Carroll-DeCroce Statements on Signing “Legacy Landfill” Legislation

Legislation (S-2861/A-4238) sponsored by Assembly Republicans Michael Patrick Carroll and BettyLou DeCroce establishing requirements and controls applicable to “legacy landfills” and properly closed sanitary landfill facilities that accept new materials after closure was signed into law today by Gov. Christie.

The following statements are from the Assembly Republican sponsors of the new law:

“The Fenimore landfill is a health hazard that needs the immediate attention it will now receive from the new law,” said Carroll, R- Morris and Somerset, who represents Roxbury Twp. “The unilateral decision to change the agreed upon use in a legacy landfill not only has environmental consequences but affects a town’s quality of life. There must be consequences for failing to abide by an agreement, but the most important concern is restoring the community’s intolerable living condition resulting from the detestable smell coming from Fenimore.”

“As the former municipal clerk and public servant for Roxbury Township for over 23 years, I have strong ties, loyalty and a deep conviction to this community and its residents,” said DeCroce, R-Morris, Essex and Passaic. “The air quality from the hydrogen sulfide emanating from Fenimore is a public health concern for everyone in the town. A host of problems, including respiratory and eye-irritation have plagued residents for weeks. I am glad the DEP acted immediately to take temporary control of Fenimore so the noxious odors emitted from the site can be controlled and the residents can return to a normal and healthy quality of life.”
The new law provides that an administrative consent order (ACO) entered into between the DEP and a potential legacy landfill purchaser will be voidable if: the DEP finds the financial assurance requirements made by the applicant are not met; the applicant entering into the ACO submitted to any governmental agency any misrepresentation, false statement or misleading statement; or fraud, misrepresentation or deceit was used in securing a license.

The administrative consent order (ACO) will be voided once initiated by the DEP and upheld in a Superior Court.

The bill also provides that if the ACO is voided, the DEP will be required to take such measures deemed necessary to protect the public, which may include closing the landfill.

A “legacy landfill” is defined as one that ceased operations prior to January 1, 1982, and received household, commercial or industrial solid waste for disposal.

Top Court’s Ruling on Guiseppe Tedesco a Victory for Crime Victims and Families

Monday’s state Supreme Court ruling that upholds previous lower court decisions that Guiseppe Tedesco, who was convicted of killing Alyssa Ruggieri on March 27, 2010, must attend his sentencing out of respect for the victim’s family and for the judicial system is a victory for those impacted by such terrible tragedies said Assembly Republicans Anthony M. Bucco and BettyLou DeCroce today.

Bucco and DeCroce, who recently introduced bipartisan legislation (A-4118) which clarifies a crime victim has a right to make a victim impact statement directly to the defendant in court at sentencing, lauded the high court’s ruling. The Bucco-DeCroce bill would amend and strengthen the current Crime Victim’s Bill of Rights.

“I fully support the court’s finding that Mr. Tedesco offered no compelling reason for his absence during his sentencing,” said Bucco, R-Morris and Somerset. “The remarks Mr. Tedesco will hear from Alyssa’s family will pale in comparison to the agony and pain he has caused them by taking an innocent life. The court used sound and rational logic in dismissing the unpersuasive excuses given by the defendant for not listening to the anguish he has caused the Ruggieri family.”

In 1991, Assemblywoman DeCroce’s late husband, Assemblyman Alex DeCroce, sponsored and advocated for the Victims’ Rights Amendment – a landmark amendment to the New Jersey Constitution that guaranteed the rights of crime victims, which voters approved.

“It was for instances like this that Alex championed this amendment because of his sensitivity to the pain and anguish felt by victims and their families,” said DeCroce, R-Morris, Essex and Passaic. “The trauma endured by crime victims and their families, such as the Ruggieri’s, far surpasses a request by the convicted that they forego appearing in court at their sentencing. Mr. Tedesco will never be able to comprehend the irreparable harm he has caused, and in this case, the callous disregard for human life he exhibited. The rights of victims must be upheld.”

