Beck and Kyrillos Oppose Giant Power Lines

Senators Joe Kyrillos and Jennifer Beck announced this morning that they have introduced three resolutions in State Senate in opposition to the JCP&L project known as the Monmouth Reliability Project.

The project would drive a 230-kV transmission line on 140-foot-tall monopole towers on a nearly 10-mile path from Aberdeen to Red Bank, cutting through Hazlet, Holmdel, Middletown and across the Navesink River with sight exposure to Fair Haven and Rumson.

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With transportation funding negotiations deadlocked, County has plan to restart Shark River dredging

Freeholder Director Tom Arnone said he will announce a plan to restart the Shark River dredging project Wednesday morning at the Shark River Marina in Neptune Township.

The project, which had restarted on schedule on July 1 was halted at midnight on July 8 when Governor Christie’s executive order halting projects funded by the Transportation Trust Fund took effect.

The legislature failed to pass TTF funding with a $.23 per gallon gas tax on June 30th. The Senate’s plan was to increase the gas tax while phasing out the estate tax and reducing income taxes on retirees.  Christie and the Assembly agreed on a bill that would have raised the gas tax and reduced the sales tax from 7% to 6%.  Senate President Steve Sweeny and Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto agreed to pass a revised version of the Senate’s original bill last week.  Yesterday, Christie said the Democrats plan is “dead on arrival.”

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Christie says Sweeney and Prieto have not shared their gas tax plan with him

MMM file photo

Brian T. Murray, Governor Chris Christie’s spokesman, told MMM in an email that Christie has not seen the Transportation Trust Fund legislation that Senate President Steve Sweeney and Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto announced today.

New Jersey’s infrastructure construction projects have been shut down since July 8 when the TFF was down to a $10 million balance which being held for emergency projects.

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Beck Opposes Sweeney/Prieto Gas Tax Plan

Senator Jennifer Beck (R-Monmouth), the leading opponent of a gas tax increase in the legislature, announced her opposition to the compromise legislation out forth by Senate President Sweeney and Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto.  Beck says the Sweeney/Prieto plan is just as bad for taxpayers as the Senate plan that failed last month.

“The tax plan announced by Democrats today would still raise the gas tax by 23 cents per gallon, just as the last failed plan would have,” said Beck. “The cosmetic changes that the Senate President and Assembly Speaker have agreed to are just window dressing on the core $1.2 billion tax increase on drivers that remains largely unchanged from the previous version of the legislation.”

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Kyrillos, Beck On Opposite Side Of Gas Tax Debate

Senator Joe Kyrillos yesterday endorsed a $.23 per gallon increase in the New Jersey’s tax on gasoline in order to fund the Transportation Trust Fund for the next 10 years.  Proponents of the tax increase say the fund will only have money for debt service starting at the end of this month, if the state tax on gasoline remains at its current level of $.14 per gallon.

“In total, it is a productivity, prosperity and quality of life package for New Jersey, and very, very significant,” Kyrillos (R-Monmouth) said at a Statehouse news conference, according to NJ.com.

The gas tax increase legislation also reduces the estate tax and taxes on retirement income.

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Sen. Beck Backs New Plan to Triple Estate-Tax Threshold to $2.5 Million

A key Republican lawmaker has broken ranks with Gov. Chris Christie on repealing New Jersey’s estate tax, offering a compromise proposal that would keep the tax in place but significantly reduce how many people are hit by it. The new idea being floated by Sen. Jennifer Beck (R-Monmouth) comes… Read the rest of this entry »

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Christie Says He Will Finish His Term And Enter The Private Sector

Senator Jennifer Beck says she’s pleased with the Governor’s Committment

file photo. Governor Chris Christie and Sen Jennifer Beck , along with Congressman Chris Smith and former Assemblywoman Caroline Casagrande at the Ocean Grove boardwalk ribbon cutting in July, 2014

During a lengthy press conference wherein he answered all of the questions of reporters present, Governor Chris Christie said that he will serve the remainder of his term as governor and enter the private sector.  “There is nothing that can change that,” Christie said, ruling out a position in the next presidential administration.

“In between now and then, I will be working as hard as I can doing things right for the people of the State, the same way I have for the last six years,” said the governor.

Christie said that he is not a full time participant in the Trump for President campaign and that his travel out of state for Trump will be occasional.

The Governor’s statements satisfied Senator Jennifer Beck (R-Monmouth) who yesterday called for Christie to recommit to his job or to resign.

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Sen Jen Beck: Christie should lead or quit

photo via facebook

Senator Jennifer Beck (R-Red Bank) told the Asbury Park Press Editorial Board today that Governor Chris Christie needs to choose between campaigning actively for Donald Trump or leading the State of New Jersey.

“If he is going to go on the campaign trail with Donald Trump, he cannot continue to serve as our governor,” she said in an editorial board meeting Wednesday with the Asbury Park Press. “The governorship of the state of New Jersey is more than a full-time job.”

Beck noted the success Christie had during his first term while he was engaged and leading the the way in Trenton. “I think he can lead if he is here,” she said.

Assemblywomen Amy Handlin echoed Beck’s sentitment, according to APP.

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Sen Jennifer Beck calls for Tax Administrator’s Suspension

Senator Jennifer Beck

Senator Jennifer Beck today called for Monmouth County Tax Board Administrator Matthew Clark to step down or being suspended, pending the outcome of a reported Monmouth County Prosecutor’s investigation to his relationships with vendors of the the controversial Assessment Demonstration Program that creates new assessments of Monmouth County properties for property tax purposes annually.

“In light of the fact the Prosecutor has an active and ongoing investigation into the Tax Administrator, steps must be taken to suspend him from his day-to-day duties until the Prosecutor’s investigation is complete,” Beck said in a statement issued to the media.  “At present, our taxpayers have lost confidence in the Administrator and until he is either vindicated or indicted, Matthew Clark should step aside.”

The Asbury Park Press reported last week that grand jury subpoenas were served on at least three county towns as well as the Monmouth County government in connection with a criminal investigation to the program.

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Gopal vs Beck in 2017?

From PolitickerNJ:

Vin Gopal

Long hailed as one of the most talented up and comers in New Jersey politics, the Monmouth County Democratic Chairman from Long Branch appears poised to run against state Senator Jen Beck (D-11) in 2017. Beck will be a very tough out, but Gopal is a unique politician now emboldened by the loses last night of Beck’s running mates Assemblywoman Mary Pat Angelini and Assemblywoman Caroline Casagrande.

That would be a fun race to cover!

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