TRENTON – Sen. Paul A. Sarlo (D-Bergen, Essex and Passaic), chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today thanked the committee for its work in reviewing scores of nominees that have been presented by the Corzine administration to fill judicial vacancies and openings on various government boards and agencies.

“Just a few weeks ago, there were 38 vacancies on the Superior Court bench,” Sen. Sarlo said. “Thanks to the hard work of judiciary committee members from both sides of the aisle, the endless behind-the-scenes work by committee staff and the thorough preparation by the candidates themselves, we will have whittled that number down to 17 after the nominees, who have since been confirmed by the full Senate, are sworn in.”

TRENTON – A measure sponsored by Senators Sandra Bolden Cunningham and Teresa Ruiz, which would prohibit the sale and purchase of more than one handgun per person, within a 30-day period was approved today by the full Senate by a vote of 21 to 15.

            According to the sponsors, the bill is intended to prevent “straw purchasing,” or purchasing a firearm for someone who is not legally allowed to buy one.

            “Gang violence has become a way of life in communities around the State,” said Senator Cunningham, D-Hudson.  “Though we have gun laws on the books, more must be done to prevent straw purchases.  It is my hope that other states will follow our lead and craft similar legislation to help protect residents from gun violence.”

            “This legislation is about reducing gun violence and saving lives,” said Senator Ruiz, D-Essex and Union.  “The effects of illegal gun violence and the wounds it causes are far-reaching in that they not only touch victims, but also families and communities as a whole.  The passage of this bill would be a significant step in the right direction toward reducing the number of illegal, unlicensed guns on the streets and increasing safety for the people of this State.”

WHELAN SUPPORTS HIGHER EDUCATION PROVISIONS IN ECONOMIC STIMULUS ACT

TRENTON – Senator Jim Whelan said today that provisions contained within the “New Jersey Economic Stimulus Act of 2009” that pertain to higher education in New Jersey would help boost the national reputation of the State’s public colleges and universities while creating new research and job opportunities for students. The “Economic Stimulus Act,” which was sponsored by Senator Raymond J. Lesniak, D-Union, received final legislative approval from the Senate today by a vote of 23-14.

“Our State colleges and public universities are at a competitive disadvantage when it comes to the financing of on-campus projects and the opportunities created for students through strong public-private partnerships,” said Senator Whelan, D-Atlantic, and a member of the Senate Education Committee who advocated for these policy changes while working on the higher education restructuring legislation which was approved earlier today in the Senate. “Because of the regulatory and legal blockades which prevent institutions of higher education from contracting with private entities to finance construction projects in New Jersey, colleges have to rely on inadequate State financial support or tuition revenues to build on campus. Other states have given colleges the authority to take advantage of private financing, and the results are phenomenal.

LESNIAK ECONOMIC STIMULUS BILL APPROVED IN SENATE

TRENTON – A bill sponsored by Senator Raymond J. Lesniak which would jump-start New Jersey’s economy was approved by the Senate today by a vote of 23-14, receiving final legislative approval.

“Even before the national recession, New Jersey’s economy has lagged behind the national economy for nearly a decade, with in-State private-sector job growth underperforming national statistics in even the rosiest economic times,” said Senator Lesniak, D-Union. “In the four year period from 2003 to 2007, private sector employment grew nationally by 6.5 percent. By comparison, during that same time period in New Jersey, the private sector job base grew by only 2.3 percent.

TRENTON – A $29 billion state budget that dramatically cuts spending, preserves funding for health and education programs and restores substantial property tax relief was approved in the state Senate today by a 22-17 vote.

“This has clearly been one of the most difficult budgets the Legislature and administration have ever had to deal with,” said Sen. Barbara Buono (D-Middlesex), chairwoman of the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee. “Months of unrelentingly bad economic news on a global scale have informed our work as we have struggled to come up with a budget that is balanced and fairly shares the pain of drastically shrinking revenues. Every page of this budget reflects our efforts to make sure the necessary cuts we made were done with an eye treating the many competing interests with fairness and sensitivity while also recognizing the money to fund some very worthwhile programs simply isn’t available.”

