Republicans Offer Condolences To Victims In San Bernadio

On Thursday, one day after the mass shootings in Southern California that killed 14 people, New Jersey Assembly members from both sides of the political aisle invoked or at least referenced the tragedy as they debated an override attempt of Gov. Christie’s veto of a gun control bill that would make it more difficult for mentally ill people to buy a gun.

In the end, the override was postponed until mid-December because there weren’t enough Republicans votes for it to be successful.

Here are some of the comments made by lawmakers in the wake of the San Bernardino massacre:

“I thought very hard about what I wanted to do considering what is going on across the country and throughout the world.” Assemblywoman Betty Lou DeCroce (R-Parsippany) who voted against the override.

“Let me begin by acknowledging what Assemblyman Gusciora spoke about. He raised the tragedy from San Bernardino yesterday and the fact is we don’t know yet if the two individuals involved in it had any mental health issues.” – Assemblyman Scott Rumana (R-Wayne) who voted against the override.

“I do think and I’d ask the Speaker if he could do a moment of silence for everybody that was killed yesterday.” – Assemblywoman Holly Shepisi (R-Westwood) who voted against the override. Assembly Speaker Vinnie Prieto (D-Secaucus) honored the request and asked for a moment of silence.

“When I heard the comments of my colleague Assemblyman Gusciora referencing how this bill demonstrates our action in the face of such a hard incident that took place in California, I said to myself, ‘This bill has nothing to do with that situation.’” – Assemblyman Chris Brown (R-Medford) who voted against the override.

Assembly Democrats Fail to Override Governor Christie On Gun Bill

On the same day national security presidential candidate Gov. Chris Christie jumped into fourth place in the New Hampshire Republican Primary, Assembly Democrats failed to override Christie’s veto of public safety gun bill S-2360 (A-3593).

What ended up as a much-debated, politically thorny bill originally passed at the urging of the courts in the assembly with unanimous Republican support by a vote of 74-0. Then Christie crushed the bill, forcing members of his party in the legislature into the awkward position of having to try to reverse their initial support.

Missing by three votes, the (late, wavering) tally was 51 in favor of the override, 17 against, and 11 abstaining. Perhaps a sign of the coming inability of Democratic leadership to twist the arms of three Republicans came as the assembly started an hour late today.

Four Republicans crossed the aisle to vote in favor of the override: Assemblyman Chris Brown (R-2), Assemblyman Jack Ciattarelli (R-16), Assemblyman Jay Webber (R-26), and Assemblywoman Amy Handlin (R-13).

Technically speaking, Speaker Vincent Prieto (D-32) yanked the bill immediately prior to suffering the indignity of an official failure as the vote board flickered, failing to get the speaker to the required 54.

A prodigious debate occurred in the lead-up to the vote.

The rural-state-vote-seeking Christie vetoed the legislation that Democratic – and originally Republican – lawmakers say would help keep guns out of the hands of potentially dangerous people by requiring those seeking to have their mental health records expunged in order to purchase a firearm notify law enforcement. The information would be used by the courts when deciding to approve the application, giving law enforcement a voice in the process and providing the courts with more information before approving an expungement to allow gun purchases.

Subdued because of yesterday’s mass shooting in San Bernardino, California that resulted in the killing of 14 people and prompted a moment of silence on the floor, but buoyed by the Senate’s successful override of the governor on this bill, Prieto put the same bill before his colleagues this afternoon.

But in a sign of the unwieldy, more challenging terrain of lower house politics (the assembly has never been able to override the GOP governor), the bill failed to pass as Republicans refused to give Democrats the necessary votes.

Pointing to the reasoning in Christie’s conditional veto and making the case that the bill doesn’t successfully keep guns out of the hands of people with mental issues, Republicans throughout the long debate tried to argue that they weren’t informed the first time when they unanimously backed the bill.

They implied that Democrats want to embarrass Christie with the bill, or at least have politics as their motivation. “Are we really rying to protect public safety with this particular bill?” said Assemblyman Scott Rumana (R-40). “The reality is there is a loophole as big as a Mack Truck.”

That so-called loophole in an alternative bill put forward by Senate Minority Leader Tom Kean, Jr. (R-21) would require people with a psychiatric profile who apply for expungement of their record to additionally alert police for other reasons, not just the purchase of a gun.

