Stuart Rabner

McKEON/BURZICHELLI WELCOME AG's OPINION DEBUNKING GOP's LEGAL THREAT TO PROPERTY TAX RELIEF
Sponsors of Credits & Caps Bill Say Republicans Should Stop Campaign of Fear

(TRENTON) -- Assemblymen John F. McKeon and John Burzichelli today said the Assembly Republican fringe that sought to scuttle the delivery of a 20 percent property tax cut to New Jersey residents should abandon their campaign of fearmongering in light of Attorney General Stuart Rabner's legal opinion upholding the constitutionality of the property tax relief plan.

Make Sure The Credit Is Legal Before It s Enacted
All Questions Should Be Answered Before the Senate Votes

Senator Anthony Bucco, R-25, today called upon Senate Democrat Leaders to delay a vote on their proposed property tax plan until Attorney General Stuart Rabner issues a formal legal opinion that the plan does not violate the New Jersey Constitution s Uniformity Clause. The Uniformity Clause requires that all property of a certain class be taxed equally without regard to the status of the owner of the property.
There are legitimate doubts about the constitutionality of this proposal, Bucco said. These doubts should be put to rest before we pass legislation that can t withstand a legal challenge. We need to get this right. Waiting a week or two for the Attorney General s opinion would not delay a single person getting their credit on time.
I m suspicious of the chorus of Democrats offering assurances that their plan passes constitutional muster. This same group hasn t shown much respect for our constitution in the past. They bonded for operating expenses, had the Supreme Court ruled that was unconstitutional, and then did it again.
Bucco said the questions about the constitutionality of the proposal could have been resolved sooner if the Democrats had permitted a committee hearing on the proposal.
The special session has been a fiasco, Bucco said. Only 24 of the session s 98 recommendations have been approved by the Senate and many of them, like the comptroller bill, are watered-down gimmicks that reform in name only. Nothing has been done that would reduce the cost of government in any meaningful way.
Meanwhile the centerpiece of their property tax relief plan is being rushed through without even a hearing. It s pretty clear the Democrats want this over as soon as possible, before anyone starts asking questions.
###

GOVERNOR CORZINE AND LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS
OPEN STATE-OF-THE-ART EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT FACILITY

WEST TRENTON – The Regional Operations Intelligence Center (ROIC, pronounced “Rock�) was officially opened today by Governor Jon S. Corzine, Attorney General Stuart Rabner, State Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness Director Dick Cañas and State Police Superintendent Colonel Rick Fuentes. The cutting-edge building, located at New Jersey State Police headquarters, now serves as the foundation for the state’s homeland security, crime fighting and emergency response efforts.

CODEY TESTIMONY ON STUART RABNER HEARING

TRENTON - Senate President Richard J. Codey (D-Essex) today appeared before the Senate Judiciary Committee to testify on behalf of Stuart Rabner, Governor Corzine's nomination for Attorney General. Afterwards, Sen. Codey praised the committee's unanimous approval of Mr. Rabner's nomination and released the full text of his remarks from earlier today:

ADLER SAYS RABNER CAN REDIRECT NJ'S MORAL COMPASS

TRENTON - Senator John H. Adler, the Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, made this statement after the panel unanimously approved the nomination of Stuart Rabner to be the next New Jersey Attorney General.

“Stuart Rabner has what it takes to restore New Jersey’s moral bearing at a time when we’ve lost our way.

Senator Joe Kyrillos, (R-13), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee issued the following statement after hearing testimony from Stuart Rabner the nominee for Attorney General.

During his testimony today Stuart Rabner confirmed my earlier statement that the Governor got it right this time. This is the nomination that should have been made last January.

For the past five years New Jersey has been plagued by scandal, corruption, bad economic numbers, and a government shutdown. It is a rare moment in time and is heartening that we can feel good about someone in a bipartisan – almost non partisan way - as is the case with this nominee.

I will continue to urge him to recruit and retain top talent to get the job done.

PENNACCHIO CALLS ON ATTORNEY GENERAL APPOINTEE
TO DECLARE WAR ON CORRUPT PUBLIC OFFICIALS

In the wake of another investigation into wrongdoing by a state official that ended with no charges being filed, Assemblyman Joe Pennacchio said today he hopes New Jersey's newly selected Attorney General will be much more aggressive in pursuing public officials accused of wrongdoing than his two predecessors.

The federal investigation of U.S. Senator Robert Menendez's role as the landlord for a non-profit organization in Hudson County that received federal funding with Menendez's help has led some Democrats to infer that the timing of U.S. Attorney Christopher Christie's probe was designed to help Republican Thomas Kean, Jr. Last week, Governor Jon Corzine told reporters that Christie's investigation "has the appearance of being less than objective."

Christie is a Republican who served as a Morris County Freeholder and as a leader of George W. Bush's 2000 presidential campaign in New Jersey, but accusing the corruption-busting federal prosecutor of playing partisan politics is a tough sell. Christie authorized an FBI raid of Essex County Executive James Treffinger's office while Treffinger was a Republican U.S. Senate candidate, and investigations of public officials over the last five years includes prominent members of both parties. Since Christie took office, no public officials accused of corruption has been acquitted -- a record that might make Corzine a little nervous as Republicans talk about Christie as their candidate for Governor in 2009.

Republicans have a chance to effectively arbitrate this conflict next Monday when Stuart Rabner, Corzine's nominee for state Attorney General, appears before the Senate Judiciary Committee. Rabner is a career federal prosecutor who spent four years working for Christie and for Christie's Democratic predecessors. One of the four Republican Senators on the panel -- which is likely to unanimously recommend his confirmation -- can simply ask Rabner his views on whether the timing of the Menendez investigation was tied to the upcoming election.

But will one of the Senate Republicans (Kean serves on the Judiciary Committee) actually ask the question? "I could see something like that happening," says Republican State Chairman Tom Wilson.

DeCROCE: ATLANTIC CITY CORRUPTION CHARGES SHOW THAT RABNER HAS MUCH WORK AHEAD

NEW ATTORNEY GENERAL MUST PURSUE PUBLIC CORRUPTION WITH SAME ZEAL AS THE U.S. ATTORNEY

GREGG URGES RABNER TO USE ATTORNEY GENERAL POST TO CRACK DOWN ON RAMPANT CORRUPTION

TIME FOR AN ATTORNEY GENERAL WHO WILL BE AGGRESSIVE IN STAMPING OUT PUBLIC CORRUPTION