Ronald Rice

Republican Senate Primary - Distrtict 24

STEVE OROHO
Raised: $ 266,480
Spent: $ 62,812
Cash-on-Hand: $ 213,667

GUY GREGG
Raised: $ 218,336
Spent: $ 83,875
Cash-on-Hand: $ 134,661

Republican Assembly Primary - District 26

ALEX DECROCE
Raised: $ 363,922
Spent: $ 226,536
Cash-on-Hand: $ 137,386

LARRY CASHA
Raised: $ 250,798
Spent: $ 179,873
Cash-on-Hand: $ 70,925

JAY WEBBER
Raised: $ 93,422
Spent: $ 44,494
Cash-on-Hand: $ 48,927

Democratic Senate Primary - District 28

RONALD RICE
Raised: $ 273,252
Spent: $ 281,381
Cash-on-Hand: $ 32,830

BILAL BEASLEY
Raised: $ 99,400
Spent: $ 29,156
Cash-on-Hand: $ 67,243

Democratic Senate Primary - District 31

SANDRA CUNNINGHAM
Raised: $ 69,605
Spent: $ 47,797
Cash-on-Hand: $ 21,807

LOUIS MANZO
Not available

Democratic Senate Primary - District 33

BRIAN STACK
Raised: $ 81,426
Spent: $ 67,825
Cash-on-Hand: $ 13,600

SAL VEGA
Not available

Republican Senate Primary - District 40

KEVIN O'TOOLE
Raised: $ 185,463
Spent: $ 88,649
Cash-on-Hand: $ 96,713

TODD CALIGUIRE
Raised: $ 46,407
Spent: $ 14,255
Cash-on-Hand: $ 31,925

Source: New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission

RICE MEASURE HOPES TO EXPLAIN THE 'TRUTH IN RENTING'

TRENTON - Legislation sponsored by Senator Ronald L. Rice to help tenants understand their right in easy to understand "Truth in Renting" booklets was approved by the Assembly Appropriations Committee today.

RICE BILL TO ADDRESS COLLEGE CREDIT TRANSFER ISSUES

TRENTON - Legislation sponsored by Senator Ronald L. Rice to allow for a smooth transition of all community college credits to a 4-year college or university was approved by the Senate Education Committee today.

RICE-MADDEN MEASURES OFFER PROTECTION TO NEW HOMEBUYERS

TRENTON - A package of bills sponsored by Senators Ronald L. Rice and Fred H. Madden to offer more protection to new homebuyers was approved in the Senate Community and Urban Affairs Committee today.

TRENTON - At 44 South Clinton Avenue in Trenton, the state Division of Elections workers are waiting for 4 p.m., which is the primary filing deadline.

They’re going to be here past that time doing the grunt work of representative democracy, but 4 p.m. is the deadline for any straggling candidate who wants to run for Legislative office in his or her party’s primary.

It proves a mellow event for the most part.

Still, for half the day there is some drama.

TURNER/RICE MEASURE TO CREATE JOINT COMMITTEE ON AFFORDABLE HOUSING BECOMES LAW

TRENTON - Legislation sponsored by Senators Shirley K. Turner and Ronald L. Rice to create a new joint committee in the Legislature to monitor the State's efforts in providing affordable housing to its residents became law today.

**PREVIEW** SIX SENATE COMMITTEES TO MEET ON MONDAY

TRENTON - Six State Senate Committees will meet on Monday to consider legislation ranging from an extension on the smoking ban to include casinos to the replacement of the Victims of Crime Compensation Board with a new executive agency to the revision of State laws concerning eminent domain.

Bill S-1089, sponsored by Senators Joseph Vitale, John H. Adler and Shirley Turner, would eliminate the exceptions for casinos and casino simulcasting facilities from the New Jersey Smoke-Free Air Act.

