Joe Vitale

VITALE BLASTS NEW FEDERAL RULES TO UNDERCUT SCHIP

Says Administration's Rule Changes Will Hurt State's Efforts to Increase Enrollment

TRENTON - Senator Joseph F. Vitale, Chair of the Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee issued the following statement today regarding President Bush's newly adopted standards for expansion of the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) which, the Senator says, are "a poorly veiled threat to eliminate health insurance for hundreds of thousands of our nation's children."

There's a new candidate for State Senate Majority Leader: Stephen Sweeney.  The two-term Gloucester County Democrat has begun seeking support for the post, according to South Jersey political leaders familiar with Sweeney's plans.

Sweeney could be formidable, especially if South Jersey expands the size of the Senate Democratic Caucus.  Polls conducted by both parties show Democratic challengers leading incumbent GOP Senators in the first and second districts.  There are currently four Southern Democratic Senators in Trenton.

SENATOR VITALE STATEMENT ON DEPT. OF HUMAN SERVICES BUDGET HEARING

TRENTON - State Senator Joseph F. Vitale, the Chair of the Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee and a member of the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee, issued the following statement regarding today's budget panel hearing on the FY 2008 Department of Human Services budget:

RICE OUTRAGED AT TREATMENT OF WELFARE RECIPIENTS IN EAST ORANGE

Chair of Legislative Black Caucus Calls for Hearings on Motel Housing for Welfare Recipients

EAST ORANGE - Senator Ronald L. Rice, Chair of the Legislative Black Caucus, announced today that he would be calling for legislative and Caucus hearings on the deplorable living conditions of many welfare recipients living in transitional housing in motels, highlighted by the recent emergency evacuation of a motel in East Orange which was deemed "unfit for human occupation."

"We cannot cast aside our responsibility, as a State, to provide for our residents in need and condemn them to living in sub-human conditions," said Senator Rice, D-Essex. "In the case of the Lincoln Motel in East Orange, 26 welfare recipients, most of whom had been placed by the Newark's welfare office, all had to be uprooted during the holiday season, because they were living in horrible living conditions, all while the owner of the motel collected $1500 a month for each resident to house them. There is so much wrong with this picture that it's sickening, and we need to figure out who is responsible, and how do we avoid something like this in the future."