New Jersey Assembly Republicans

Press release — Aiming to spark interest in New Jersey horse racing and Atlantic City, Assembly Republicans Ronald S. Dancer and John Amodeo have advanced a bipartisan plan that would bring horse racing to a beach in Atlantic City – paying homage to a centuries-old Italian tradition. The legislation was approved today by the Assembly Budget Committee.

Ron Dancer

“Horse racing on the beach is a unique way to put an international spotlight on both our state’s equine and tourism industries with an American version of a 700-year Italian tradition,” Dancer, R-Ocean, Burlington, Middlesex and Monmouth, said. “This is a surefire trifecta: We have a winner for horse racing and Atlantic City; we’ve got a perfect place on the beach, and we’re going to put on a show that’s never been seen before.”

The plan would permit a new annual race that would be an American version of Il Palio, a legendary race run for the past 700 years in the Town Square of Siena, Italy.

John Amodeo

“This is an exciting new American twist on a time-honored Italian tradition, which will bring some well-deserved attention to Atlantic City and our state’s horse industries,” Amodeo, R-Atlantic, said. “I’ll bet that this race will become an annual tradition for New Jersey.”

With bipartisan support from Assemblyman John Burzichelli, D-Gloucester, chairman of the Assembly Appropriations Committee, legislators hope to advance the bill, A-4149, this summer in time to hold the first race by Columbus Day.

The legislation would authorize the New Jersey Racing Commission to grant a special permit to hold a race on the beach – limited to once per year, over a maximum of two days. Permit holders would be allowed to operate parimutual wagering pools.

Read more about the proposal in The Press of Atlantic City.

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From: The Times of Trenton — The following is an excerpt from Assemblywoman Mary Pat Aneglini’s op-ed on heroin. Read the complete version in The Times of Trenton.

Mary Pat Angelini

The word “crisis” tends to be overused, especially in political rhetoric. But when a county prosecutor uses it to describe how a substance has become a poisonous weed throughout our state, it must be taken as a sobering call to action.

Ocean County Prosecutor Joseph D. Coronato correctly called it a crisis after Ocean County endured 53 fatal overdoses this year through June 3 — mostly due to heroin.

Local law enforcers such as Coronato are doing everything they can to spare lives from heroin. They’re in schools trying to educate young people about the dangers of heroin and prescription painkillers and trying to eradicate it from our classrooms. They’re arguing for stronger laws for those who traffic heroin and more access for treatment for those who are addicted.

I have dedicated my professional career to keeping young people healthy and drug-free. That pursuit often influences the policies I support as a state legislator, which is why, this summer, a top priority for me will be trying to free our communities from heroin’s deathly grip. I have begun working on an array of legislation that will combat this crisis from all angles, and I’m planning public forums with health care professionals, members of the law enforcement community and families who have been affected by heroin or prescription painkiller addiction.

We cannot rest until heroin is out of our state and people are free from its grasp.

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From: Patch – New Jersey State Assemblyman Eric Peterson (R-District 23) once again demonstrated his support of the Tourette Syndrome community by visiting the New Jersey Center for Tourette Syndrome & Associated Disorders’ (NJCTS) 9^thannual Family Retreat Weekend on June 8 at YMCA Camp Bernie.

The Assemblyman attended the “Family Dynamics: The Impact of Special Kids on Marriage & Siblings” workshop presented by Drs. Gayle Forman and Lisa Cox, toured the camp with NJCTS Executive Director Faith W. Rice and spoke with several of the TS families attending the weekend.

Erik Peterson

“NJCTS continues to be a national model for research, support and collaboration,” Assemblyman Peterson said. “I am particularly impressed by the support NJCTS provides to families and was pleased to participate in their Family Retreat Weekend.”

The retreat provides peer-driven confidence building, family education and socialization, allowing children affected by TS to develop a greater sense of belonging, new coping strategies and a boost of self-esteem.