Bucco and DeCroce’s bill was introduced on May 13 and referred to the Assembly Judiciary Committee.

DeCroce-Webber-Schepisi Bill Exempting Local Government from Highlands Act Approved by Assembly

A bill sponsored by Assembly Republicans BettyLou DeCroce, Jay Webber and Holly Schepisi that would provide an exemption to local governments from certain provisions of the Highlands Act when deciding to install synthetic turf fields was approved by the General Assembly today. At present, the 2004 law only provides public or private schools the exemption.

“This legislation represents an opportunity to level the playing field for municipalities that are restricted by the Highlands Act from installing synthetic turf for their residents,” said DeCroce, who noted there are 88 municipalities and portions of seven counties in the Highlands Region. “The conditions of the municipal fields in some towns in the preservation area are deteriorating and often unusable and unsafe.  “It is ironic that the schools can install the turf or make field improvements, but the towns can’t,” explained DeCroce. “If the residents want to upgrade their municipal fields to a more durable surface they should be allowed to do so. Affording municipalities the same exemption that schools already enjoy is common sense and something property taxpayers deserve.”

The bill, A-3541, would exempt towns from the lengthy, costly and arduous process of obtaining a permit under the Highlands Water Protection and Planning Act.

“The Highlands Act remains a model of unfairness and arbitrariness, and represents the worst government land grab against our communities in New Jersey history,” said Webber. “This legislation injects a bit of reasonableness into otherwise bad policy. It offers our local communities a fair opportunity to provide safe and durable ball fields on open space, and puts local property taxpayers back in charge of a decision that affects their own welfare.”

“This bill affords local governments the same chance to upgrade their facilities and provide the same safe environment for recreational use as given to schools in the Highlands Region that were grandfathered in when the Highlands Act was passed,” said Schepisi. “Providing this exemption to another entity at the local level is fair and will save the burdensome application-related costs borne by taxpayers. All parents want their children to play on safe fields, not ones that could potentially put them in harms’ way and cause serious injury.”

The bill is also sponsored by Assemblyman Gordon Johnson, D-Bergen, and was released with unanimous approval from the Assembly Environment and Solid Waste Committee on June 10.

ASSEMBLYWOMAN DECROCE JOINS LEGISLATIVE LEADERS FOUNDATION

Source: Parsippany Patch-

Assemblywoman BettyLou DeCroce (R-Morris, Essex and Passaic) of Parsippany was chosen to participate in the State Legislative Leaders Foundation’s (SLLF) “Emerging Leaders Program” at The Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia.

She is one of 50 legislators selected from across the country to participate.

“I am honored to have been selected to participate in this prestigious program which will afford me the chance to learn from and network with fellow legislators from around the nation,” said DeCroce.

“I fully intend to make the most of this challenging opportunity to further enhance my leadership skills and gain new perspectives so that I may better serve my constituents and the residents of New Jersey,” she added.

According to a written statement from DeCroce’s office, the program will be held over the course of four days in July to develop leadership skills focusing on:
•Analysis and feedback on elements of personal leadership style.
•Awareness of the importance of values and ethics in governance and public service.
•Gaining perspective on the importance of the role of the state legislature in contem­porary American politics.
•Recognition of the importance of legisla­tors as consensus builders and facilitators of compromise.

DeCroce was nominated by Assembly Speaker Sheila Oliver and selected by a committee of senior staff from the SLLF and Darden faculty selected the participants.

“One of the primary criteria for selection is the candidate’s long-term commitment to public service and keen interest in self development,” the statement said.

DeCroce: Nearly $1M in Road Improvements Coming to Morris County

Municipalities in Morris County will share just under $1 million in state grants for road improvement projects, according to District 26 Assemblywoman BettyLou DeCroce.

The projects receiving state funding range from a $250,000 Interpace Parkway improvment project in Parsippany to $140,000 road resurfacing project for Carey Avenue in Butler.

“I am extremely pleased that we were able to secure this funding through the state Department of Transportation to upgrade the infrastructure in [these] district  communities,” said DeCroce. “The state funding is critical to help offset the costs of road and bridge improvements for local taxpayers.”

