The governor's office just released video and transcript of the signing ceremony this week of the hotly debated property tax cap. Notably absent, as she was during the agreement announcement headlined by Sen. Steve Sweeney and the governor, was Assembly Speaker Sheila Oliver. John McKeon stood in representing the Assembly. Here's the video. Transcript is after the jump.
It's bad policy to use the economic circumstances we're in as an excuse to throw out our environmental protections," said Democratic Assemblyman John McKeon, chairman of the Assembly Environment and Solid Waste Committee. "I'm not going to stand for it if that's where the new administration is headed."
Let's hope McKeon can convince his Senate colleagues on the Judiciary Committee to probe these issues during confirmation hearing of DEP Commissioner nominee Bob Martin.
Assemblyman John McKeon, D-Essex, has proposed legislation that would effectively take away Gov. Chris Christie's ability to pick a new U.S. senator of his choosing, should, for instance, Sen. Frank Lautenberg not complete his term.
Lautenberg will turn 86 four days after Christie's Jan. 19th inaugural, and that has raised concerns among some Democrats that he might have to step down for health reasons, or even pass away, while Republicans are holding the keys to Drumthwacket. That would give Christie the ability to appoint a U.S. senator on a temporary basis, altering the balance in Washington in the short-term and giving that appointed senator an incumbent's edge in a campaign.
A synopsis of McKeon's bill (A4271) says the appointee would have to be of the same political party as the person who vacates the office. The full text of the bill does not yet exist, and the legislation is apparently still in flux. It's not clear if a governor would have to pick a candidate off a list provided by a state political party or if a governor would have wider latitude in picking a replacement.
Here is the synopsis of McKeon's bill according to the Legislature's website:
Requires Governor to make temporary appointment when vacancy occurs in U.S. Senate; provides appointee must be of same political party as person who vacates office.
There are some people who feel a change like this should have been made long before it came to this point. Jeff Gardner expressed that sentiment when we discussed this issue on Blue Jersey radio recently. Then there is another camp that views a bill of this matter as an afront to the sitting US Senator. The timing of the bill leads people to believe this is less about the merits of a change and more about maintaining control of a seat. I haven't seen anything about a Senate counterpart to McKeon's bill being introduced yet, but we'll watch out for that. Where do you come down on this change?
Updated by Jason: I'm told the full text of the Assembly bill appear after it is introduced next Thursday.
Steve Lonegan's group has put together an ad urging people to vote no on 1, the open space public question. He decided the best way to convey his message, was to use a park and water as a backdrop with children as props:This is what he recently said about his effort:
Conservative activist Steve Lonegan said Tuesday he hopes to raise $200,000 and run radio and television ads opposing a statewide referendum to borrow $400 million for open space.
He said he wants to tap into the outrage he said was shown in tea party protests against federal healthcare and cap-and-trade legislation.
The paper looked into how the committee is run and had questions:
While Lonegan told reporters the committee was "all me," state documents filed Sept. 22 say the committee's top members are top officials with Americans for Prosperity, a libertarian-leaning group based in Washington, D.C.
Lonegan is AFP's New Jersey director. His name does not appear on any committee filings.
In filings with the state Election Law Enforcement Commission, the "Committee to Defeat Question One" lists the Bogota, Bergen County, address and phone number used by AFP's state branch. Its chairman is AFP's Executive Vice President and General Counsel John Flynn and its treasurer is AFP's Chief Financial Officer Steve Mullins. It also names Jonathan Martin, AFP's senior finance manager.
Lonegan said later "I run the operation." Asked about the out-of-state connections, he said, "That's just the way we set it up."
The event is being organized by the NJ Keep it Green Coalition, made up of 135 organizations from across the state that are working to renew the Garden State Preservation Trust and to provide for clean water, open spaces, farmland preservation and historic preservation. They are supported by a bipartisan group of legislators and local officials.
Governor Corzine supports the Open Space question, while his opponents Chris Christie and Chris Daggett oppose the measure. Polls thus far have shown support for the Open Space measure.
The AC Press says that this year, the governor signed laws to allow civil unions for gay couples, provide millions for stem-cell research centers and approve the state's first pilot needle-exchange program, but that Property Taxes keep Corzine from success in his first year. Do you agree?
Have a good safe night tonight and we'll see you next year. It's a big year in New Jersey and we will need your help to keep making the changes we all desire. Let me be the 1st to wish you a Happy New Year.
There is only one sponsor of the Civil Unions bill in the Assembly: Wilfredo Caraballo, who in the past has been a staunch advocate of marriage.
Meanwhile, the Civil Marriage bill has six sponsors and may have more by Thursday: Reed Gusciora, Mims Hackett, Valerie Vainieri Huttle, William D. Payne, Brian Stack, and John McKeon.