“We are honored that Assemblyman Peterson took the time to spend part of his Saturday with the New Jersey Center for Tourette Syndrome and our families at the NJCTS Family Retreat Weekend,” Rice said. “With support from our legislators and Governor Christie, we can continue to provide critical services to the 1 in 100 New Jersey children affected by TS.”

More information about Tourette Syndrome or the Family Retreat Weekend is available by calling 908-575-7350 or by visiting www.njcts.org. More information about YMCA Camp Bernie is available by visiting www.campbernieymca.org.

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Source: Assembly Republican Press Release

Assembly Republican Co-Policy Chair Caroline Casagrande, R-Monmouth, will lead a business roundtable discussion on Tuesday, June 18, at Monmouth University, to discuss ways which the government can continue to work with the private sector in the effort to create jobs and improve the economy. A wide array of industries will be in attendance for the event that will begin at 1 p.m. and will be held in the Turrell Board Room which is located in Bey Hall. Parking is available in front of the building.

WHO:Assembly Republican Policy Co-Chairwoman Caroline Casagrande and business leaders from various industries across the state.

WHAT:Discussion on ways to continue growing New Jersey’s economy and create jobs.

WHEN:Tuesday, June 18, from 1 to 3 p.m.

WHERE: Turrell Board Room – Second Floor – Bey Hall
Monmouth University – 400 Cedar Ave., West Long Branch, NJ 07764
(732-571-3400)

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Source: Courier News Letter-to-editor

The Courier News is to be applauded for its story on the three major floods affecting Manville since 2007 and the 600 Manville homes damaged by Hurricane Irene (June 2, “Forgotten After Sandy?”). The story also shed appropriate light on New Jersey’s allotment of $1.8 billion in federal superstorm Sandy relief funding, including $300 million for Blue Acre buyouts.

The story touches on something we have been addressing; namely, compared to the relief Manville received in the aftermath of three devastating storms since 2007, it is only fair, despite not being flooded by superstorm Sandy, that Manville benefit from the current federal relief funding.

That funding should be used for Blue Acre buyouts of Manville property owners. It should also be used to procure a generator for Manville’s emergency shelter and complete the ongoing Army Corps of Engineers study, which would present flood-mitigation solutions for the Raritan-Millstone River Basin.

Long before Sandy appeared on the radar, we were in communication with New Jersey’s congressional delegation and working diligently with state government to advance our Manville advocacy. The federal Sandy relief funding program, we believe, now provides a very fair and reasonable opportunity for that advocacy to succeed.

Superstorm Sandy should also serve as catalyst for passage of the legislation we introduced in June 2012, which would create the Hunterdon-Somerset Flood Advisory Task Force to develop flood-mitigation solutions along the Delaware, Raritan and Millstone rivers.

With a concerted bipartisan effort by policymakers — municipal, county, state and federal — it is our hope that Manville and its municipal neighbors along the Raritan-Millstone River Basin will benefit from federal Sandy relief funding and our proposed legislation.

Sen. Christopher “Kip” Bateman
Assemblyman Jack M. Ciattarelli
Assemblywoman Donna M. Simon

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Source: Burlington County Times

Pressure is mounting on Board of Education member Rosemary Bernardi to resign from both her local post and her position as vice president of the New Jersey School Boards Association in the wake of anti-Semitic comments she allegedly made during a public local board meeting last month.

Two New Jersey Assembly members and the chairman of the Burlington County Republican Party have called for Bernardi to step down, and the Township Council passed a formal resolution Tuesday that urged the school board to censure or discipline her.

Several residents said during public comments at Tuesday’s council meeting that Bernardi should resign.

As of Wednesday afternoon, she had not resigned. However, in a written response to a request for comment, she reiterated an apology to residents and said she looked forward to learning and “moving forward.”

“I recognize that categorizing individuals on the basis of their religion, race, gender or sexual orientation has no place in our society, and most especially in our public discourse. I express my heartfelt apology to the people of Evesham Township for my remarks at the school board meeting,” Bernardi said in the statement. “I am continuing to reach out to the Evesham Township residents via the many community leaders to extend my heartfelt apology and hear their concerns. I look forward to learning from this situation as we move forward.”

