Downey’s Inaction Puts Sick Kids At Risk Of Sexual Assault

Asemblywoman Joann Downey, the Chairwoman of the Human Services Committee, has buried a bill in her committee that would require psychiatric health care facilities to provide 24 hour per day monitoring of children under their supervision, according to a report on NJHerald.

The bill is being championed by a Hunterdon County mother whose 7 year old foster son was sexually abused by another patient while under the care of Newark Beth Israel’s psychiatric facility in 2015. It has been buried in Downey’s pile for 18 months.

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Woolley and Amoroso come out swinging in LD 11

Republican Assembly candidates condemn Murphy’s budget and tax hikes 

LD 11 Assembly Candidates Matt Woolley and Mike Amoroso

Matt Woolley and Mike Amoroso, the presumptive Republican nominees for Assembly in the 11th legislative district denounced Governor Murphy’s “reckless state budget proposal”in a statement released on Tuesday evening.

“Despite Governor Murphy’s characterization, there is nothing ‘responsible’ or ‘fair’ about his budget proposal. His irresponsible plan will continue to force residents to flee from New Jersey to low-cost states, amplifying the financial burden for those who remain and already struggle to live here,” said Woolley, 29, of Ocean Township. “$1.2 billion in new spending, in addition to last year’s $2.7 billion budget increase, only hurts the state’s middle class.”

“New Jersey taxpayers should be very worried today,” said Amoroso, 50, the President of the Freehold Township Board of Education. “Instead of adding more taxes on the backs of hardworking residents, our leadership in Trenton needs new, creative talent to finally work toward solving the current tax and spend frenzy.”

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Pearl Lee considering LD 11 Assembly bid

Pearl Lee

Pearl Lee, the Republican candidate for Red Bank Mayor last month, told MMM that she reached out to Monmouth Republican Chairman Shaun Golden to express her interest in challenging Democrat Assembly Members Eric Houghtailing and Joann Downey in the 11th legislative district next year.

Lee, 64, a retired small business owner, had never sought elected office before securing the Republican nomination for Red Bank Mayor last year as a write-in candidate in the June primary.  She sought the nomination after learning that  the local party failed to field a candidate to challenge Democrat Mayor Pat Menna.

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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 »

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Property tax relief bill passes N.J. Assembly committee

Assemblyman Jay Webber sponsored property tax relief legislation

TRENTON — A bill to restore hundreds of millions of dollars paid by utilities to local governments for property tax relief advanced through a state committee on Monday. The legislation, ( A302), would restore $331 million in cuts to energy tax receipts and Consolidated Municipal Property Tax Relief Aid over five years. But there’s a catch:… Read the rest of this entry »

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N.J. Assembly again fails to override Christie gun bill veto

TRENTON — For the second time this month, the state Assembly failed to corral enough votes to override Gov. Chris Christie’s veto of a bill that would involve police in deciding whether a person with a documented mental illness can get a gun permit. The Assembly voted 51-17 with nine abstentions, which count as no votes.… Read the rest of this entry »

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N.J. lawmakers takes action on surprise out-of-network medical costs

TRENTON — A state Assembly committee Monday approved legislation that would prevent consumers from getting surprise out-of-network medical bills that can saddle them with huge bills. The measure would require hospitals and doctors to disclose whether they are part of a person’s insurance network before treatment occurs. The bill was praised by consumer advocates and picked… Read the rest of this entry »

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N.J. lawmakers drafting Uber and ride sharing regulations, as incidents reported nationally

As incidents of Uber-related attacks are being reported from Massachusetts to India, New Jersey lawmakers are in the process of drafting legislation to regulate the relatively-new ride-share companies. But now there is a new urgency. “This is really becoming a huge public safety issue,” said Jeff Shanker, of the Limousine Associations of New Jersey, a lobbying… Read the rest of this entry »

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Dog Groomer and Unknown Attorney Will Challenge Handlin and O’Scanlon in LD 13

Matthew Morehead, Dog Groomer and candidate for Assembly. facebook photo

Matthew Morehead, owner of Sudzy Puppy Dog Grooming, Middletown, and Allison Friedman an attorney from Aberdeen(according to the Truth, Justice and American Way all at once blog) will be nominated by the Monmouth Democrats for Assembly in the 13th legislative district this morning in Asbury Park.  Assuming they are unchallenged in the June 4 primary, they will likely face incumbent Republicans Amy Handlin and Declan O’Scanlon in November.

Morehead is a long term Middletown and Monmouth County Democratic activist. He was passed over by the party in his previous bids to run for Assembly.

Friedman is unknown. The State Judicary’s website has no record of an Allison Friedman licensed to practice law in New Jersey.

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Assembly Urges USDA To Curb Stink Bugs

The New Jersey State Assembly passed a resolution yesterday, 76-3, urging the United States Department of Agriculture and any other relevant federal agencies to fund efforts to reduce or eliminate the brown marmoated stink bug population.

Assembly Minority Leader Alex DeCroce, Assemblyman Jay Webber, the former NJ GOP chairman, and newly sworn in Assemblyman Jack Ciatrelli, all Republicans, were the three legislators voting no.

Tom Weisert, Webber’s spokesman, said that the Assemblyman usually votes against these non-binding resolutions that tell other jurisdictions how they should spend taxpayers’ money.  “It’s not that Jay favors stink bugs,” said Weisert, “besides, there are a lot more important issues that the Assembly should be addressing.”

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