In the Senate, Civil Unions has a ringing endorsement with two sponsors: President Dick Codey and Loretta Weinberg, who was for marriage before she was against it.
The Civil Marriage bill doesn't have a sponsor in the Senate yet, but it is telling that the Democratic leadership with all their arm-twisting can only find 2 non-ledership sponsors for civil unions.
Civil unions in New Jersey is a sinking ship that hasn't even left port. A recent editorial expressed dismay that everyone testifying at the committee hearings were against civil unions. It said they "represented te extremes of opinion," and, "Missing was the majority in the middle."
Wrong. The families this bill affects are not extremists, and if the so-called majority in the middle had to hear their testimony, they'd stand with them, too.
Our state legislators have heard their stories, and they know how wrong and ineffective this bill is. No wonder they don't want any more to do with it than vote on the floor and move on. Civil unions aren't a quick fix to the NJ Supreme Court's decision; it's an embarassment to everyone who puts their name on it.
One has to admire the beauty displayed in the spectacular panorama that is our Garden State. Areas of rolling hills, rich farmlands, and diverse wild habitats offer beauty and relief to the fast-paced lifestyles common to the residents of our state. Whether you enjoy camping in the serenity of Stokes State Forest, surfing and kayaking at Island Beach State Park, or exploring the natural and cultural resources of the Pinelands; New Jersey’s parks, beaches, historic sites and recreation facilities offer a multitude of options for leisure and activity alike. Our state park system supports year-round interpretive centers and educational programming including historic reenactments, nature hikes and tours, while providing a safe haven for threatened and endangered species, protecting safe water supplies, and promoting improved air quality. From the average resident to the avid nature enthusiast, we can all agree on the benefits that are inherent in these precious natural resources.
As the state faces difficult financial times; however, a crisis has been allowed to quietly build in the New Jersey parks system. Lacking a stable source of funding has brought about certain unfortunate results: repair projects have been deferred, a steady decline in services and maintenance has become common, and park hours have been cut. Recent estimates from the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) indicate that we need $250 million just to catch up with maintenance and repairs. Governor Jon Corzine, recognizing the great need that existed, proposed that $40 million be allocated in the FY 2007 Budget for this purpose. After budget negotiations and due in part to the looming deficit, it became apparent that the final allocation would be drastically reduced from that figure. A different approach would have to be found.
In 1995 voters approved a constitutional amendment dedicating 4% of Corporation Business Tax (CBT) revenues for important environmental purposes. Some of these included the funding of hazardous discharge remediation; the availability of state grants for the closure, upgrading, and replacement of underground storage tanks; and provision for watershed based resource planning and management. In 2005 the voters approved a reorganizing of this dedication which would include the usage of these funds for state grants to offset the costs of diesel air pollution retrofit equipment. This equipment is vital in controlling the particular matter released from diesel engines, thereby reducing the emission of cancer causing particles into our air supply. Having achieved this result, the task of identifying a source of funding to address the growing backlog of park repairs became a top priority at the beginning of the current Legislative Session.
We came to the determination that a legislative change within the CBT environmental allocation could enhance the flexibility of these funds for new projects without compromising the existing priorities. Along with Senator Kenny, I introduced legislation which would pose a referendum question in November’s ballot asking voters to approve such a change. Under the proposed amendment, the system would receive $15 million each year through 2015 for improved upkeep and $32 million each year beginning in 2016 for the continued maintenance and development of our state and local parks. These expenditures do not present an additional cost to taxpayers because we would simply be shifting existing revenues. The measure unanimously passed both houses of the Legislature this past July and awaits approval by the electorate on this November’s ballot.
Over the past 20 years, the population of New Jersey has grown to more than 9 million residents. Combined with the critical component of tourism, our states third largest industry, this growth places additional burdens on our precious landscapes and waterways. From the environmental factors to the economic; from the cultural implications to the recreational; from the historical results to the aesthetic; the future of the parks system now rests in our hands. New Jersey’s state parks are a shadow of what they once were and a commitment to revitalization through stewardship and enhancement is desperately needed. Together we can ensure that from High Point to Cape May Lighthouse, the right of all New Jerseyans to a preserved and protected parks system will be assured. To this end, I ask you to join me in voting “Yes” to the parks funding referendum question on Tuesday, November 7th.
We're excited to present the second "Under the Dome" podcast from Assemblyman Reed Gusciora (click for all past segments). In this segment, Reed interviewed Senator Loretta Weinberg and Assemblyman John McKeon. Reed will attempt to interview all caucus members, so keep checking back for updates. Click below to listen, and don't forget to subscribe to the Blue Jersey podcast to automatically get these podcasts in iTunes as we release them.
