Nia Gill

Twenty-one Essex County women politicians formally endorsed U.S. Sen. Nia Gill (D-Essex)Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) today, including state Sen. Nia Gill (D-Essex).

"Sen. Lautenberg has a proven record of results and is committed to the vital issues affecting women, children and our communities in New Jersey," Gill said.

The full list of those female elected officials endorsing the incumbent: Gill, Assemblywoman Mila Jasey, Assemblywoman Cleopatra Tucker, Essex County Freeholder President Blonnie Watson, Essex County Freeholder Carol Clark...

When the state Senate pasAFL-CIO President Charles Wowkanechsed paid family leave today by a vote of 22-16, AFL-CIO President Charles Wowkanech admitted he felt a particular sense of satisfaction after a hard, 12-year trudge.

"We're exhausted, but we're very happy," said Wowkanech, whose outfit numbers 1 million strong in New Jersey, and who remembers first trying to float the idea of paid family leave over a decade ago.

What the Senate passed today was a bill that enables employees to pay into a fund that would allow them to receive compensation while taking up to six weeks off from work to care for their own health or the health of a relative. According to the bill, "an amount not to exceed $25 million may be transferred from the state's temporary disability fund to the new account to support start-up costs." The program is designed to run on the monies employees pay into the funds, which amounts to about $33 apiece annually.

Assemblyman Wayne DeAngelo, one of the sponsors of the Assembly version of paid family leave, which came out of committee today. 

The lobbyists' feeding frenzy continued in Trenton today as representatives from both the business and labor communities zeroed in on lawmakers in the hallways of power and attempted to elicit the promise of a yes or no vote on the issue of paid family leave.

The measure would extend state liability insurance to employees for up to six weeks, enabling workers to care for themselves, a newborn or a sick relative. Funding would come from the workers contributing on average a dollar a week from their salaries.

Gov. Jon Corzine likes the idea of Bob Menendez running for Vice President
Gov. Jon Corzine said that he’s not involved with Hillary Clinton’s potential choices for Vice President. But he thinks Bob Menendez would be a good one.

“First of all, it would be a great choice, but I have no idea. I’m not involved in that,” said Corzine before boarding a train that whisked him down to Washington, DC for the Chamber of Commerce’s Walk on Washington. “Clearly Bob has played a meaningful role in the national campaign because of his leadership of Hispanics for Mrs. Clinton, and he’s an able spokesperson on any of the issues he speaks out about.”

Bluewave volunteer Ana Maria Cardenas collects ballots in the Unitarian Church Tuesday night in Montclair.Barack Obama won a big victory at the BlueWaveNJ straw poll tonight, receiving 170 votes (41%) against 99 for Hillary Clinton (24%) and 94 for John Edwards (23%).  Dennis Kucinich received 30 votes (7%).  Seventeen voters were undecided.

Speaking to a Unitarian Church crammed with members of the progressive Montclair Democratic organization, Newark Mayor Cory Booker represented Obama, while State Sen. Nia Gill spoke for Clinton, State Sen. Joseph Vitale for Edwards, and North Jersey activist Stuart Hutchison for Kucinich.

During the question and answer session, which was moderated by veteran Newsweek journalist Jonathan Alter, Booker and Gill traded shots as representatives of the two presidential frontrunners. 

Gill sought to amplify Clinton's basic argument that she is more experienced than Obama.

"If you do not control the apparatus of government, your ideas are over here and government is over here," said the Montclair-based senator and trial attorney. 

The State Senate will vote Monday on legislation to eliminate the death penalty in New Jersey. The bill, sponsored by Senators Raymond Lesniak, Shirley Turner and Nia Gill, would replace the death penalty with life in prison without parole.

Some candidates will admit they’re long shots, that the odds are stacked against them. But they don’t consider themselves “kamikaze candidates.”

Rev. Clenard Childress switched parties in January and is the GOP Assembly candidate against Tom Giblin and Sheila OliverTake Rev. Clenard H. Childress, Jr. who’s running for the State Assembly as a Republican in the 34th District. Talk to him about his campaign, and you can tell he’s a man of faith.

“Most of what I do is long shots, trust me. But I believe our message resonates with the community, and we’re looking forward to a spirited debate,” said Childress, a Montclair resident who is running with Robert Bianco; there is no Republican state Senate candidate.

Sen. Nia Gill on Thursday remained the only senator to vote against Stuart Rabner, both in committee and in the senate as a whole, on a day when the rest of the senate enthusiastically embraced the outgoing attorney general as chief justice for the state Supreme Court.

The final vote was 35-1.

Gill stops resisting Rabner, former Bergen County prosecutor questions Rabner’s character, Tom Moran on Nia Gill, Bloomberg leaves GOP, Weinberg uses senatorial courtesy, a Bergen County lawyer charged with exposing himself keeps his place on an ethics panel, Healy not likely to face jail time, a watermelon delivery leads to an investigation.

Editor's Note: On Monday, the Today's News feature will move to the NJPOLITICS IN THE NEWS section, located on the top left side of this site. 

New Jersey Republicans adopt winner-take-all rule, Tom Wilson wins another term, Gill refuses to explain why she's holding up Rabner nomination, Democrats defend Gill, Tom Moran on Lesly Devereaux,National Democrats pouring resources into defeating Frank LoBiondo