Bernardi allegedly made the controversial remarks during the Evesham board’s May 23 meeting during a discussion about a request to reschedule the start of the fall term from Sept. 6, the second day of Rosh Hashana.

According to a township resident, Bernardi said, “(Evesham) could start school on Thursday, the first day of Rosh Hashana — I don’t care. It is up to the parents to keep their kids home, all seven or eight Jews who live in our district.”

The resident also said Bernardi remarked at the end of the meeting: “Anyone who would like to run for the Board of Education, there are three seats up and there are five Jews on the board.”

There was no recording of the meeting, but Bernardi has apologized for her statements, calling them a “poor choice of words” and a “teachable moment for all.”

The two state Assembly members demanding her resignation are Chris Brown, R-8th of Evesham, and Gary Schaer, D-36th of Passaic.

In a joint statement, the lawmakers said anti-Semitic speech should not be tolerated, particularly from someone in a leadership position with schools and the School Boards Association, which lobbies on behalf of school districts across the state and also provides districts with guidance on key issues and legislation.

Chris Brown

“The School Boards Association is mandated by statute and funded by taxpayer dollars. They provide guidance and direction to school boards across the state,” Brown said in the statement. “The fact that (Bernardi) is in a leadership position for them is unacceptable.”

“As a member of the Jewish faith, I know firsthand the damage that can be caused by hurtful racist speech,” Schaer said. “There is no place for prejudice like this in our society.”

A spokesman for the New Jersey School Boards Association did not return a request for comment Wednesday. However, the president of the association previously said the comments, “if accurate, were not only highly offensive, but also repugnant to the mission of the New Jersey School Boards Association.”

The president said the association planned to investigate the matter, but no findings from any probe have been announced.

During its Tuesday meeting, the Township Council unanimously approved a resolution condemning Bernardi’s comments and urging the “appropriate body and officials to take such action as is necessary to censure, discipline or otherwise show rejection and disapproval of such statements.”

All five elected council members are Republicans.

Mayor Randy Brown, who called for Bernardi to resign in a statement posted on the township website last week, said it was important for the full council to make its opinion known.

“We felt strongly that we wanted to send a message as a body that there is zero tolerance for these remarks,” Brown said Tuesday night.

Although one resident called the resolution “overkill,” several residents at the meeting said they appreciated the action and believed Bernardi should be pushed into resigning from the school board.

“I don’t think this (deserves only) a slap on the hand and say, ‘Oh, I’m sorry,’ ” resident Susanne Epstein said during the meeting. “You have to almost make the person do the right thing, which is to step down to show our children that this isn’t tolerated.”

Resident Joe Barbagiovanni said the governing body should not get involved.

“This issue has nothing to do with the council. It is strictly a school board issue and should be taken care of by the school board,” he said.

In addition to her school board post, Bernardi is an elected member of the Burlington County Democratic Committee. She also served as a New Jersey delegate at last year’s Democratic National Convention.

Citing her political post, Burlington County Republican Committee Chairman Bill Layton this week called on Burlington County Democratic Chairman Joseph Andl and the party’s slate of candidates for county offices to publicly condemn Bernardi.

“I am sure they would like to bury their heads in the sand and pretend she didn’t say it. But silence is not a responsible option here,” Layton said, citing a 2011 incident in which the Burlington County Republican Committee pulled its support for 8th Legislative District incumbent Pat Delany after learning about inflammatory remarks his wife made in an email to state Senate candidate Carl Lewis.

“More than two weeks since the controversy started, the failure of a single Democratic elected officeholder, candidate or party leader in our community to publicly condemn Rosemary Bernardi’s despicable comments about Jewish people demonstrates that they are either completely tone deaf or willing to tolerate that kind of bigotry in their own party. In either case, it’s wrong,” Layton said.

Andl said Wednesday that Bernardi has addressed the Democratic committee and apologized for her remarks. Because school board is a nonpartisan position, he said it would be inappropriate for the committee to weigh in on whether Bernardi should resign.

