Democrats Must Go on the Record to Overcome “Poison Pills”

Senate Minority Leader Thomas H. Kean (R-Essex/Morris/Somerset/Union) released a legal opinion from the non-partisan Office of Legislative Services (OLS) which indicated that Governor Corzine’s proposal to raid dedicated funds for arts, tourism and shore protection purposes may be unconstitutional. The Governor’s Fiscal Year 2010 budget proposes to suspend various “poison pill” laws used to dedicate funding for certain purposes.

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The Team: Nancy Munoz, state Sen. Tom Kean (R-Westfield), Assemblyman Jon Bramnick (R-Westfield).

MOUNTAINSIDE - Nancy Munoz, the widow of Assemblyman Eric Munoz (R-Summit), prevailed tonight in a special Union GOP convention bid to replace her husband in the 21st Legislative District. 

Nancy Munoz defeated Long Hill School Board member Bruce Meringolo and Long Hill Mayor George Vitureira respectively by a vote of 174 to 34 to 16.

The win came with a back story of some gritted teeth, and a few sets of those were still clearly on edge as members of the county committee filed into tonight’s special convention here at L’Affair on Route 22, and appeared little mollified by state Sen. Tom Kean’s (R-Westfield) observation that county chairmen from Morris and Essex and Somerset had not arrived “as yet.”

The truth was they weren’t there, and they weren’t going to be there – no chairman used to playing the leading man would be able to bear the inevitable loss coming in here - not as long as Union County chairman Phil Morin, who holds the bulk of power in the Union County-heavy 21st District, had finally and firmly gone and backed the widow of Munoz.

State Sen. Christopher Bateman (R-Branchburg) has won a seat on the Senate Judiciary Committee

State Sen. Christopher Bateman (R-Branchburg) will get a new seat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, and Senate Minority Leader Thomas Kean, Jr. (R-Westfield) will take the new seat on the Senate Education Committee, sources say.

Last month, the Senate expanded the size of the Judiciary Committee from eleven to thirteen members, adding an eighth Democrat and a fifth Republican.  Senate President Richard Codey (D-Roseland) has already named State Sen. Brian Stack (D-Union City) to fill the new Democratic seat.

The Senate Labor Committee was also expanded from five to seven members.  Codey named State Sen. James Beach (D-Voorhees) to that post.

VITALE STATEMENT IN RESPONSE TO KEAN CRITICISM ON ARTS FUNDING CUTS

TRENTON – Senator Joseph F. Vitale, D-Middlesex, Chairman of the Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee, and a member of Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee, issued the following statement today in response to criticism from former Governor Tom Kean on Governor Corzine’s proposed cut to arts funding below statutorily-mandated levels:

“The arts are absolutely important. Cultural identity is one of the key measures of a society, and there is no doubt that arts funding is not only a boon to the economy, but also helps encourage students – particularly in struggling urban areas – to achieve their maximum potential.

“However, during this global economic crisis, we have to recognize that New Jersey cannot afford to fund every worthy cause, and must prioritize its funding. Governor Corzine has proposed funding arts at a level that’s roughly $3 million less than last year, while still managing to provide $25 million in funding for projects in the proposed budget. Meanwhile, we’re struggling to fund every state priority, from health care to public safety to education.

The chairman of the Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee says former Gov. Thomas Kean would be better off raising private sector funds to fund state arts programs than threaten a lawsuit to force taxpayers to pay for it in tough economic times.

State Sen. Joseph Vitale (D-Woodbridge), who served on the Senate Appropriations Committee, says that while the arts are important, “the ability to appreciate the arts is going to come as little consolation to a child who doesn’t receive adequate health coverage, doesn’t have a safe place to grow up, or doesn’t get a proper education.”

“Funding for our State’s priorities must be bottom-up, and we must fulfill our promise to keep kids safe and healthy before we can restore arts funding,” said Vitale.  “During this global economic crisis, we have to recognize that New Jersey cannot afford to fund every worthy cause, and must prioritize its funding.”

Vitale noted that Gov. Jon Corzine has proposed funding arts at a level that’s roughly $3 million less than last year, while still keeping $25 million in funding for projects in the proposed budget.

