GOVERNOR CORZINE CEREMONIALLY SIGNS SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT URBAN REVITALIZATION ACT

MILLVILLE -- Governor Jon S. Corzine today ceremonially signed the Sports and Entertainment District Urban Revitalization Act, which paves the way for a New Jersey Motorsports Park in Millville.

BURZICHELLI SCORES BAR FIGHT K.O.:
SOUTH JERSEY STUDENTS GET LAW EXAM SITE
Applauds Decision to Add Cinnaminson Site For February 28 State Bar Exams

(PAULSBORO) -- Six months after finding the agency charged with administering the state bar exam "in contempt" for its failure to find a South Jersey testing site, Deputy Assembly Speaker John Burzichelli today vacated his earlier decision upon learning that the New Jersey Board of Bar Examiners has chosen a Burlington County facility as one of the sites for this month's exam.

FISHER SEEKS GOVERNOR'S SUPPORT ON BILL TO HELP FAMILIES WITH LIMITED INCOMESNew
Study Shows State's Earned Income Tax Credit Needs Revision

(BRIDGETON) -- Assemblyman Doug Fisher today urged Governor Jon Corzine to lend public support to legislation the South Jersey lawmaker crafted to help working families with low incomes.

DeCROCE: TIME TO STOP THE 'INCREDIBLE SHRINKING REFORM EFFORT' BEFORE NOTHING IS LEFT

PROPERTY TAX REFORM EFFORT APPEARS TO BE SUFFERING DEATH FROM A THOUSAND CUTS

Assembly Republican Leader Alex DeCroce today said he fears that if somebody doesn't stop the Democrats from whittling away at the various property tax reform proposals there will soon be nothing left of this summer's property tax reform effort.

VAN DREW/JOHNSON/EGAN PLANT CLOSING BILL CLEARS ASSEMBLY
Measure Would Create Safeguards Against Mass Layoffs

(TRENTON) -- Legislation Assemblymen Jeff Van Drew, Gordon M. Johnson, and Joseph Egan sponsored to combat "take-the-money-and-run" plant closings by major corporate employers in New Jersey was passed today by the General Assembly.

The New Jersey political scene starts off 2007 with a huge loss. State Senator Bill Gormley (R-Atlantic County), who has served since 1978 as an independent, smart, savvy and most of all tough-as-nails legislator, has announced that he is retiring.

Gormley has been a one-of-a-kind legislator. While he is a Republican, he has often crossed party lines to work with Democrats either because it was the right thing to do on a particular issue, or it was the politically smart thing to do for Bill Gormley.

He was elected time and time again in a district that wasn't supposed to elect Republicans. He has gone head to head on numerous occasions with South Jersey Democratic boss George Norcross, and the powerful Democrat barely laid a glove on him. Gormley is 60, but he barely looks 50. He is an exercise fanatic. I've served with Gormley in the legislature back in the mid 1980s. I think one of the first times I met him he wanted to know my workout routine and started telling me about his. The last time I saw him in Washington at a conference, he was telling me about his new, more intense, routine that was pushing him harder than ever before. As he told me, I got tired even thinking about it. Gormley's physical conditioning has always been a big part of his public persona.

Interestingly, Gormley retires at a time when the Statehouse, but particularly Governor Jon Corzine, may need him most. Like I said, Gormley is smart. He knew that the Republicans were out of power and out of favor in Trenton, yet somehow developed a very direct relationship with Governor Corzine and was a key player in brokering a budget agreement last summer. Gormley is an ardent advocate of protecting the Atlantic City casino industry, which is critical to the economic vitality of South Jersey.

According to Senate President Dick Codey, a Democrat from the north, "I don't think anyone has fought harder for the people of their district than Bill Gormley. I think that's the way he was. He wouldn't back down. Even if we locked the door, he tried to get in."

While Bill Gormley has accomplished a great deal in his nearly 30 years in the state legislature, he has to be personally disappointed that he never got elected to higher office. He ran three times to get out of the Statehouse -- for Congress, for U.S. Senate and the governorship. He lost all three times. In each race as an analyst I picked him as a strong favorite. Gormley is a great campaigner, a terrific speaker and has the human touch. He knows how to talk to regular folks while still being able to raise big money from the people who can afford it, but Gormley couldn't get past the Republican Primary whose voters skew heavily to the right. They are more conservative and more strident than Gormley on issues. He is more practical, moderate and in some cases liberal. He would have been a great general election candidate, but his own Republicans wouldn't let him out of the box. That was their mistake, but more importantly, New Jersey lost out on never getting the chance to see a talented politician like Bill Gormley as either a governor or U.S. Senator.

Gormley has in no way been a perfect legislator or elected official. Sometimes he fought just to fight and got people peeved because he enjoyed it. He loved public confrontations. Sometimes they were warranted, like when he lead the fight to stop Governor Jim McGreevey from appointing his "friend" Golan Cipel to a top homeland security position or when McGreevey wanted to name ethically challenged developer Charles Kushner to head the Port Authority. Other times, Bill Gormley just seemed bored and looking for action�a competitor to the end. It's probably because at the core he is an athlete who loves to compete.

I wish you well, Bill, and I know that while you are leaving the legislature, you are probably planning to run a triathlon or swim across some large body of water in the next couple of years. Take care, Senator. You are one of the good guys in Trenton -- a dying breed, I fear.

GOVERNOR CORZINE SIGNS LEGISLATION AUTHORIZING
$270 MILLION INVESTMENT IN STEM CELL RESEARCH CENTERS

TRENTON – Governor Jon S. Corzine today signed legislation that would provide $270 million in funding to build stem cell research centers and facilities for cancer and biomedical research in New Jersey

South Jersey Democratic leaders insist that State Senator Frederick Madden still plans to announce his candidacy for re-election on January 1, despite continued speculation that he will not. Rumors that Madden will not seek a second term and support Assemblyman/Washington Township Mayor Paul Moriarty for the Senate seat will likely increase following yesterday's announcement that Madden, a former Acting State Police Superintendent, is the new $76,128-a-year Dean of Public Safety and Security at Gloucester County College.

DeCROCE HOPES DEMOCRATS ARE JOKING
ABOUT RAISING THE INCOME TAX

'Raising One Tax to Lower Another is Not Reform'

Assembly Republican Leader Alex DeCroce said today he hopes a statement made by Assemblyman John Burzichelli, co-chair of one of the joint legislative committees studying property tax reform, was not serious when he said "the issue of the income tax is going to be in play."

Reacting to the South Jersey Democrat's quote in a story appearing in today's Burlington County Times ("Income tax boost mulled"), DeCroce said he was stunned that Democrats feel they need to raise taxes again.

TRENTON, N.J. – Nov. 1 - The State capitol’s major newspapers today endorsed Congressman Jim Saxton.

“In the Third Congressional District, Jim Saxton, Republican, merits reelection� the Trentonian wrote. “His low key style of working for real solutions and avoiding bipartisan rancor, of leaving the grandstanding to others have served the district and the country well. He was one of the first in Congress, before 9/11, to grasp the emerging threat of terrorism. His congressional seniority is a valuable asset to the state.�

The Times of Trenton praised Jim’s middle-of-the-road record, noting that his seniority has helped him serve South Jersey:

“If there’s anyone who fits the definition of a centrist in the House of Representatives these days, it’s Rep. Jim Saxton,� the Times wrote. “The Burlington County Republican, has a strong environmental record. He drives a hybrid. He remains a strong but realistic voice on the military base realignment issue. And he’s rightly credited with changing and improving the mission of the three military bases important in the area: McGuire Air Force Base, Fort Dix and the Lakehurst Naval Station.