Trenton

GREENWALD SEEKS TIGHTER BUDGET PROCESS,
DISCLOSURE REFORMS

(TRENTON) -- Assembly Budget Committee Chairman Louis D. Greenwald today proposed a five-point series of reforms for this year's budget process to maximize public input, discourage legislator conflicts, and expedite final passage into law.

ROBERTS COMMENDS CORZINE FOR SECURING BALANCED PUBLIC EMPLOYEE CONTRACT

(TRENTON) - Assembly Speaker Joseph J. Roberts Jr. today issued the following statement on the tentative contract agreement Governor Corzine's administration struck last night with the state's public employee unions:

POU PRAISES ADMINISTRATION'S EFFORTS AT UNION NEGOTIATING TABLE

(TRENTON) - Assemblywoman Nellie Pou today praised the efforts of the Corzine administration in securing a tentative contract agreement with the state's public employee unions late last night.

GOVERNOR CORZINE SIGNS LEGISLATION

TRENTON - Governor Jon S. Corzine today signed the following bills into law.

MALONE AND O'TOOLE ASK GOVERNOR NOT TO SPEND ANY REMAINING PORK OR GRANT DOLLARS

MAKE REQUEST AT BUDGET BRIEFING IN LIGHT OF FEDS PROBE

GREGG PRAISES APPROVAL OF SUSSEX COUNTY REGIONAL GROWTH PLAN BY STATE PLANNING BOARD

SHOWS SUSSEX COUNTY MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION

CODEY STATEMENT ON STATE EMPLOYEE CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS

TRENTON -- Senate President Richard J. Codey (D-Essex) today released the following statement on the results of Governor Corzine's contract negotiations with state employee unions:

"It now appears that everybody came out a winner in these negotiations -- the taxpayers, union employees and the Governor. Without question, Governor Corzine delivered on his promise to achieve many of the Legislature's pension and benefit reform goals through contract negotiations. Obviously, the unions must still agree to these changes and the legislature will have to adopt some of these measures statutorily, but these preliminary agreements are certainly encouraging. In the end, these agreements are fair to our employees and our taxpayers and will produce the kind of long-term savings that we had originally envisioned.

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FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:
Jennifer Sciortino
NJ Senate Majority Office
(P) 609-292-5215

KEY SENATE DEMOCRATS SEEK TOTAL CASINO SMOKING BAN

TRENTON - Key Senate Democrats are moving forward to impose a total smoking ban in Atlantic City casinos.

Senator Joseph F. Vitale, Chairman of the Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee, today said the bill he is co-prime sponsoring to impose the smoking ban will be posted for consideration by the panel on Monday (Feb. 26th).

“It’s time to save the lives of the thousands of casino workers who are at risk because of second-hand smoke,� said Senator Vitale, D-Middlesex.

CODEY, ROBERTS PETITION FEDERAL COURT FOR LEGISLATIVE SERVICES COMMISSION BRIEFING

(TRENTON) -- Senate President Richard J. Codey and Assembly Speaker Joseph J. Roberts, Jr. today directed counsel to petition the federal court to allow the Legislative Services Commission to be fully informed of the scope and nature of the federal subpoena to the Office of Legislative Services (OLS).

The presiding officers issued the following joint statement:

"We want members of the Legislative Services Commission to be apprised of the scope and nature of the federal subpoena issued to the Office of Legislative Services. Because the current matter involves a sealed federal subpoena, OLS has told commission members it cannot inform them about the details or scope of the subpoena absent a citation for contempt of court. This has created an untenable situation in which misinformation in the media is being perpetuated by commission members and cannot be rebutted.

We have directed counsel to file a 'Rule 6' application with the federal court today requesting the Legislative Services Commission be immediately briefed on the issue. It's past time that the sensationalized media accounts based on false information about this investigation come to an end."

FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:

NJ Senate Majority Office:
609-292-5215

NJ Assembly Majority Office:
609-292-7065

It just doesn't make sense. Last week an ordinance was passed in the Atlantic City municipal council that would bar smoking on only 75 percent of any casino floor and leave the remaining 25 percent as designated smoking areas. The casinos are required to set up this bizarre system by April 15. It is being called a "compromise," but I call it a cop-out.

Last year, New Jersey state officials finally came to their senses and banned smoking in virtually all public places, but casinos were left out of the deal. Again, it was called a "compromise." The municipal council in Atlantic City was under pressure from public health groups and casino workers to do something. Legislation has been proposed in Trenton that would no longer exempt casinos from New Jersey's new smoking ban in public places. On February 7 the Atlantic City council voted 6-3 to pass this wacky 75/25 percent ordinance. Think about it. The council is saying that virtually every other worker in every conceivable industry has the right to work in a healthy, smoke-free environment; but if you work in a casino, you get the shaft.

Customers in the casinos will have to put up with smoking in one-quarter of the casino floors. Supposedly some "ventilation system" is to be put in place that would keep cancer-causing second-hand smoke away from the three-quarters of the casino floor designated as non-smoking. Personally, I've never seen a ventilation system in a restaurant or other place that keeps smoke away from so-called "smoke free" areas. That's what happens with smoke. It doesn't respect barriers. It just goes where it goes, into people's lungs that have no desire to be around it.

The casino industry put heavy pressure on the Atlantic City council to reach this deal. I respect the casino industry and the jobs and revenue it creates. I also appreciate that we have legalized gambling in New Jersey because I have a thing for black jack. The casino industry argued that up to 20 percent of its revenue and potentially 3,400 jobs could be lost if 25 percent of the casino floor didn't remain a smoker's paradise. Assume the argument is true, and I have no reason to believe that it's not; but I'm just wondering at what point did we decide that commerce trumps (excuse the pun) public health? It makes no sense.

You can't spit on the floor in a casino or they will throw you out--same thing is true in a restaurant. You can't take gum out of your mouth and stick it on the poker table next to your drink in a casino. It's disgusting. It's dirty. In fact, did you ever notice all those signs in restaurant bathrooms reminding employees to wash their hands before returning to work? What do you think that's about?--Public health and protecting it. So let me get this straight. You can't spit, you can't stick gum anywhere you want and workers are supposed to wash their hands when they leave the bathroom; but you can blow smoke from cigarettes, a known carcinogen, on 25 percent of the casino floor?

Further, if a worker in a casino argues that he doesn't want to work in the 25 percent area because he feels it is a danger to his health, what is supposed to happen to him? Can he be fired? Is he protected? And check this out. If all the smokers are crammed into that 25 percent area of the casino floor, isn't that going to create a greater concentration of smoke? Doesn't that become a potentially greater health hazard?

I don't get it. Only in New Jersey can something like this happen and have government officials who made it happen call it a "compromise" or worse yet, some sort of "victory." It's nuts. It's a disgrace. And the reason it was allowed to happen is because our leaders in Trenton didn't have the guts to ban smoking in EVERY public place, including casinos. They should have never left it up to the municipal council in Atlantic City to deal with this issue.

I say to our leaders in the Statehouse, stop playing games and fast track existing legislation that would ban smoking in casinos. I'm confident the governor would sign it. That law would then supersede any municipal ordinance passed in Atlantic City. After all, isn't that why we have a state government?--To protect us, particularly when it comes to our health? Maybe I'm wrong, or I am missing something here. Write to me, and let me know what you think at sadubato@aol.com