“Rosemary needs to make the best decision for the school district and her family,” Andl said, adding that Layton was trying to use the issue for political gain.

“Of course we condemn the inappropriate statements,” he said. “We also condemn this being used as a political football. Mr. Layton is just using this to try to distract from his party’s failed policies. … It’s an Evesham matter, and they’re trying to make it a county one.”

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From: Bergen Record — A measure that would rescind a three-month-old fare increase on NJ Transit’s Main, Bergen and Pascack Valley commuter rail lines was released Monday by an Assembly transportation committee.

Holly Schepisi

The bill, sponsored by Assembly Democrats Tim Eustace and Connie Wagner, and Republican Assemblywoman Holly Schepisi, targets the March 1 fare hike that some rail customers in the counties of Bergen and Passaic experienced after fares increased on Metro-North Railroad lines that travel through Bergen County.

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From: Insurance & Financial Advisor — Legislation introduced in the New Jersey General Assembly would require life insurance carriers to notify policyholders and insurance agents when a policy is ready to lapse due to non-payment.

Assembly bill A-3786 was approved by the Assembly Financial Institutions and Insurance Committee. It will go to the Assembly for a vote.

Jon Bramnick

The legislation is sponsored by Assemblymen Jon M. Bramnick (R-21), who is also Assembly Republican leader.

“Policyholders deserve a good-faith warning before their life insurance lapses, not after it’s too late to do anything about it,” said Bramnick. “Insurance companies can go the extra mile to make sure that their customers remain eligible for the coverage they have been investing in and counting on.”

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From: NJ Spotlight — (Assembly Republican Budget Officer Declan) O’Scanlon said the state has already taken “significant” steps to help municipalities, including recent pension and health benefit reforms and arbitration reform by cutting public worker pensions. When the state pays off its portion of the bill to bring the pension system back up to par, it will have that money to use to reduce property taxes. The state should try to cut spending further and use those funds to help pay for more local expenses. At the same time, it is important to make sure to continue to control costs. The league’s proposal, which he said would amount to a 40 percent income tax increase, would be difficult to sell.

Declan O'Scanlon

“That’s something that’s going to shock people,” he said. “That will detract from what needs to be a separate effort to take our growth revenues and make sure we don’t squander them. Even if you don’t get sweeping reform done, you are making progress.”

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From: Asbury Park Press — A longstanding and much-anticipated Rumson Country Day School tradition happens on the last day of every school year. Instead of casual dress, RCDS students come to school one last time in formal attire to attend the annual Class Day ceremony. Students are seated by class grade in the school gymnasium with eighth graders being in the first row, seventh graders in the second, all the way to the Beginners (Kindergarten) in the last row. After a formal acknowledgement of their hard work throughout the school year by Headmaster Small, the students each move up a row to signify their promotion to the next grade.

Mary Pat Angelini

This year, the very unique ceremony is made even more special by the visit of Assemblywoman Mary Pat Angelini, who accepted a check in the amount of $3,325 for NJ First Lady Mary Pat Christies Hurricane Sandy Relief Fund. The funds were raised in a student directed initiative – a special concert of live music was held on May 17, featuring local teen bands to raise money for the victims of Sandy. The concert took place at The Rumson Country Day School and included the following bands: Gone Under; The Stone Bullets and Ardvark Smile with a special guest appearance by Pat Guadagno.

The local benefit concert was the brainchild of RCDS seventh grader Max Kyrillos who was inspired by the 12-12-12 relief concert in New York City this past December. RCDS History and World Language teacher and community service director for the school remarked, The special initiative is an excellent example of how service can use ones passion as the springboard to creating a meaningful and successful project to benefit others. Max translated his love of music into a dynamic event that raised over $3,000!

After heartfelt thanks to the students, Assemblywoman Angelini praised the parents for instilling such a strong community spirit in their children. The Rumson Country Day School community is dedicated to working on a local and global level to make this a better world. Community service is a core component of the educational philosophy and RCDS teachers encourage students to embrace the opportunities that life presents and turning them into meaningful experiences.

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