OLS

WISNIEWSKI: OLS CALLS SENATE GOP TOLL GAMBIT ILLEGAL
Nonpartisan Legal Analysis Shoots Down Concept of Legislative Veto;
Assemblyman Urges 'Honest Talk' On Transportation Future, Not Political Rhetoric

(SAYREVILLE) - Assembly Transportation and Public Works Committee chairman John Wisniewski today called upon his Republican colleagues to stop politicizing New Jersey's transportation future and engage in honest talk about the dire need for safer roads and bridges.

A screen shot from a statehouse computer today
You gotta love how bureaucracy works: a story on how the Office of Legislative Services had investigated complaints of pornographic materials on Neil Cohen’s district office computer has been blocked by new OLS filters on legislative computers.

MALONE, O'TOOLE AND KARROW CALL FOR ASSEMBLY ACTION ON BUDGET TRANSPARENCY PROPOSALS

LAWMAKERS INTRODUCING LEGISLATION EMBRACING AND EXPANDING ON CODEY TRANSPARENCY PROPOSALS

CODEY, ROBERTS TO PUSH FOR SWIFT OLS BRIEFING IF 'RULE 6' APPLICATION APPROVED

Legislative Leaders Want Legislative Services Commission to Meet Immediately Should Judge Allow OLS Briefing

(TRENTON) -- Senate President Richard J. Codey and Assembly Speaker Joseph J. Roberts, Jr. said that should a federal judge approve of their "Rule 6" application tomorrow, they would push for the Office of Legislative Services (OLS) to immediately brief all members of the Legislative Services Commission.

The leaders petitioned the court for the "Rule 6" relief to allow OLS to brief members of the commission on matters pertaining to a subpoena from the United States Attorney without fear of being held in contempt of court. Currently, court documents are under seal.

The presiding officers issued the following joint statement:

LANCE AND DeCROCE EXPRESS DISAPPOINTMENT AT FAILURE OF DEMOCRATS TO RESPOND ON SUBPOENA ISSUE

NEEDED JUST ONE DEMOCRAT TO JOIN REPUBLICANS TO CONVENE LEGISLATIVE SERVICES COMMISSION MEETING

CODEY, ROBERTS PETITION FEDERAL COURT FOR LEGISLATIVE SERVICES COMMISSION BRIEFING

(TRENTON) -- Senate President Richard J. Codey and Assembly Speaker Joseph J. Roberts, Jr. today directed counsel to petition the federal court to allow the Legislative Services Commission to be fully informed of the scope and nature of the federal subpoena to the Office of Legislative Services (OLS).

The presiding officers issued the following joint statement:

"We want members of the Legislative Services Commission to be apprised of the scope and nature of the federal subpoena issued to the Office of Legislative Services. Because the current matter involves a sealed federal subpoena, OLS has told commission members it cannot inform them about the details or scope of the subpoena absent a citation for contempt of court. This has created an untenable situation in which misinformation in the media is being perpetuated by commission members and cannot be rebutted.

We have directed counsel to file a 'Rule 6' application with the federal court today requesting the Legislative Services Commission be immediately briefed on the issue. It's past time that the sensationalized media accounts based on false information about this investigation come to an end."

FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:

NJ Senate Majority Office:
609-292-5215

NJ Assembly Majority Office:
609-292-7065

CONVENE LEGISLATIVE SERVICES COMMISSION IMMEDIATELY
Decision To Challenge U.S. Attorneys Subpoenas Must Be Explained

Senator Anthony Bucco, (R-Morris), a member of the Legislative Services Commission, (LSC), issued the following statement calling on his colleagues on the LSC to immediately convene to obtain information surrounding the decision to challenge subpoenas delivered by United States Attorney Christopher Christie to the Office of Legislative Services.

CODEY, ROBERTS STATEMENT ON U.S. ATTORNEY REQUESTS

TRENTON, NJ -- Senate President Richard J. Codey (D-Essex) and Assembly Speaker Joseph J. Roberts, Jr. (D-Camden) issued the following statement today in response to inquiries regarding requests from the U.S. Attorney's Office:

"The U.S. Attorney's efforts to root out corruption in this State should be applauded. The Senate and Assembly have fully complied with all requests from the U.S. Attorney's Office. We're unaware of a broad ranging investigation as has been reported in the media. What apparently is in dispute is a narrow issue that the Office of Legislative Services (OLS) believes to be of constitutional significance and ultimately it will be up to the court to decide the matter. We have asked OLS to continue to brief counsel for the minority party and to make staff available for any questions that can be answered."

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FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:
NJ Senate Majority Office
609-292-5215

NJ Assembly Majority Office
609-292-7065

DeCROCE, BIONDI AND O'TOOLE CALL ON DEMOCRATS,
OLS TO TURN OVER DOCUMENTS TO U.S. ATTORNEY NOW

Republican Leaders Insist 'Not a Dime of Taxpayer Dollars'
Should be Wasted Defending Political Pork'

Reacting to revelations by The Star-Ledger of Newark, three high ranking Republicans in the Assembly today called on Assembly Speaker Joseph Roberts and Senate President Richard J. Codey to order an immediate end to legal efforts designed to block the U.S. Attorney's Office unfettered access to legislative documents it needs to pursue its investigation into political corruption.

Assembly Republican Leader Alex DeCroce, Assembly Republican Conference Leader Peter J. Biondi and Assemblyman Kevin O'Toole called it "incomprehensible" that the Legislature and the Office of Legislative Services would rather challenge the U.S. Attorney's ability to obtain documents related to the authorization and expenditure of hundreds of millions of dollars on political "pork" projects than cooperate freely with the wide-ranging federal probe.

DeCROCE: DEMOCRATS HAVE TURNED OPPORTUNITY
FOR TAX REFORM INTO A TAX FRAUD

Accuses Governor and Democrat Legislative Leaders of
Hoodwinking Middle Class Taxpayers

Assembly Republican Leader Alex DeCroce today accused Gov. Jon Corzine and Democrat legislative leaders of trying to dupe taxpayers by introducing legislation to implement a 20 percent property tax cut that would actually provide most middle class families less tax relief than they received under Republican - and Democrat - rebate programs in the past.

"This isn't tax reform," said DeCroce, R-Morris and Passaic. "It's tax fraud. It will rob middle class families of relief they deserve - and actually received in the past.

"How can Democrats look taxpayers in the eye and pretend this hoax will actually help them survive New Jersey's oppressive tax burden? Their plan is bogus. It's not a step forward. It's really a step backward for taxpayers."