TRENTON – A measure sponsored by Senators Fred H. Madden and Steve Sweeney, which would provide workers’ compensation benefits to surviving spouses of police officers and firefighters who have died in the line of duty was approved today by the full Senate.

            “When a public safety official gives his or her life in the line of duty, their loved ones are left behind to pick up the pieces,” said Senator Madden, D-Camden and Gloucester.  “In situations like this, the families also become victims, because they are left with the unexpected responsibility of having to make ends meet.  The benefits that would be afforded through this bill would allow spouses to move on financially – we owe this to them.”

            “The goal of this bill is to allow the spouses of police officers and firefighters who have paid the ultimate price protecting our safety, to continue to receive the benefits to which they are entitled,” said Senator Sweeney, D-Gloucester, Cumberland and Salem.  “I certainly don’t think it’s too much to ask, and we owe these benefits to these families.”

TRENTON – State Senate Majority Leader Steve Sweeney today released the following statement thanking the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), the trade association for the firearms industry, for bringing a major campaign to the Garden State, designed to warn residents of the dangers and severe penalties of illegal straw purchasing.

            The campaign, called “Don’t Lie for the Other Guy,” is a cooperative effort between members of the firearms industry through NSSF, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF), designed to deter straw gun purchases, or purchasing a firearm for someone who is not legally allowed to buy one.

            “I am thankful for the initiative taken by the National Shooting Sports Foundation to educate residents and others who might seek to bring straw purchased firearms from other areas of the nation into our cities and towns,” said Senator Sweeney, D-Gloucester, Cumberland and Salem.  “This program can make a real difference in our efforts to make New Jersey a safer state.”

New Jersey Senate Democratic Photo

Senate President Richard Codey administers the oath of office to State Sen. Sandra Bolden Cunningham (D-Jersey City) in 2007. Cunningham could wind up as Senate Labor Committee Chairman, if Codey picks Paul Sarlo (D-Wood-Ridge) to head the Judiciary Committee

If Paul Sarlo becomes the new Senate Judiciary Chairman when John Adler leaves for Washington in January, Senate President Richard Codey will need to name a new Chairman of the Senate Labor Committee.  The two other Democrats on the panel now are Frederick Madden and Sandra Cunningham.  Statehouse watchers say that one could be a no-brainer: Codey will pick Cunningham, his ally, and not Madden, who is aligned with Codey's rival, South Jersey Democratic Chairman George Norcross.  

Madden, elected in 2003, is the most senior Senate Democrat without a committee chairmanship, followed by Loretta Weinberg, who entered the Senate in 2005. 

TRENTON – A measure sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Steve Sweeney and Senator Thomas Kean H. Kean, Jr., which would prevent worker and employer contribution funds like the Unemployment, Temporary Disability Insurance, and Paid Family Leave funds from being “raided,” and used for other purposes like balancing the State budget was unanimously approved today by the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee.

            “Voters deserve the chance to weigh in and decide whether or not they want to protect these funds that employees work so hard to secure,” said Senator Sweeney, D-Gloucester, Cumberland and Salem.  “As a member of the Budget and Appropriations panel, I understand the hard decisions that go into crafting the State budget; however, we cannot allow our finances to be balanced on the backs of hard-working men and women who might have a legitimate need for a safety net due to unemployment, injury or family emergency.  In essence, the bill would put these employee and employer contributions in a constitutional lock-box, only to be opened when needed by the workers who have been paying into it each month.”

PREVIEW - SENATE COMMITTEES TO FOCUS ON PRO-BUSINESS, PRO-WORKER BILLS MONDAY

TRENTON – On Monday, Senate Committees will meet to consider measures which will improve the economic climate of New Jersey for businesses and guarantee that State workers’ benefits contributions cannot be diverted to other purposes.

Is Jon Corzine following the Barack Obama model and auditioning candidates for Lieutenant Governor by taking a road trip?  The Governor, who says he’ll seek re-election next year, is leaving today for Fort Bliss in Texas, where he’ll lead a bi-partisan delegation to visit with New Jersey National Guard troops.  Four of the five Democrats joining him have been mentioned as possible candidates for Lt. Governor: Newark Mayor Cory Booker, Senate Majority Leader Steve Sweeney, Assembly Majority Leader Bonnie Watson Coleman, and State Sen. Teresa Ruiz.   

There’s even a Chuck Hagel-type on the trip: former Republican Congressman Bob Franks, who nearly beat Corzine in the 2000 U.S. Senate race but has now become a close friend and sometime policy advisor.

TRENTON – Senate Majority Leader Steve Sweeney, D-Gloucester, Cumberland and Salem released the following statement today, regarding the passage (31-8) of the “Public Employee Pension and Benefits Reform Act of 2008.” The Act is aimed at reforming the State’s pension system:

            “Today is a great day for New Jersey’s workers. The passage of these bills shows that protecting the benefits of the State’s workforce is an issue of importance on both sides of the aisle. I’d like to thank the leadership, Senator Barbara Buono, Senators Kean and O’Toole, and my colleagues, both Democrat and Republican, for their help in crafting this legislation.

SENATE APPROVES SWEENEY-SARLO BILL TO LOWER UNEMPLOYMENT TAX PAYMENTS

TRENTON – The Senate today approved a measure by a 39-0 vote to significantly reduce required payments by employers into the Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund if its reserves reach sufficient levels to trigger payment reductions of up to 50 percent.

The Senate approved the bill, S-562, sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Stephen M. Sweeney and Senator Paul A. Sarlo, and sent it to the Assembly for consideration.

“We’re saying if the UI Fund hits a reserve ratio of 5 percent, the employer contributions should be reduced by 25 percent,” said Senator Sweeney, D-Gloucester, Salem and Cumberland. “Then, if the reserve ratio rises to 7.5 percent, the employer payments should drop by 50 percent.”

SMITH-SWEENEY BILL TO EXEMPT ENERGY SAVINGS FROM PROPERTY TAX ADVANCES

TRENTON – A bill sponsored by Senate Environment Committee Chair Bob Smith and Senate Majority Leader Steve Sweeney which would allow taxpayers to apply for a property tax exemption for energy cost saving measures was unanimously approved by the Senate Community and Urban Affairs Committee today.

“New Jersey has a strong track record of promoting and incentivizing green technology,” said Senator Smith, D-Middlesex and Somerset. “This bill is another step in that direction, offering tax breaks for property owners seeking to minimize their carbon footprint and reliance on natural resources. We need to continue to encourage environmental conscience and ensure that environmentally-sound improvements aren’t cost-prohibitive for property owners.”

TRENTON – Landmark legislation sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Steve Sweeney and Senator Barbara Buono, which will make New Jersey the second state in the nation (after California) to provide paid family leave benefits for workers caring for sick family members or newborn or newly adopted children was signed into law today, at a ceremony at the State House. 

            “The signing of this bill ushers in a new day for New Jersey’s workforce, in that it gives hard-working parents and caregivers the time they need to take care of the family members who rely on them the most,” said Senator Sweeney, D-Gloucester, Cumberland and Salem.  “By now, you all know of my strong conviction for this legislation, because I was in a similar situation when my 14 year-old daughter, Lauren was born.  My employer was understanding, and allowed me to take the time I needed.  Had my employment situation been different, I could have had a difficult time balancing spending the 75 days at the hospital with my newborn daughter, or going to work to provide for my wife and young son.  This new law is aimed at helping workers whose employers won’t allow them to take this necessary leave time.”