"Where you work shouldn't make a difference on basic matters of workplace health and safety," said Senator Vitale, D-Middlesex and Chair of the Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee. "When it comes to protecting our residents from the dangers of second hand smoke, it's simply unacceptable to leave out an entire class of workers."

TURNER/RICE MEASURE TO CREATE JOINT COMMITTEE ON AFFORDABLE HOUSING APPROVED BY SENATE

TRENTON - A proposal by Senators Shirley K. Turner and Ronald L. Rice that would create a new joint committee in the Legislature to monitor the State's efforts in providing affordable housing to its residents was approved by the full Senate today by a vote of 38-0.

"New Jersey's widespread affordable housing shortage is now becoming an affordable housing crisis," said Senator Turner, D-Mercer. "A study released just this week said that half of all Jersey renters can't afford a basic two-bedroom apartment. That means that we are not doing enough to help over half a million of the most vulnerable New Jerseyans have a clean, safe and affordable home."

RICE OUTRAGED AT TREATMENT OF WELFARE RECIPIENTS IN EAST ORANGE

Chair of Legislative Black Caucus Calls for Hearings on Motel Housing for Welfare Recipients

EAST ORANGE - Senator Ronald L. Rice, Chair of the Legislative Black Caucus, announced today that he would be calling for legislative and Caucus hearings on the deplorable living conditions of many welfare recipients living in transitional housing in motels, highlighted by the recent emergency evacuation of a motel in East Orange which was deemed "unfit for human occupation."

"We cannot cast aside our responsibility, as a State, to provide for our residents in need and condemn them to living in sub-human conditions," said Senator Rice, D-Essex. "In the case of the Lincoln Motel in East Orange, 26 welfare recipients, most of whom had been placed by the Newark's welfare office, all had to be uprooted during the holiday season, because they were living in horrible living conditions, all while the owner of the motel collected $1500 a month for each resident to house them. There is so much wrong with this picture that it's sickening, and we need to figure out who is responsible, and how do we avoid something like this in the future."

Watch for the progressive wing of the New Jersey Democratic Party to mull primary challenges to Democratic legislators who declined to vote in favor of legislation to legalize Civil Unions. But primary challenges to this group of Democratic legislators would be especially difficult, since all come from counties with exceptionally powerful party organizations.

At the top of the list of potential targets is the Rev. Alfred Steele, the Assembly State Government Committee Chairman who is seeking a seventh term in the solidly-Democratic 35th district next year. Steele abstained on the Civil Union vote, and the conservative New Jersey Family Policy Council said that Steele will sponsor the "Equal Benefits Act" -- legislation that would offer civil benefits to same-sex couples but also define marriage as being between a man and a woman. (Steele has not confirmed or denied his agreement to sponsor this bill.)

Also on the possible target list is Assemblyman Joseph Egan, the Assembly Labor Committee Chairman. Egan's political base, New Brunswick (where he has been a City Councilman since 1981), has a large gay population, and Democratic primary voters in Highland Park are considered fairly liberal.

Nilsa Cruz-Perez, a Camden County Democrat, and Gary Schaer, a freshman Democrat who represents parts of Bergen, Essex and Passaic counties, where the other two Democrats to abstain on Civil Unions.

Democratic State Senators Wayne Bryant, Joseph Doria and Ronald Rice also abstained on the vote. There is a strong chance that all three could lose Democratic Party support for re-election next year, but not because of Civil Unions. Bryant is reportedly under investigation by federal prosecutors, Doria has local political problems in Hudson County, and Rice is expected to be replaced at the request of Newark Mayor Cory Booker, who won 75% of the vote against Rice in the May 2006 mayoral election.

Juan Melli, who runs the progressive BlueJersey.com website, agrees that Democratic legislators who failed to support Civil Unions, could face some political problems in next year's mid-term elections. "Legislators who think it is their job to oppose equal rights for all Americans are not doing their job, and these types of politicians -- regardless of their party -- get primaried by people who will," said Melli.