O’Scanlon Implores Assembly Speaker To Put Salary Arbitration Cap To A Vote

Senator-elect Declan O’Scanlon

Declan O’Scanlon, the Assembly Republican Budget Officer and the Senator-elect from the 13th Legislative District, today urged Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto to allow the New Jersey General Assembly to vote on permanently extending the interest arbitration cap for public worker salaries.

O’Scanlon sent Prieto the following letter:

Read the rest of this entry »

• Tweet

Aberdeen Mayor Supports O’Scanlon’s Efforts To Limit Property Tax Hikes

Aberdeen Mayor Fred Tagliarini

We haven’t heard from Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop since Assemblyman Declan O’Scanlon challenged him to pressure Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto to put the extension of the 2% limit on arbitration awards for police and firefighter salary contracts up for a vote. But Aberdeen Mayor Fred Tagliarini, a Democrat, called to say that he supports O’Scanlon’s effort.

“The 2% arbitration cap is a very powerful tool in stabilizing property taxes,” Tagliarini said in a phone interview with MMM. “I don’t know any mayor, Democrat or Republican, who wants it to expire.  The cap should be extended before it expires in December.” Read the rest of this entry »

• Tweet

O’Scanlon challenges Jersey City Mayor Fulop to pressure Speaker Prieto to extend Arbitration Cap

Jersey City Police Officers were awarded a 2% pay increase by a state appointed arbitrator this week.

Assemblyman Declan O’Scanlon

Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop, not the Democrat nominee for Governor, declared that the best interests of his city’s residents and taxpayers prevailed, according to Hudson County View. 

The arbitrator’s decision will enable Mayor Fulop and the city council to keep their budget within the two-percent levy cap and hold the line on property taxes from substantially increasing.

“This is not a day where we say that we won, but rather that the best interest of the city, its residents and the taxpayers prevailed,” Fulop said in a statement reported by HCV.

“We have negotiated successfully with six of the city’s other unions to adopt measures that correct many of the outdated contract provisions and worked productively with the unions for the benefit of their members and the public. Unfortunately, the POBA chose a different route and an independent arbitrator was required.”

Assemblyman Declan O’Scanlon (R-Monmouth) today called on Fulop to join him in challenging Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto to put legislation making the cap permanent up for vote in the Assembly. Read the rest of this entry »

• Tweet

Thomson Sworn In As Assemblyman

Ned Thomson was took the Oath of Office and officially became a member of the New Jersey General Assembly yesterday during a ceremony at the State House in Trenton.

Speaker Vincent Prieto administered the Oath to the former Wall Township mayor as his wife Sandi held the bible.  The Thomson’s son Christian, daughter-in-law Kimbery and grandchildren Bella and Marcelo participated in the ceremony as witnesses along with Assembly Republican Leader Jon Bramnick.

Read the rest of this entry »

• Tweet

NJ Shutdown Is Over

Governor Christie signs the budget. Photo by Tim Larsen

Both houses of the New Jersey Legislature passed a budget last night which Governor Chris Christie signed, ending the three day shutdown of non-essential government services.

New Jersey state parks and beaches will be open today, the 4th of July.  Courts, MVC offices and all other state operations will return to their normal operating hours tomorrow.

At at 10pm press conference announcing a deal on legislation to change the State’s oversight of Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield, Senate President Sweeney and Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto said that would ask Christie to support their desire to pay state employees for their forced day off on July 3.

Read the rest of this entry »

• Tweet

Guadagno to Christie: Get the hell off the beach, end the shutdown

Kim Guadagno meets with busnesses owners at Bum Rogers Tavern, which is at the entrance to Island Beach State Park

Lt. Governor Kim Guadagno, the GOP nominee to be the next summer tenant at Island Beach State Park, met with business owners impacted by the New Jersey government shutdown today blasting Governor Chris Christie, Senate President Steve Sweeney and Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto.

“If I were governor, I sure wouldn’t be sitting on the beach if taxpayers didn’t have access to state beaches. It’s beyond words,” Guadagno said on facebook and twitter.

Read the rest of this entry »

• Tweet

Guadagno offers shutdown compromise

Lt Governor Kim Guadagno. Photo credit: Tim Larsen/Governor’s office

Lt. Governor Kim Guadagno today called on Governor Chris Christie, Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto and Senate President Steve Sweeney to set aside the Horizon bill that is causing the deadlock in Trenton and instead take up a bill sponsored by Assembly Members Declan O’Scanlon and Nancy Muñoz that freezes existing government employee unused sick time payouts at the amounts already accumulated while eliminatinating the practice of lump sum payouts for unused sick time for new employees.

Read the rest of this entry »

• Tweet

Legislature won’t pass budget Thursday as Assembly speaker digs in

TRENTON — The state Legislature won’t pass a budget on Thursday as talks over key components of a deal remain deadlocked. That brings New Jersey right up against the midnight Friday deadline for a state budget. Without a spending plan, Gov. Chris Christie has the option to shut down state government. More than half of the… Read the rest of this entry »

• Tweet

Sen Beck: Public Massively Opposes New Gas Tax

Senator Jennifer Beck renewed her opposition to a $.23 per gallon hike on the New Jersey gas tax and said that the deal struck between Governor Chris Christie, Senate President Steve Sweeney and Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto is a recycled version of previous legislation that thousands of New Jersey drivers rallied against.

“Residents, drivers and commuters rallied against this $2 billion gas tax plan the first time it was proposed in June,” said Beck. “Offering a recycled plan that tinkers around the edges doesn’t change the fact that the public massively opposes a 23 cent per gallon gas tax hike. I will continue to stand up and fight for the vast majority of the people of New Jersey who oppose this tax increase.”

Read the rest of this entry »

• Tweet

Christie makes Gas Tax increase deal with Sweeney and Prieto

file photo

Governor Chris Christie, Senate President Sweeney and Assembly Speaker Prieto announced a deal to replenish the Transportation Trust Fund with a $.23 per gallon gas tax increase this afternoon in Trenton.

In a press release from his office, Christie touted off setting tax decreases in the deal–“tax fairness”– which he said will more than compensate for the gas tax increase.

Read the rest of this entry »

• Tweet