But the bulk of Republicans led by Christie ally Assembly Minority Leader Jon Bramnick (R-21) saw it differently, and liked the CV offered by Christie.

“What’s wrong with making this bill stronger?” Assemblyman Tony Bucco (R-25) wanted to know, while Assemblyman Declan O’Scanlon (R-13) accused Democrats, by resisting the Kean bill and doubling down on their initial legislation, of “poking the governor in the eye.” 

Early in the debate, Republicans tried to introduce the compromise bill put forward by Kean.

“I’m not going to play politics because politics is not going to protect them,” said Assemblywoman Betty Lou DeCroce (R-26), who attempted to offer Kean’s bill on the floor.

Rumana- DeCroce-Clifton on Port Authority Legislation- Let's Get It Done

Press Release – Assembly Republicans Scott Rumana, BettyLou DeCroce and Rob Clifton, all members of the Assembly Transportation and Independent Authorities Committee, today issued the joint statement below following testimony by Port Authority Chairman John Degnan on the proposal by Governors Christie and Cuomo to reform the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey:

“Rhetoric won’t reform the Port Authority. The legislation proposed by Governors Christie and Cuomo is a comprehensive and substantive plan that meets our goals for reforming the Port Authority. The Port Authority chairman assured us today that any joint projects already planned won’t be adversely affected by this bill. Let’s work together and get the job done now.”

The New York Legislative website reports that the New York Assembly has heard the companion bill before two of its committees. A vote is possible tomorrow.

DeCroce on N.J.'s Federal Highway Aid

Source: Asbury Park Press

Billions of dollars are spent each year building and maintaining a New Jersey road system that, nevertheless, is riddled by congestion, crumbling surfaces and outdated designs. Now policymakers in both Trenton and Washington are at a “Y” in the road, with big implications for our pocketbooks.

At both the state and federal level, such infrastructure investments face uncertainty, with major spending programs expiring by early summer. A possible change in federal direction — the White House in recent days has been touting a new spending scheme — comes at a delicate juncture for New Jersey.

New Jersey, which is considering hiking its gasoline tax, has traditionally fared poorer than most states in securing money through the Federal Highway Trust Fund. In recent years, however, only a handful of states have done better than New Jersey in retaining or even boosting such Washington support.

But Washington already spends more on road and transportation projects than it collects from the 18.4 -cents-a-gallon federal gasoline tax, which is unchanged in 20 years. How the White House and the GOP-controlled Congress, which agree on little, would pay for increased funding — or even sustain existing funding — is uncertain.

Overall, New Jersey receives 61 cents in return for each dollar in taxes it sends to the federal government, says a resolution advanced this month by the Senate Transportation Committee. The balance is better than that on highway funds, in part because Congress has added money into the highway fund that doesn’t come from taxes, meaning nearly all states get more than $1 for each $1.

“We are a corridor state. We are an import-export state. Everybody travels through our state, and we get about the least amount of money back on every dollar we send,” said Assemblywoman BettyLou DeCroce, R-Morris, the lead sponsor of a resolution that also has 25 other Assembly sponsors urging Congress to give New Jersey more highway funds. “So we should receive more.”

TRIP, a Washington-based transportation research group funded by insurance companies, labor unions and construction-related businesses, says 35 percent of roads in the state are in poor condition and that 36 percent of bridges need replacement, repair or improvement, including 10 percent with structural deficiencies. Funding such a backlog is a major worry. The federal trust fund has been surviving on temporary extensions and is due to expire at the end of May.

In 2013, aid from the Federal Highway Trust Fund amounted to nearly $131 for every resident of New Jersey, which ranked 30th among the states.

That showing reflected a marked improvement. Ten years earlier, New Jersey ranked 40th in per capita highway funds, at $93 per person. Between 2008 and 2013, only three states – New York, Kentucky and Vermont – registered bigger percentage increases in per-capita highway funding than New Jersey.

Overall aid to New Jersey from the Federal Highway Trust Fund climbed from $803 million in 2003, to $1.16 billion in 2013. That increase, 45 percent, was the 11th highest nationally. Adjusted for inflation, the increase would be nearly 15 percent, equal to $148 million.