“Meanwhile, we’re struggling to fund every state priority, from health care to public safety to education,” said the Middlesex County Democrat.

“Governor Kean’s disappointment in the cut to arts funding is understandable, but ultimately, it’s a symptom of the stark fiscal times, not Governor Corzine’s performance.  If anything, the current Governor has done his best to preserve our priorities, and help alleviate the pain of cuts in other places of the budget,” Vitale said.  “While it might be easier to criticize from the sidelines, it’s much harder to govern when facing the economic realities that this Governor has had to face.

Sixteen of New Jersey's seveneteen Republican State Senators have endorsed former U.S. Attorney Christopher Christie for Governor, with Steven Oroho (R-Franklin) the lone holdout.  Oroho has not made any endorsments.

"No one understands the damage Jon Corzine has done to our state more than the Republican State Senators who have been fighting him every step of the way," said State Sen. Joseph Kyrillos (R-Middletown), the Chairman of Christie's statewide campaign.  "Chris Christie will be the partner we need in the Governor's Office who will fight for the middle class, bring business back to New Jersey and get our state back on track.

Eric Munoz, M.D. (1947-2009)

There will be no announcements regarding the scheduling of a special election convention until after Assemblyman Eric Munoz's funeral on Friday, but Republican leaders in the 21st district were busy yesterday talking politics and considering options for the upcoming Assembly race.  The early speculation is that there are two contenders for the Assembly seat: former Summit Council President Kelly Hatfield and Phil Morin, the Union County GOP Chairman and a former Mayor of Cranford.  Hatfield appears to be locking up some key endorsements in a campaign that won't officially begin until Friday, but Morin may have the backing of Nancy Munoz, the wife of the late Assemblyman.

With profound sadness and grief, Senate Republican Leader Tom Kean issues a statement about the passing of his dear friend, Assemblyman Eric Munoz of Summit.

Bret Schundler's endorsement of Christopher Christie in the GOP gubernatorial primary is significant, although Steve Lonegan's camp will suggest it is not.  Support from Schundler makes it more difficult for Lonegan to persuade conservative Republican primary voters to oppose Christie, the former U.S. Attorney who has become the front runner for the chance to challenge Gov. Jon Corzine in the fall.  Like U.S. Rep. Christopher Smith, whose endorsement of Christie is like a Good Housekeeping seal of approval within the pro-life community - a vote Lonegan must win big if he is to be successful in the June primary - Schundler is popular enough with conservatives that his support will be helpful.

Thomas Kean employed a similar strategy in his 1981 bid for Governor, using primary endorsements from U.S. Reps. Jim Courter and Jack Kemp, and 1978 U.S. Senate candidate Jeffrey Bell, to appeal to conservative Republican primary voters.

Assemblyman Eric Munoz (R-Summit) passed away on Monday at the age of 61.

Eric Munoz first went to the Legislature in 2001 amidst a game of political musical chairs in the old 21st district, which was about equally divided between Essex and Union counties.  The six -term State Senator, Republican Louis Bassano, resigned to take a job at the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority.  The district had already been chopped up, with Bassano's home town, Union, being placed in the heavily-Democratic 20th district, where Raymond Lesniak was the Senator.

Assemblyman Kevin O'Toole won a special election for Bassano's State Senate seat, knowing that he would return to the Assembly eight months later.  His hometown, Cedar Grove, had already been redistricted into District 40, which was represented in the Senate by Henry "Tapioca" McNamara. 

Munoz defeated former Cranford Mayor Thomas Denny in a special election convention to fill O'Toole's Assembly seat.  At this point, four incumbent Assemblymen lived in the new 21st district: Richard Bagger, Thomas Kean, Jr. (who had won a special election convention earlier that year after Alan Augustine died in office), and Joel Weingarten, an Essex County Republican who had beaten Kean and Michael Ferguson to win the Union County GOP Convention in his 2000 campaign for Congress.  Bagger was unopposed for the GOP State Senate nomination; the incumbent, Senate President and Acting Governor Donald DiFrancesco, was not running for the Legislature.