Nellie Pou

WEEKLY BUDGET MESSAGE:  POU ON PRESERVING & SUPPORTING FUNDING FOR NJ'S MOST VULNERABLE RESIDENTS

(TRENTON) - Assembly Appropriations Chairwoman Nellie Pou today issued a multimedia package detailing how Governor Jon S. Corzine's budget proposal would preserve and support funding to protect New Jersey's most vulnerable residents, including abused children and the disabled.

Pou (D-Passaic) issued the package as the Assembly Budget Committee took testimony from the state Department of Human Services.

GREENWALD, SCHAER, POU PLEDGE FINAL STATE BUDGET
WILL REFLECT, PROTECT NEW JERSEY'S CORE VALUES

(TRENTON) - The leaders of the Assembly Budget Committee today said the panel's work to craft the Fiscal Year 2010 state budget will center on ensuring that the state's priorities reflect and protect New Jersey's core values.

THREE ASSEMBLY DEMOCRATIC RENEWABLE ENERGY AND ENERGY EFFICIENCY MEASURES BECOME LAW
 
(TRENTON) - Gov. Jon S. Corzine today signed into law three Assembly Democratic measures designed to improve energy efficiency, expand solar and wind energy production and promote solar energy usage in new homes.

ASSEMBLY BUDGET PANEL MEMBERS DISCUSS PORTIONS OF PROPOSED FY 2010 BUDGET

(TRENTON) - Democratic members of the Assembly Budget Committee today issued a multimedia package in which they discuss portions of the proposed FY2010 budget pertaining to property tax relief and education funding during the panel's second public hearing on the spending plan.

Today's public hearing focused on education, higher education and local government issues.  The committee took testimony from approximately 50 individuals and groups.

TRENTON- New Jersey General Assembly Appropriations Chair Nellie Pou today called on Republican Gubernatorial Candidate Chris Christie to put forward a budget in light of comments he made last week on the Brian Lehrer show.

ASSEMBLY DEMOCRATS COMMENTARY ON 2009 BUDGET ADDRESS

(TRENTON) - Assembly Democrats today issued a multimedia package on their reactions to Governor Jon S. Corzine's 2009 Budget Address.

The multimedia package consists of a video press release of legislative commentary, audio of same and a transcript of statements by the lawmakers.

ASSEMBLY DEMOCRATS COMMENTARY ON COMMITTEE REVIEW OF OVERSIGHT FOR NJ PORTION OF FEDERAL STIMULUS

(TRENTON) - Chairs of six Assembly committees today issued a multimedia package on the Assembly's efforts to ensure legislative oversight and accountability of the money made available to New Jersey from the recently enacted federal stimulus package.

The committee hearings were the first of two days largely devoted to discussing the impact of the federal stimulus on the state.  Assembly committees heard from a variety of state commissioners and department heads on their efforts to obtain and oversee distribution of federal stimulus dollars.

ASSEMBLY PANEL RELEASES POU BILL POSITIONING STATE TO RECEIVE $207 MILLION IN FEDERAL UI FUND HELP

(TRENTON) - The Assembly Appropriations Committee today released legislation that would make a minor change to existing unemployment insurance (UI) law to allow the state to meet the requirements for receiving $207 million in federal stimulus aid essential to helping prevent an automatic increase in state UI fund payroll taxes.

TRENTON – The New Jersey Legislative Black and Latino caucuses today held a joint news conference where they outlined recommendations that they have submitted to Governor Corzine to help ensure that women and minority-owned businesses receive equal opportunities and access to the billions of economic stimulus dollars that will be dispersed across the state through the New Jersey Economic Assistance Recovery Plan.

“Diversity is our greatest strength and asset, and now more than ever, New Jersey has an affirmative responsibility to develop and maintain equitable practices and policies in the public marketplace,” said Senator Ronald L. Rice, D-Essex, who chairs the Legislative Black Caucus. “Recently we met with Governor Corzine and his staff to present our recommendations for steps that can be taken to help correct some of the mistakes of the past by ensuring that New Jersey’s diversity is reflected in the awarding of government contracts. I believe our meeting was productive in that it provided the ground-work for a new beginning of long-overdue opportunities, and I am confident that these opportunities are soon to come.”

“New Jersey’s many women and minority-owned small-businesses must be given an equal opportunity to put our state back to work and pull New Jersey out of the depths of recession,” said Assemblywoman Nellie Pou, D-Passaic, who chairs the New Jersey Latino Caucus. “The impacts of this recession do not care about gender and they are color-blind. If New Jersey is to emerge from this crisis stronger, women and minority-owned businesses must have an equal change to compete for the billions of dollars that will be invested in the name of the economic stimulus.”

Democratic State Chairman Joseph Cryan, above, could wind up as Assembly Majority Leader, if Gov. Jon Corzine picks Bonnie Watson Coleman as the Democratic nominee for Lt. Governor.

The bigger inside contest if Bonnie Watson Coleman leaves the Legislature to run for Lt. Governor is who would succeed her as Assembly Majority Leader.  Her two main competitors when she won the post after the 2005 election, Neil Cohen and Wilfredo Caraballo, are no longer in the Legislature.  The race is significant because next Majority Leader could become Assembly Speaker someday.

The conventional wisdom is that Assemblyman Joseph Cryan (D-Union), the Democratic State Chairman, would be a leading candidate for Majority Leader.  Cryan has a strong relationship with Speaker Joseph Roberts and with Democratic Party leaders across the state.  Watson Coleman was the Democratic State Chair before she became Majority Leader.