John Burzichelli

Assemblyman Douglas Fisher (D-Bridgeton) will resign at the end of this week to become the new Secretary of Agriculture.  Democratic leaders have picked Bridgeton Council President Celeste Riley to take his place, and she can take office after she is formally elected at a special election convention, which can be scheduled 7-35 days after Fisher’s official resignation. 

Democratic sources expect Speaker Joseph Roberts (D-Camden) to pick Assemblyman Nelson Albano (D-Vineland) to replace Fisher as Chairman of the Assembly Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee.

BURZICHELLI BILL TO GIVE SCHOOLS ACCESS TO STUDENTS’ CRIMINAL RECORDS ADVANCES IN SENATE

Measure Would Permit School Administrators Access To Adult Students’ Criminal Histories when They Commit a Crime

(TRENTON) – Assembly-approved legislation Assemblyman John J. Burzichelli sponsored to give high school administrators access to adult students’ criminal histories has cleared a Senate committee.

Burzichelli (D-Gloucester) said he drafted the legislation after learning about the case of a 19-year-old Glassboro High School senior who transferred into the district prior to the 2007-2008 academic year.

Bridgeton Council President Celeste Marie Riley is expected to replace Douglas Fisher in the State Assembly next month, according to a Gloucester County Times report.

Fisher was appointed to Gov. Jon Corzine’s cabinet as Secretary of Agriculture.  He will be resigning from the Legislature over the next few weeks, causing Democratic County Committee members in the third district to hold a special election convention to fill the remaining ten months of his term.

Riley, 49, is a fourth grade teacher in Greenwich and was elected Councilwoman in May 2006.  She has a B.A. in Music from LaSalle University.

Because she has the support of the other third district legislators, Senate Majority Leader Stephen Sweeney (D-West Deptford) and Assemblyman John Burzichelli (D-Paulsboro), Riley is expected to face few obstacles to win Fisher’s unexpired term, and to be the Democratic nominee for a full term in the 2009 general election.

FISHER/BURZICHELLI BILL BANNING DUAL HEALTH COVERAGE FOR PUBLIC OFFICIALS CONTINUES ADVANCING

(TRENTON) – Assembly-approved legislation Assemblymen Douglas H. Fisher and John J. Burzichelli sponsored to ban dual taxpayer-paid health care coverage for state and local officials continues advancing toward law.

The bill was approved 80-0 by the Assembly in June and was released Monday by the Senate State Government Committee. Its Senate sponsors include Senate Majority Leader Stephen Sweeney (D-Gloucester) and Sen. Loretta Weinberg (D-Bergen).

“Taxpayer dollars are being wasted on dual health care plans for elected and appointed officials who hold more than one post,” said Fisher (D-Cumberland). “Forcing all dual-office holders to select one health care plan prevents a tremendous and unnecessary drain on vital state resources.”

ASSEMBLY DEMOCRATIC BUDGET PANEL MEMBERS COMMENTARY ON MID-YEAR BUDGET CUTS

(TRENTON) - Democratic members of the Assembly Budget Committee today issued a multimedia package explaining why a round of mid-year cuts to the state budget is necessary.

Earlier this month, the Corzine administration released a list of $812 million in planned budget cuts, selected as part of a larger plan to deal with an estimated $2.1 billion shortfall in the current year budget.

ASSEMBLY DEMOCRATIC LAWMAKERS RENEW CALL FOR HOMEOWNERS FACING FORECLOSURE TO TRY MEDIATION PROGRAMS

(TRENTON) – Assembly members Bonnie Watson Coleman, Jerry Green, Ralph R. Caputo, John J. Burzichelli and Joseph Vas again today urged homeowners facing foreclosure to take advantage of mediation and counseling programs that can help keep families in their homes.

Residents facing foreclosure can visit

http://www.nj.gov/foreclosuremediation/

for more information and call a hotline at 1-888-989-5277.

ASSEMBLY DEMOCRATIC LAWMAKERS URGE HOMEOWNERS FACING FORECLOSURE TO TRY MEDIATION PROGRAMS

Programs Offers Chance to Resolve Loan Delinquencies.

(TRENTON) – Assembly members Bonnie Watson Coleman, Jerry Green, Ralph R. Caputo, John J. Burzichelli and Joseph Vas today urged homeowners facing foreclosure to take advantage of a programs that can help resolve disputes and keep families in their homes.

BILL STREAMLINING SALES TAX BREAK
FOR UEZ-BASED SMALL BUSINESSES NOW LAW

(TRENTON) - Legislation making it easier for businesses in New Jersey's 34 urban enterprise zones (UEZ) to purchase goods and services for their businesses sales-tax-free was signed into law today by Gov. Jon S. Corzine.

ASSEMBLY BILL TO HELP WITH HEATING BILLS, FOOD AND FORECLOSURES SIGNED INTO LAW

(TRENTON) – Gov. Jon S. Corzine today signed into law legislation sponsored by Assembly members Connie Wagner, John Burzichelli, Nellie Pou and Sheila Oliver to provide $22.5 million to help residents struggling against the global economic crisis.

The New Jersey Economic Assistance and Recovery Plan provides $3 million for food banks and soup kitchens and $10 million to help pay utility bills for households in need.

It also provides $9.2 million to Legal Services of New Jersey and $300,000 for the Community Health Law Project to help low-income homeowners and tenants with issues such as mortgage foreclosure, bankruptcy, debt collection and eviction.

The bill is among many advanced by the Assembly to help residents and businesses weather the global crisis.

BILL COMBATING EXCESSIVE POST-FATAL-CRASH FEES NOW LAW
Law Crafted in Response to $640 Bill Handed to Family of Teen Killed in I-295 Crash

(TRENTON) - Legislation Assemblymen John J. Burzichelli, Douglas Fisher, and Nelson Albano and Senator Stephen Sweeney sponsored to protect the surviving families of victims of fatal auto accidents from exorbitant wrecked-vehicle storage and handling fees was signed into law by Governor Jon S. Corzine.