Sean Kean

How Much Road Maintenance Would Be Cut, How High Would Tolls Be Raised?

Senator Sean T. Kean questioned whether Governor Corzine has a new plan to lease New Jersey toll roads to a foreign business. Just hours after the New York Times reported that Governor Jon Corzine discussed in an interview reviving his massively unpopular plan to sell the New Jersey Turnpike and raise tolls by 800%, a spokesman for the Governor quickly claimed that the Governor was actually referring to a toll road in Indiana. When discussing monetization, the Times quoted Corzine as saying, “This idea worked.”

“Governor Corzine’s comments to the New York Times seem pretty clear, I don’t see any mention of Indiana,” said Kean. “In either case, if the Governor has a new secret plan to lease the New Jersey Turnpike to a foreign operator, he should disclose the plan immediately.”

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Legislator Contests Imposition of Emergency Ban on Recreational Anglers

Senator Sean Kean introduced a Senate resolution opposing the federal six-month ban on black sea bass fishing beyond three miles of shore. As of October 5, 2009, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) has imposed a ban on the recreational fishing sector harvest in response to a report release by the Marine Recreational Fisheries Statistics Survey that suggested the 2009 federal quota for black sea bass would be surpassed.

“It is unfair to take such a drastic measure and restrict fishermen when other conflicting reports show that the quota for black sea bass will not be exceeded,” he said. “Local anglers should not be punished as a result of this flawed data.”

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As a prime sponsor of legislation that would authorize Gold Star plates, I welcome the Star-Ledger's call to stop stalling and start honoring the parents of our fallen service men and women. These license plates will allow parents to express both their grief at heartbreaking losses and pride in the courage and honor of their sons and daughters.

Affordable Housing Laws Will Impact Monmouth County Municipalities

Senator Sean Kean denounced a recent Appellate Court ruling that will allow the developers of low income housing to bypass existing municipal zoning laws and affordable housing plans.

A recent ruling by the Superior Court, Appellate Division, found that the Township of Easthampton could not deny an application to construct affordable housing based on the fact that the town had complied with COAH. 

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Says Traffic Patterns Harming Area Businesses

Senator Sean T. Kean today called for the State Department of Transportation (DOT) to implement new traffic patterns at the site of the new Route 36 Highlands Bridge.

While visiting a local business that is being impacted by the construction, Kean said the DOT could help mitigate the impact on businesses and motorists by requiring the bridge contractor to construct a new traffic configuration.  The area has been beset by traffic tie-ups throughout the summer.

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Requests DOT Implement Changes to Prevent Traffic Tie-Ups

Senator Sean Kean today called for the Department of Transportation (DOT) to take action to address the massive traffic delays for motorists leaving Sandy Hook.

Kean said that he has asked the DOT to look at all possible approaches to the traffic problems that have resulted in major traffic delays in the area.

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Monmouth County Sheriff Kim Guadagno

In recent years, a few inter-party contests stand out as wars, and as George W. Bush's numbers threatened to flat-line in New Jersey, Democrats felt a surge of confidence in Monmouth County, where they ramrodded GOP excess and Bush backlash into annual wins on the freeholder board and a Senate victory by Ellen Karcher for territory that could be described as leaning in their favor but finally uneasy.

2007 proved the Democrats' penultimate chance to squeeze as much citizen angst as possible out of the GOP's control of Monmouth and Bush's perceived deepsixing of his own party, and nowhere was the countervailing intensity better demonstrated than Jennifer Beck's challenge of Karcher in the 12th District and, in less publicized if no less intense fashion, Kim Guadagno's battle with Belmar Police Chief Jack Hill for a vacancy at county sheriff.  

Both women won - Guadagno narrowly - and in the process earned reputations as tough, well-prepared campaigners.

Consequently, at various stages of Chris Christie's journey as a Republican gubernatorial candidate, Beck and Guadagno have been mentioned in GOP circles as potential candidates for lieutenant governor, with the former's name surfacing as early as last summer while Christie was still U.S. Attorney, then fading for the most part; and Guadagno's coming louder late in the process here.

Voting yes on the Senate confirmation of New Jersey Supreme Court Associate Justice Barry Albin early this morning was the Republican leader of the State Senate, Thomas Kean, Jr. (R-Westfield).  Christopher Bateman (R-Branchburg) and Sean Kean (R-Wall) were also among a group of Republicans who voted to confirm Albin, who may now serve on the state's top court until he reaches the age of seventy in 2022.

Shore protection, EMT training and arts funding should never have been cut in the first place because the Legislature dedicated fees and taxes to these programs. Now the governor has the resources not to deplete these vital programs.

Democrat Paul Escandon, who won 27% of the vote in his 2003 State Senate race against Joseph Palaia (D-Ocean Township), was nominated to serve as a Superior Court Judge today.  A former Loch Arbour Village Trustee, he is the law partner of Palaia's Republican successor, State Sen. Sean Kean (R-Wall).