Nia Gill

GILL STATEMENT ON APPROVAL OF LOCAL NEEDLE EXCHANGE PROGRAMS

MONTCLAIR - Senator Nia H. Gill, D-Essex and Passaic, the sponsor of legislation establishing pilot syringe exchange programs in New Jersey, issued the following statement on the announcement today by the Department of Health and Senior Services that it has granted approval to the first participants in the pilot program:

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.

Stuart Rabner will likely win confirmation as Chief Justice of the New Jersey Supreme Court, but without the backing of a State Senator Nia Gill. The Essex County Democrat voted against Rabner in the Senate Judiciary Committee, saying that he lacks judicial experience, has no "body of work," and that his departure would leave the state with three Attorneys General in less than two years.  Gill was the only no vote on the panel.

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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. 

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Democrats defended Sen. Nia Gill Thursday and tried to keep their heads raised in what U.S. Attorney Chris Christie says is a veritable house - and senate - of shame.

Christie brought both arms down on top of the Legislature yesterday as he fumed about senatorial foot-dragging and slammed lawmakers for not promptly moving to approve Gov. Jon Corzine’s nomination of Attorney General Stuart Rabner to the office of Chief Justice of the New Jersey Supreme Court.

The word got out early to the press corps on Wednesday morning.  Get to the Annual Luncheon of the 200 Club of Mercer County, a group dedicated to helping the families of public safety and rescue personnel killed in the line of duty, a great cause.  But the news maker would be Christopher Christie, the U.S. Attorney for New Jersey, who was the event's keynote speaker and would have something important to say.  Christie planned to discuss the hold-up in the confirmation of Stuart Rabner, his former colleague and still close friend, as the next chief justice of the state court.

U.S. Attorney Christopher Christie said he has asked State Sen. Nia Gill to sign off on Stuart Rabner's nomination as Chief Justice of the New Jersey Supreme Court, and according to a published report, criticized Gill and Gov. Jon Corzine for allowing the nomination to be "treated like some appointee for a local utilities authority."

Corzine had a private dinner last week with Gill and State Sen. Shirley Turner to ask them to sign off on Rabner and his choice for Attorney General, Anne Milgram, according to PoliticsNJ.com sources.

There have been discussions between the Governor's office and two African American State Senators who aren't necessarily happy with the Corzine administration's record of promoting minority candidates for judicial and law enforcement posts.  While Democratic insiders predict that Stuart Rabner will be confirmed as Chief Justice and that Anne Milgram will win confirmation as Attorney General, sources say that the administration is finding some small bumps in the road. 

State Sen. Nia Gill has endorsed Teresa Ruiz for State Senate and Grace Spencer and Albert Coutinho for Assembly in the 29th district, along with Essex County Clerk Christopher Durkin and Newark South Ward Councilman Oscar James.