Kevin O'Toole

State Sen. Kip Bateman (R-Somerset) helped the former Somerset County Democratic Chairman win Senate confirmation as an Administrative Law Judge.

Ethics complaints he filed against seven Republican legislators in 2007 – all subsequently dismissed – came back to haunt former Somerset County Democratic Chairman Elia Pelios today, but with the help of a home county Republican it didn’t matter and the State Senate today confirmed his nomination as a state Administrative Law Judge.   Despite strong opposition from several key Republicans, including Joseph Kyrillos and Kevin O’Toole, Christopher Bateman, a Republican Senator from Somerset County, signed off on Pelios’ nomination and voted for his confirmation.

Encourage Corzine to Finally Embrace Three Specific Bipartisan Reforms

Senators Jenifer Beck, (R-Monmouth) and Kevin O'Toole (R-Bergen) urged Governor Corzine to stop playing politics, accept some of the responsibility for New Jersey's fiscal disaster, and correct past mistakes that are continuing to hold back New Jersey's recovery.

Trenton Democrat Leadership Silent as Chorus of Opposition Grows

Senator Kevin O'Toole (R-Bergen) called upon Trenton Democrats to reverse course and abandon their new subsidized housing law as the groups of officials calling for a change in policy has grown to include local Bergen County Democratic officials.

Senate Republican Leader Tom Kean and Republican members of the Senate Budget Committee Tony Bucco, Kevin O'Toole, Steve Oroho, and Phil Haines have filed a lawsuit against Governor Jon Corzine today at 9:15am. The Governor is violating the State's open public records law by refusing to provide documents that show what budgeted funds Corzine has frozen to address an at least $1.2 billion revenue drop and to pay for more than $100 million in spending bills he signed over the past month. State law appropriately grants the Governor the power to impound budgeted funds, and Corzine has claimed to be using the power, but refuses to say to what extent or to name the funds that will be impacted.

Corzine Continues to Stonewall and Hide Public Documents About Budget Deficit
 
Following the continued failure of Governor Jon S. Corzine to respond as required by law to a December 2, 2008 request for public records made pursuant to New Jersey's Open Public Records Act, Senate Republican Leader Tom Kean and Republican members of the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee have announced their intention to file a lawsuit against the Governor to force the immediate release of requested documents.

Senator Kevin O’Toole (R-40) responded today to Governor Jon Corzine’s unwillingness for the past three weeks to respond to a request for records that show what funds he is freezing in order to address a $1.2 billion revenue drop and $200 million of new spending bills that have decimated the State’s $600 million surplus. The Corzine Administration had previously responded to an early-December OPRA request from Senate Republicans by stating that the release of requested documents would be delayed until Christmas Eve (click here to view Administration’s response as PDF).

Senate Majority Leader Stephen Sweeney (D-Gloucester)

Although they represent different parts of the state, County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo and state Sen. Majority Leader Stephen Sweeney with a few exceptions – the sales tax fight two years ago comes to mind - usually end up on the same side.  

This time, however, it’s not looking as though the two men are going to get eyeball to eyeball on the state pension deferral, which Sweeney opposes and DiVincenzo supports.   

It’s one of those moments when two politicians whose careers have run along parallel lines suddenly veer into each other’s path and create an unmistakable flashpoint.   

DiVincenzo desperately wants the legislature to sign off on Gov. Jon Corzine’s brainchild bill enabling counties, municipalities, and school boards during an economic downturn to defer their state pension payments by 50 percent over a three-year period, which would total $1.3 billion.

State Sen. Kevin O'Toole, the Essex County GOP Chairman, could be the next ranking Republican on the Senate Appropriations Committee.

When Leonard Lance resigns his State Senate seat sometime over the next three weeks to take his seat in Congress, Senate Minority Leader Thomas Kean, Jr. will need to designate a new ranking Republican on the Senate Appropriations Committee.  Republicans close to Kean suggest that he will pick Kevin O’Toole to succeed Lance. 

The other Republicans on the Senate Appropriations Committee are: Anthony Bucco, who served as Majority Leader in 2002 and 2003; and Steven Oroho and Philip Haines, who are both completing their first year in the Legislature.

Governor Corzine has provide no estimates of the total cost of the pension holiday gimmick. Yet he's confident that Democrats in the Legislature will vote for it. Could it be that he's only concerned with the next election?

Senator also calls for a Special Legislative Hearing

After a critical report came out last week faulting Rutgers University for its handling of its Athletics Department budget, Senator Kevin O'Toole (R-40) is urging the State Comptroller to release the results of its investigation of Rutgers Athletics Department as soon as possible. The comptroller's office has sought documents detailing the finances of the school's Athletics Department to determine if an audit is warranted.