris Christie but was unavailable. She said she intends to return his call today.

SPEAKER ROBERTS EXTENDS WELL WISHES TO SEN. ALLEN

(TRENTON) – Assembly Speaker Joseph J. Roberts Jr. (D-Camden) expressed well wishes on behalf of the New Jersey General Assembly to state Sen. Diane Allen. Roberts released the following statement:

Assemblyman Reed Gusciora (D-Princeton)

Assemblyman Reed Gusciora (D-Princeton) today blamed party bosses for deal-making when they should have been focused on re-electing Gov. Jon Corzine.

"Party leaders undermined the governor by having a party leadership fight," said Gusciora. "They reinforced the message that if Corzine won, the reins of power would be handed over to special interests."

Asked on Election Day morning about the intra-party deal cultivated by South Jersey Democratic Party leader George Norcross III and Newark North Ward Democratic Party boss Steve Adubato, Assembly Speaker Joe Roberts (D-Camden) dismissed its larger-scale impact on voter production.

"It's inside baseball and affected very few people beyond Trenton," said Roberts of a North-South deal that would oust Senate President Richard Codey (D-Roseland) in exchange for Senate Majority Leader Steve Sweeney (D-West Deptford), and launch Assemblywoman Sheila Oliver (D-East Orange) into the lower house leadership chair being vacated by Roberts.

SPEAKER ROBERTS HAILS NEW REGISTRY AS ANOTHER STEP TOWARD COMBATING AUTISM IN N.J.

Says Gov. Corzine has helped make N.J. a leader in autism treatment

(TRENTON) – Assembly Speaker Joseph J. Roberts Jr. on Thursday welcomed Gov. Jon S. Corzine’s announcement that New Jersey has launched an electronic autism registry and hailed it as another key step toward combating New Jersey’s highest-in-the-nation autism rate.

Assemblywoman Linda Greenstein (D-South Brunswick), left, campaigning in 2007.

Clarifying a release issued yesterday concerning the Middlesex County delegation's endorsement for Assembly Speaker of Assemblyman John Wisniewski (D-Sayreville), Assemblywoman Linda Greenstein (D-South Brunswick) said she has made no endorsement in that emerging contest, and does not intend to endorse anytime soon. 

"I'm focused on my election and the governor's election and I have made it clear that I wont issue any public endorsement until after the election," said Greenstein.

In addition to Wisniewski, sources say Assembly Majority Leader Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-Ewing), Assemblyman Joe Cryan (D-Union Township), Assemblyman Lou Greenwald (D-Cherry Hill), Assemblywoman Sheila Oliver (D-East Orange), and Assemblyman John Burzichelli (D-Paulsboro) are all potential candidates for the Speaker's chair to be vacated at the end of this year by retiring Speaker Joe Roberts (D-Camden).

ATLANTIC CITY - Senate President Richard Codey (D-Roseland) walked out of the carpeted Trump Plaza Casino on Friday night leaving no doubt that he's ready for a fight, indeed in a fight.

"Take your best shot," a skeptic said to him and Codey good-naturedly did, playfully wrestling the challenger while telling his security escort, "It's all right, I can handle this."

The escort stood at parade rest.

"And I can handle Sweeney," Codey said moments later, referring to Senate Majority Leader Stephen Sweeney (D-West Deptford), who's challenging him for the Senate Presidency, who last week said, "I can take Codey with one hand tied behind my back." 

Designed to showcase base support for Gov Jon Corzine, the Democratic Convention in Atlantic City simultaneously served as a bicameral crucible for both Codey versus Sweeney intrigue and a brewing lower house leadership fight.

LD 5 Assembly candidate Donald Norcross

PAULSBORO - Labor leader Donald Norcross, the brother of South Jersey Democratic Party leader George Norcross III and a candidate for the Assembly in District 5, wouldn't comment on speculation that he is poised to assume state Sen. Dana Redd's (D-Camden) Senate seat if she wins her mayor's race on Nov. 3rd, where she's heavily favored.

"My entire focus is on the governor's race," said Norcross, who announced his candidacy for the Assembly the day that Assembly Speaker Joe Roberts (D-Camden) formally declared his retirement from the legislature and his decision not to run for re-election this year.

"Joe's decision was made independent of (the Camden mayor's race," Norcross insisted. "The only thing we are focused on is getting this governor elected. We will have a mass mobilization on his behalf - over 1,000 people in the street."