Rutgers

Eighteen women have served in the New Jersey State Senate: Mildred Barry Hughes (D-Union) in 1966, Jerry English (D-Union) in 1971, Wynona Lipman (D-Essex) in 1972, Anne Martindell (D-Mercer) and Alene Ammond (D-Camden) in 1974, Leanna Brown (R-Morris) and Catherine Costa (D-Burlington) in 1984, and Martha Bark (R-Burlington) in 1997. Diane Allen and Shirley Turner (D-Mercer) took office in January 1998, Barbara Buono and Nia Gill in 2001, and Teresa Ruiz, Dana Redd, and Sandra Cunningham in 2007.

Ellen Karcher in January 2004, and Loretta Weinberg the following November. Jennifer Beck defeated Karcher last November – the first time one woman unseated another.

On the day Gov. Jon Corzine announced he would lead a campaign to raise $30 million in private donations for renovations at Rutgers University Stadium, football coach Greg Schiano was meeting with the University of Michigan athletic director to discuss the coaching vacancy, according to a Star-Ledger report.  Update: Schiano said today that he will stay at Rutgers.

 Senator Nicholas Asselta, (R-1), has sent a letter to the Alan M. Voorhees Transportation Center asking that they study the economic impact, land use ramifications, political governance, finance and social policy implications as it relates to the potential sale of the New Jersey Turnpike, Garden State Parkway and Atlantic City Expressway. A copy of the letter is attached.

Senator Thomas Kean, (R-21), a former member of the Dartmouth crew team, issued the following statement regarding the decision by Rutgers’ athletics to eliminate six sports as a budgetary measure. The sports are men’s heavy and light weight crew, men and women’s fencing, men’s tennis and men’s swimming and diving.

Freedom of speech is one our most cherished rights ­ one our troops fight every day to defend.  The right to free speech makes us the great country we are.  Unfortunately, it also means that people can say ignorant, hurtful and demeaning things as Don Imus did about the Rutgers Lady Scarlet Knights.  As we¹ve seen time and again, the right to speech is no guarantee of “wise speech.�

WATSON WATSON COLEMAN: RUTGERS WOMEN B-BALL TEAM
DISPLAYS CLASS, CHARACTER IN PRESS CONFERENCE
Assembly Majority Leader Calls for FCC Sanctions against Imus and His Producer

(TRENTON) - Assembly Majority Leader Bonnie Watson Coleman, the highest ranking African-American in the state Legislature and a fervent supporter of the Rutgers University women's basketball team, today commended the student athletes for "displaying their true dignity, respect and character" in response to the racist and sexist commentary of radio talk show host Don Imus and his producer Bernard McGuirk.