Ronald Rice

RICE-VITALE BILL TO SET UP COMMUNITY-BASED LIVING FOR DEVELOPMENTALLY DISABLED APPROVED

TRENTON - A bill sponsored by Senators Ronald L. Rice and Joseph F. Vitale which would begin to move certain residents in New Jersey's developmental centers to live in community-based settings was approved by the Senate today by a vote of 38-0.

"Moving out on your own is probably the single biggest leap from childhood to adulthood," said Senator Rice, D-Essex. "For hundreds of developmentally disabled residents in our State's institutional settings, they're ready to take the leap, and their individual treatment plan can accommodate the increased independence that community living can provide. We should do what we can, within the State's power, to transition them to community-based living arrangements, and allow them the freedom to continue on life's journey."

High upon the list of Most Endangered State Senators for 2007 are Ronald Rice and Sharpe James, who represent the 28th and 29th districts, respectively.

Fresh off a massive 72% landslide victory, Cory Booker must remain in full campaign mode for another five weeks -- the first challenge of the new Mayor-elect of Newark will be to win a majority on the City Council. Right now, Booker allies hold three of the nine seats: in the East Ward, where Augusto Amador easily won re-election, in the Central Ward, where Dana Rone, a former Newark Board of Education member, won a rematch against Councilman Charles Bell; and in the North Ward, where school board member Anibal Ramos, Jr. easily defeated incumbent Hector Corchado. Ramos backed Booker for Mayor, but ultimately his loyalties lie with Stephen Adubato, the powerful Newark political leader.

The remaining six seats will be determined in June 13 runoff elections. Eight of the twelve candidates for four At-Large seats have advanced to the runoff, including three strong Booker allies (incumbent Luis Quintana, who was the top vote-getter, former Councilwoman Mildred Crump, and Carlos Gonzalez), four allies of outgoing Mayor Sharpe James (incumbents Ras Baraka, Bessie Walker and Gayle Cheneyfield-Jenkins, who finished eighth, and Norma Gonzalez), and Freeholder Donald Payne, Jr., the son of the Congressman.

Runoffs will also be held in the South Ward, where James's son, John Sharpe James, faces Oscar James, who managed the Mayor's 2002 re-election campaign but then switched to Team Booker. In the West Ward, incumbent Mamie Bridgeforth, a James backer, faces Ronald Rice, Jr., a state Education Department official. Rice backed Booker for Mayor against his father, State Senator Ronald Rice, who held the West Ward Council seat from 1982 to 1998.

RICE / GILL BILL ESTABLISHES 'GRANDPARENTING RESOURCE CENTER PILOT PROGRAM'

TRENTON - Legislation sponsored by Senators Ronald L. Rice and Nia H. Gill, to create a "Grandparenting Resource Center Pilot Program" which would assist grandparents who are left to raise their grandchildren, was approved by the Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee today.

"New Jersey has an estimated 140,000 children living with their grandparents, who are the sole caregivers for them," said Senator Rice, D-Essex. "This bill would provide those grandparents with the necessary resources to find legal assistance, health care and other needed services to assist them in their efforts."

RICE-VITALE BILL TO SET UP COMMUNITY-BASED LIVING FOR DEVELOPMENTALLY DISABLED

TRENTON - A bill sponsored by Senators Ronald L. Rice and Joseph F. Vitale which would begin to move certain residents in New Jersey's developmental centers to live in community-based settings was approved by the Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee today by a vote of 6-0.

"Moving out on one's own is a benchmark in every young adult's life, and we want to give our developmentally disabled population the same independence and freedom," said Senator Rice, D-Essex. "For those residents whose disabilities aren't so severe that they need the institutionalized setting of our State's developmental centers, we can transition them into group homes, and give them the space to grow on their own. We can allow them to live their lives while still giving them access to the State's resources to care for developmentally disabled individuals."

RICE WILL COME TO THE RESCUE OF NEW HOME OWNERS

SCI Recommendations Considered When Drafting Bills to Protect Buyers from Poor Construction and Corruption

TRENTON - Senator Ronald L. Rice today said new home buyers will soon have better protection from "rip-off artists who perform shoddy construction" with legislation based recommendations of the State Commission of Investigation (SCI), to be introduced next week.

According to Senator Rice, the SCI recommendations include creating licensing and work standards for builders, expanding and enforcing accountability for corruption in the inspection process, and revamping the State's Consumer Fraud Act by enacting a new-home "Lemon Law" similar to one that exists for defective new cars.

"When you purchase a new home, you expect quality construction for your investment," said Senator Rice, D-Essex, and Chairman of the Senate Community and Urban Affairs Committee. "Unfortunately, the SCI hearings uncovered a major problem with poorly built homes. The number of residents with nightmarish experiences of negligent workmanship in their homes has been on the rise over the years, and it's time to give homebuyers the peace of mind that their houses are safe."

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."

The first act of the prolonged political drama over Sharpe James' intentions finally ended on Monday with an announcement that he would not seek re-election to a sixth term as Mayor. But the second act -- about James' plan to seek re-election to his 29th district State Senate seat in 2007 -- could extend until after the April '07 filling deadline. James's re-election to the Senate is hardly automatic, especially if Cory Booker wins the mayoral election. James won 56% of the vote in the '03 Democratic Senate primary against City Councilman Luis Quinana, a Booker ally with continued interest in the Senate seat.

Ronald Rice, who has been the State Senator from the 28th district since 1986, is running against Booker for Mayor. If he loses, many Democrats believe that the Booker faction will attempt to take Rice out of the Senate next year. Rice won a 2001 primary against former Assembly Minority Leader Willie Brown with 54% of the vote, and prevailed in his 1997 primary against Larry Brown with 53%.

RICE - SCC REFORMS SHOULDN'T JEOPARDIZE EDUCATION

Joint Public Schools Chair Says 'Worthy Projects Shouldn't Be Hampered by Managerial Mistakes'

TRENTON - Senator Ronald L. Rice, D-Essex, the Chair of the Legislature's Joint Committee on the Public Schools, issued the following statement today regarding the report issued by the Governor's Working Group on School Construction on needed reforms to the State's embattled School Construction Corporation (SCC):

"While I support in concept many of the reform recommendations made by the Governor's Working Group, I am also very concerned that worthy school construction projects aren't dragged down by the problems at the SCC.

SARLO FAVORS NEW STRUCTURE FOR UMDNJ

TRENTON - Senator Paul Sarlo, D-Bergen, Essex and Passaic, today said he favored a major restructuring of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey because he believes the combined teaching hospital and medical school complex has grown too large to be effective.

"Now that the scandals are being dealt with effectively, it's time to focus on ensuring excellence in the teaching standards for the students and in the treatment of patients served by UMDNJ," said Senator Sarlo, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee.