New Jersey Assembly Republicans

Shore Assemblywoman Amy Handlin (R-13) is joining residents of the Port Monmouth section of Middletown in a petition drive to get the Army Corps of Engineers to deliver on infrastructure changes that were promised a decade ago.

Handlin says the small community is prone to flooding, and didn’t just suffer after Hurricane Sandy, but also faced flooding from past storms and nor’easters. The assemblywoman will be at the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post at 2179 Veterans Lane (off Route 36, between Church Street and Wilson Avenue) on Thursday at 7:30 pm.

She says the residents have been overlooked for too long as their spot on the Army Corp’s “to-do” list kept being moved down.

Amy Handlin

“Here we are, more than ten years later and nothing has been done, not a shovel has gone into the ground. After their experience with Hurricane Sandy the residents were simply no longer willing to be patient.”

The Assemblywoman is specifically targeting Congressman Frank Pallone in the petition, claiming that securing the project’s completion is his responsibility as the representative for the area. Something Handlin says Pallone failed to do.

“He’s been there for many years and is very much aware of the severity of the problem.”

From: WOBM

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Chris A. Brown

State Assemblyman Chris Brown, R-Atlantic, said while it’s clear that Atlantic City International isn’t meeting its full potential, he wouldn’t want to see the airport become a “stepchild” of the Port Authority, referencing the passenger declines seen at Stewart following the authority’s involvement.

“I find it a great sign that Air Canada is showing interest in ACY,” Brown said. “I have faith that Gov. Christie wants Atlantic City to succeed, and the promotion of ACY is part of that effort.”

Brown noted that he had not yet seen a copy of the Port Authority’s $3 million feasibility study that jumpstarted takeover discussions six months ago. The Port Authority did not release a copy of that study on Wednesday.

From: The Press of Atlantic City

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A New Jersey lawmaker is drafting legislation to establish a statute of limitations for minor motor vehicle offenses.

Ron Dancer

Assemblyman Ronald S. Dancer said he was inspired by the case of Mike Hammerstone, a Cream Ridge man who was recently notified by Sayreville that a warrant had been issued for his arrest for an outstanding ticket issued in July 1973. His offense: driving with an overdue inspection sticker.

“A minor motor vehicle offense should not outlast the life of a car four times over,” Dancer said in a statement.

From: Philadelphia Inquirer

More coverage in Bob Ingle’s Politics Patrol and the Lakewood Scoop.

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Assemblyman Jack Ciattarelli, R-16^th Dist., is to be a featured speaker at the third-annual municipal consolidation seminar, sponsored by Courage to Connect New Jersey, the non-profit, non-partisan statewide organization that highlights how merging towns into town clusters improves efficiency and savings.

The event, scheduled for June 5, will take place at Princeton University, at the heart of two communities that successfully consolidated on Jan. 1. The event is from 8 a.m. to noon at Princeton University’s Robertson Hall, Prospect Avenue at Washington Road.

Ciattarelli, Hillsborough resident, will be participating in a bi-partisan panel discussion titled “Elected Officials Discuss their Experiences with Consolidation.” The assemblyman will join State Sen. Robert Gordon, Hunterdon County Freeholder Rob Walton and Loch Arbour Mayor Paul Fernicola.

Jack Ciattarelli

“Sharing my thoughts about the benefits of consolidating government is something I look forward to with great anticipation,” Ciattarelli said. “There is no doubt that consolidating government translates into greater efficiencies and savings for taxpayers. I am pleased that Courage to Connect New Jersey remains focused on this important issue, and hosts this annual event to keep consolidation a key discussion point at the local level and in Trenton.”

From: Patch

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A bill aimed at streamlining special education programs in New Jersey’s public schools was signed by Governor Chris Christie this week.

The bill, A1365, creates the Task Force on Improving Special Education for Public School Students, comprised of 16 gubernatorial appointments and the state Education Commissioner. The 16 would include parents, teachers, administrators and advocates involved in the special education community, according to the bill.

Dave Rible

The bill was sponsored by Assemblyman Dave Rible, R-Monmouth and Ocean, and cleared both houses of the state legislature by unanimous votesearlier this year. Rible, a Wall Township resident, lauded the passage in a release.“This is a victory for the hundreds of parents I’ve met while visiting schools and special education programs who feel that their kids are falling through the cracks,” Rible said in the release. “We can’t walk away from these families and this task force will examine everything to make special education more efficient and effective in a meaningful reform of our system that will benefit our special needs children.”

From: Patch

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Sean Kean

The bi-partisan measure is co-sponsored by Assembly Democrats Charles Mainor, Benjie Wimberly and Angelica Jimenez and Republican Sean Kean.

Under current law, a court may award four types of alimony: permanent, limited duration, rehabilitative and reimbursement. These types of alimony are designed to address different types of considerations that arise during the dissolution of a marriage or civil union. There are no guidelines in the law concerning the duration or amount of an alimony award.

The bill would eliminate permanent alimony awards and establish guidelines for the term of limited duration alimony based on the length of the marriage. The guidelines are as follows:

The bill would also provide that the amount of a limited duration alimony award should generally not exceed the recipient’s need or 30 to 35 percent of the difference between the parties’ gross incomes. A court would be permitted to deviate from this guideline upon a written finding that deviation is necessary. Additionally, the court would be permitted to attribute income to either party when it finds that said party is voluntarily underemployed or unemployed.

The bill is modeled after the Massachusetts “Alimony Reform Law of 2011,” and would take effect on October 1, 2013. It has been introduced to the Assembly Judiciary Committee.

From: NJ 101.5 FM

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The definition of child abuse would expand to include a child subject to prenatal exposure to a controlled, dangerous substance under a new bill introduced by Assemblyman Declan O’Scanlon.

Declan O'Scanlon

“The genesis of this bill was a recent New Jersey Supreme Court ruling that an abuse and neglect finding can’t be sustained in the case of a pregnant woman who used drugs and then gave birth to a child who later tested positive for cocaine,” explains O’Scanlon. “This struck me as egregious. The Supreme Court may be interpreting the current statute correctly, but that just means we need to change the law.”

The ruling also stated that the mother in question had tested positive for marijuana in her fifth month of pregnancy, although she denied ever using drugs. The New Jersey Supreme Court held that the ‘language of the abuse and neglect statute reveals that it applies to a child and not a fetus.’

“It’s a legal paradox that needs to be corrected. Would-be mothers should be held accountable for their actions while pregnant,” insists O’Scanlon.

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A New Jersey lawmaker is pushing a plan to create a statute of limitations for minor motor vehicle violations.

Ron Dancer

Assemblyman Ronald Dancer says such legislation is necessary after one of his constituents received a warrant for his arrest in the mail for an unpaid overdue inspection sticker that was originally issued 40 years ago.

“You cannot make this stuff up – this is a government money grab that only could happen in New Jersey,” Dancer says. “This is an unwarranted, unreasonable money grab. It’s gotta stop.”

Dancer points out there’s a statute of limitations for disorderly persons – that’s 1 year, felonies are 5 years, and official misconduct has a 7 year statute of limitations.

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Others who testified didn’t make specific financial requests. Janna Chernetz, New Jersey advocate for the nonprofit Tri-State Transportation Campaign, expressed concern that the state had no sustainable funding source for transportation projects and said new revenue options needed to be considered, including the gas tax.

Chris Brown

The discussion sparked an argument between several Democrats on the committee, including Assemblymen Vincent Prieto (D., Hudson) and Gary Schaer (D., Passaic), and Christopher J. Brown (R., Burlington).

“It makes perfect sense to borrow and bond for a long-term capital improvement,” Brown said, questioning the rationale for raising taxes.

From: Philadelphia Inquirer

Not everyone who testified had a complaint. Business leaders praised the budget for holding the line on taxes and spending.

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Republican lawmakers in New Jersey are calling on Jersey Central Power & Light to schedule additional public hearings on a proposed 4.5 percent rate hike for customers in their 16th Legislative District, which includes parts of Hunterdon County.

The call for additional public hearings follows an Express-Times report last week that of six public hearings scheduled in three different locations next month, none will be held in Hunterdon or Warren counties.

Jack Ciattarelli

The concerns of ratepayers in District 16 counties are equally as important as the concerns of residents in other counties,” said Assemblyman Jack Ciattarelli. “Everyone who will be affected by this proposed rate increase should have an equally convenient opportunity to put their comments and concerns on the record.”

Donna Simon

The company’s responses to recent storms are precisely why it should go above and beyond to make sure all customers are heard, Assemblywoman Donna Simon said.

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