Much of that increase happened between 2003 and 2008. Since 2008, annual federal highway funding to New Jersey is up by 7 percent. Adjusted for inflation, it has been down 1.2 percent – but only New York and Alaska have seen increases over the last five years, accounting for inflation. New Jersey’s growth in highway funds ranks sixth nationally over the last five years.

In more recent years, the rankings look even better. Only two states in the country increased their federal highway aid in both 2012 and 2013 – Florida and New Jersey. Percentage-wise, the only state to increase its funding more between 2011 and 2013 was New York.

Going back to the establishment of the Federal Highway Trust Fund in 1956, only 10 states have seen a smaller return on the taxes, fines and penalties paid into the fund than New Jersey. New Jersey generally gets shortchanged in its return on federal funding because as a wealthy state its residents pay more in taxes than the state gets back for programs.

It’s not clear how the state would fund its portion. If it was done entirely through higher gax taxes, that could amount to as much as 25 cents a gallon. If you drive a car that averages 25 miles a gallon and drive 350 miles a week, the equivalent of 18,000 miles a year, that would amount to about $180 a year.

The latest signal from the state Department of Transportation connected to the state’s trust fund troubles came last week, when the state froze $25 million in bridge funding for pending and future local projects. Every county receives at least $1 million a year from the frozen fund.

Guide Dogs Focus of Newly Enacted 'Dusty's Law'

Source: Parsippany Patch -

Gov. Chris Christie signed into law Friday legislation that boosts criminal penalties for recklessly actions against guide dogs. The bill was sponsored by District 26 Asw. Betty Lou DeCroce and Assembly Republican Whip Scott Rumana.

The bill, called “Dusty’s Law,” is named after Dusty, a seeing-eye puppy in Bergen County who was still in training to assist a visually impaired person when he was attacked in July 2010. Though the dog survived his serious physical injuries, he was unable to continue in the training program due to the emotional trauma he suffered.

“Guide dogs and guide-dogs-in-training are bred to have a docile, obedient nature,” said DeCroce, a Republican who represents parts of Morris, Essex and Passaic counties. “Unfortunately, this gentle demeanor often brings out the worst in aggressive dogs. Currently, even the most serious dog-on-guide-dog attack is not considered a criminal act.

“This legislation is needed to ensure that reckless dog owners are held responsible when such attacks occur.” Rumana agreed.

“It’s important that we not only recognize the vital role these animals play in assisting those with an impairment, but that we afford them the protections they deserve,” he continued. “This measure sends a message that abusing or killing these dogs will have significant repercussions.”

Specifically, the legislation will make it a fourth-degree crime for a person to recklessly kill a guide dog, or to recklessly permit a dog that he or she owns or has immediate control over to kill a guide dog. A person who recklessly injures a guide dog, or recklessly permits a dog that he or she owns or has immediate control over to injure a guide dog will be a disorderly person under the bill.

In addition, a person who recklessly interferes with the use of a guide dog, or who recklessly permits a dog that he or she owns or over which he or she has immediate control to interfere with a guide dog by obstructing, intimidating, or otherwise jeopardizing the safety of that guide dog or its handler would be guilty of a petty disorderly persons offense.

Fourth-degree crimes are punishable by a prison term of up to 18 months, a fine of up to $10,000, or both. Disorderly persons offenses are punishable by a term of imprisonment of up to six months, a fine of up to $1,000, or both; petty disorderly persons offenses are punishable by a term of imprisonment of up to 30 days, a fine of up to $500, or both.

The bill also requires someone convicted under the law to pay restitution, which includes the value of the guide dog; replacement and training or retraining expenses for the guide dog and the handler; veterinary and other medical and boarding expenses for the guide dog; medical expenses for the handler; and lost wages or income incurred by the handler during any period that the handler is without the services of the guide dog.

Under the measure, a “guide dog” is defined as a dog, or dog in training, which has been or is being raised or trained by a volunteer puppy raiser or staff member of an organization generally recognized as being involved in the rehabilitation of the blind or deaf and reputable and competent to provide dogs with specialized training; or is fitted with a special harness so as to be suitable as an aid to the mobility of a blind person.