SWEENEY STATEMENT ON APPROVAL OF FY 2010 BUDGET

TRENTON – Senate Majority Leader Steve Sweeney, D-Gloucester, Cumberland and Salem, issued the following statement today regarding the Senate approval of the FY 2010 Budget, by a vote of 22-17:

“On Monday, when the Budget Committee passed the FY 2010 spending plan, I was quoted as saying – in some cases, out of context – that this budget stinks.

“Unfortunately, that’s a side-effect of the politically-charged environment that we live in. Honest admissions and plain talk can sometimes be misconstrued and warped to serve a political point.

SMITH-SWEENEY BILL TO AUTHORIZE OPEN SPACE BONDING APPROVED IN SENATE

TRENTON – A bill sponsored by Senate Environment Committee Chairman, Senator Bob Smith, and Senate Majority Leader Steve Sweeney which would give voters in November the option to approve up to $400 million in open space borrowing was approved by the Senate today by a vote of 26-7, receiving final legislative approval.

“Open space preservation is at the very core of maintaining our quality of life in the Garden State,” said Senator Bob Smith, D-Middlesex and Somerset. “Well-maintained parks, pristine forests, protected farms and untainted watershed are a necessary alternative to overdevelopment and suburban sprawl. We owe it to future generations of New Jersey residents to protect at-risk open space, and ensure that the garden stays in the Garden State for many years to come.”

SCUTARI LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR BILL RECEIVES FINAL LEGISLATIVE APPROVAL

Bill Would Set Framework for Campaign Finance and Disclosure Rules, Establish Debate Between Publicly-Financed Candidates

TRENTON – A bill sponsored by Senator Nicholas P. Scutari which would establish campaign finance and disclosure standards and debate rules for New Jersey’s new Lieutenant Governor position was approved by the Assembly today by a vote of 66-12, with one abstention, receiving final legislative approval.

“This November, voters in New Jersey will go to the polls for the first time to vote for a leadership team, not just a Governor,” said Senator Scutari, D-Union, Middlesex and Somerset. “While past acting Governors have done an exemplary job to serve the people of New Jersey, the new Lieutenant Governor position will ensure consistency and predictability in the path of succession, and whoever’s elected will hopefully play a major role in shaping the direction of the State. We need to ensure that the candidates running under the Governor, this November and into the future, are subject to the same reporting, spending and contribution limits as other candidates for office in the Garden State.”

TURNER MOTOR VEHICLE SURCHARGE AMNESTY BILL ADVANCES

TRENTON – A bill sponsored by Senator Shirley K. Turner which would establish a 60-day grace period for drivers with outstanding motor vehicle surcharges to pay those surcharges without facing interest or collection costs was approved by the Senate today by a vote of 39-0.

“At a time of global economic crisis, many drivers in the lowest income brackets simply cannot afford the death by a thousand cuts created by the fee and penalty scheme surrounding motor vehicle surcharges,” said Senator Turner, D-Mercer. “Unless we provide some sort of relief for these individuals, they will never dig themselves out of their debt to the State Motor Vehicle Commission. By creating an amnesty period from interest and collection fees associated with motor vehicle surcharges, we can give penalized drivers an option to wipe the slate clean, and raise needed funds for the State.”

SWEENEY BILL TO ESTABLISH PILOT COUNTY-WIDE TAX ASSESSMENT IN GLOUCESTER APPROVED IN SENATE

TRENTON – A bill sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Steve Sweeney which would create a pilot program in Gloucester County to merge municipal property tax assessors into a countywide office was approved by the Senate today by a vote of 25-7, with final legislative approval expected from the Assembly later today.

“Particularly as New Jersey residents are struggling with the effects of a national recession, we have a responsibility in government to achieve whatever savings we can for the hard-hit taxpayers we represent,” said Senator Sweeney, D-Gloucester, Cumberland and Salem. “This bill would allow the residents of Gloucester County to receive the services they depend on for a fraction of the cost, and would make Gloucester a model for shared services for the rest of the State. It’s time that we demand the efficient delivery of services from all levels of government, and make sure tax dollars are being used for the public good – not to perpetuate needless bureaucracy.”