The state Senate committees that were scheduled for Monday, March 2, have been canceled due to the winter storm. The committee meetings will be rescheduled at a later date. The Senate will issue an advisory when the new committee schedule is completed.

Several months ago, there were suggestions that Genovese might get support -- mostly financial -- from a group of key Democratic insiders who wanted to use the 21st district State Senate campaign as a form of retaliation for Kean's U.S. Senate race against Robert Menendez last year. But Democrats now concede that Genovese has turned out to be a weak and largely unfocused candidate with little chance to score an upset in a legislative district where Menendez won 46% one year ago. Genovese's failure to mount an effective campaign has allowed Kean to spend money in other districts. Kean will likely be re-elected, probably by his usual margins, and seems well positioned to become the next Senate Minority Leader.

KARCHER - 'ABBOTT AUDIT REVEALS MAJOR FLAWS IN SYSTEM'

Senator Says Drastic Oversight, Potential Recovery of Misspent Funds Needed

TRENTON - Senator Ellen Karcher, D-Monmouth and Mercer, a leader in ethics reform in the State Legislature, issued the following statement on reports today that massive administrative failures in four of the State's Abbott school districts led to "reprehensible waste of taxpayer dollars":

"The news today that administrative failures have run up costs in four of the State-subsidized Abbott school districts is a shocking example of taxpayer dollars going to waste. At a time when legislators in Trenton are trying to trim the size of government and maximize efficiencies in State and local services, we need to crack down, hard, on those Abbott officials who, whether through incompetence or intentional fraud, have cost taxpayers across the State thousands, if not millions.

News Release from . . .
NJ Senate Republicans

www.njleg.state.nj.us
Senate Republican Office, P.O. 099, Trenton, NJ 08625; (609) 292-5199, Fax: (609) 984-8148

December 19, 2006
S-494

Contact: Marilyn Williamson
Senator Diane Allen
(609) 239-2800

ADDICTS GET FREE NEEDLES; PROPERTY TAXPAYERS GET ZIP
Governor Signs Taxpayer Funded Needle Exchange While Property Tax Relief Fails

Senator Diane Allen, (R-7), issued the following statement regarding Governor Corzine’s signing the needle exchange bill today.

Today is a sad day for the State of New Jersey. The Governor is continuing to impose his radical agenda on the property taxpayers of this state while ignoring their pleas for property tax relief.

Addicts don’t need free needles to continue to get high. They need treatment to help them kick their addiction. We should be working to return sons, daughters, mothers, and fathers to their families, not enabling them to continue their addictions.

Additionally, the bill that the Governor is signing today does nothing to preclude taxpayers dollars from being used to fund needle exchange programs. The taxpayers should not be required to use their hard earned money to feed the addictions of those suffering from drug dependency.�

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SMITH - 'TOUGH WORK CAN NOW BEGIN ON SHARED SERVICES'

TRENTON - Senator Bob Smith, co-Chair of the Joint Legislative Committee on Government Consolidation and Shared Services, issued the following statement today on the unanimous approval of the Committee's final report of recommendations at a meeting of the panel today:

"Today, after 13 meetings, exhaustive research and hours of public and expert testimony, the Consolidation and Shared Services Joint Committee has unanimously approved our final report.

SMITH - NEXT WEEK'S HEARINGS TO FOCUS ON SHARED SERVICE PROPOSALS

Committee Will Begin Hearing Responses to Property Tax Solutions

TRENTON - Senator Bob Smith, D-Middlesex and Somerset, the co-chair of the Joint Legislative Committee on Government Consolidation and Shared Services, issued the following statement today regarding next week's committee hearing, in which the panel will ask for input on specific shared service proposals:

"Next week's committee meeting will signal a change of focus, as we shift gears from looking at shared services and government consolidation with an academic eye to a pragmatic one. We will begin discussing specific shared services proposals, and we will look for input from the local officials who will have to live with what we do to promote efficient government.

DORIA - UNREASONABLE FEDERAL MANDATES AND MISPLACED SPECIAL ED. PRIORITIES HURT FUNDING REFORM PROSPECTS

TRENTON - Senator Joseph V. Doria, D-Hudson, a member of the joint legislative panel reviewing school funding reform, issued the following statement on today's hearing regarding federal education mandates and special education:

"Today's hearing showcased the continued resistance that unfounded federal mandates and misplaced special education priorities provide to establishing real school funding reform.

SMITH - 'TOUGH WORK IS AHEAD OF US ON PROPERTY TAXES'

Joint Consolidation Committee Begins Work To Reform Property Taxes, Shrink Government in New Jersey

TRENTON - Senator Bob Smith, D-Middlesex and Somerset, the co-Chair of the Joint Legislative Committee on Government Consolidation and Shared Services, issued the following statement today regarding the panel's organizational meeting, and their ongoing mission of finding savings for the taxpayers of New Jersey through an emphasis on smaller government on the State and local levels:

"From the information presented to us today, I know the really tough work is ahead of us. But, if we're ever going to do something about New Jersey's property tax crisis, we need to ensure a more efficient and cost-effective delivery of the services we provide to the taxpayers of the State.

KEAN: GOVERNOR SHOULD RED-LINE BUDGET PORK
Use The Line Item Veto Stop Wasteful Late Night Spending Binge

Senator Thomas Kean, (R-21), issued the following statement regarding a letter sent to Governor Jon Corzine asking him to use his constitutionally authorized line item veto to remove wasteful political pork from the State budget. The letter is attached.

RICE: LARGE HOUSING AUTHORITIES NEED THEIR OWN POLICE FORCE

TRENTON - Senator Ronald L. Rice today is calling for the implementation of his 1997 law which he says will go a long way in protecting the residents of public housing in New Jersey.

The law authorized housing authorities in large municipalities, like Newark, to create a special police force to patrol public housing. The housing authority police officers would be deemed regular law enforcement officers, and would be held to the same standards as the regular police force.

"You don't forfeit your right to protection just because you are poor," said Senator Rice, D-Essex, and Chairman of the Senate Community and Urban Affairs Committee. "Newark's housing authority needs to make the safety of its residents a top priority. Citizens, regardless of where they live deserve protection from drug dealers, gang members and other law breakers."