MORRIS COUNTY DISBURSEMENTS

Municipality	Project	Type	Amount	Total
Butler Borough	Carey Ave Resurfacing	Roadway Preservation	$140,000	$140,000
Jefferson Township	Weldon Road Improvements	Roadway Preservation	$200,000	$200,000
Lincoln Park Borough	Two Bridges Road & Pine Brook Road Improvements – Phase II	Roadway Preservation	$180,000	$180,000
Montville Township	Roads Resurfacing – Church Lane, Stiles Lane/Vail Road	Roadway Preservation	$200,000	$200,000
Parsippany-Troy Hills Township	Interpace Parkway Improvement Project	Roadway Preservation	$250,000	$250,000

A total of $2.1 million dollars in state grants covered projects in Morris, Essex and Passaic counties.
 

Bucco & DeCroce: Murderers Must Face Their Victims

As the state Supreme Court decides whether a convicted killer must attend his own sentencing, Assembly Republicans Anthony M. Bucco and BettyLou DeCroce have introduced legislation that would clarify the rights of crime victims to face their assailants at sentencing.

Guiseppe Tedesco, convicted of killing Alyssa Ruggieri in her Hopatcong home in 2010, is attempting to waive to his right to appear at his sentencing. The state Supreme Court heard arguments this week and is expected to decide the matter in the fall.

“Alyssa had no choice whether to face Tedesco. He doesn’t deserve a choice now whether to face those who are grieving her loss,” Bucco, R-Morris and Somerset, said. “Those who have been convicted of an egregious crime against humanity cannot dictate to the courts, or those they have victimized, how they will receive their punishment. This is making a mockery of our justice system.”

The proposal, A-4118, would amend the Crime Victim’s Bill of Rights to strengthen victims’ rights to make an in-person statement directly to the court and the offender at sentencing.

“Crime victims will always feel the pain, loss and suffering caused by crime. They deserve the opportunity to confront those who harmed them before justice is served,” DeCroce, R-Morris, Essex and Passaic, said. “It’s mind boggling to think that the Supreme Court has to even consider whether a convicted murderer has to appear in court for his sentencing. The last words a violent criminal should hear before being locked up should be from the friends and families left behind.”

DeCroce and Bucco urged the Supreme Court to side with crime victims and said they would fight to change the law to make sure this situation never arises again.

“Crime victims who have suffered a horrendous loss should decide for themselves whether addressing their assailant will help their grieving process,” Bucco said. “We hope the Supreme Court will use common sense and side with the Ruggiero family in this case. Meanwhile, we must change the law to make sure the courts never have to consider a case like this again.”

“The question of whether a criminal should have to sit for a sentencing should never be asked again,” added DeCroce. “We will support the Ruggieros and any other family victimized by crime and will fight to make sure the legal process remains open and compassionate to victims.”

Why Was Coach’s Conduct Tolerated?

Assemblywoman BettyLou DeCroce, a member of the Assembly Higher Education Committee, issued the following statement on the firing of Rutgers University Men’s Basketball Coach Mike Rice:

“Rutgers Coach Michael Rice demonstrated a pattern of conduct with his players that is unbefitting an institution of higher learning. There is no rational way to condone or explain the physical and verbal abuse that Mr. Rice heaped on his players. Coach Rice earned his dismissal and I support his firing.

More problematic for me as a member of the higher education committee, however, is that Coach Rice’s conduct was tolerated for so long by the university. People in the Athletic Department knew for quite some time of Coach Rice’s violent outbursts and physical confrontations with players, yet chose to keep him at the institution until ESPN’s broadcast of the Rice’s behavior made it impossible to retain him as a representative of the state’s largest public university.

Apparently, some people at Rutgers did not learn from the experience at Penn State.  Failure to act quickly to deal with inappropriate actions of coaches harms individuals, players and the university’s programs – not to mention the reputation of the university itself.

The desire to win games and protect a sports program cannot ever be allowed to supersede a university’s obligation to protect its players and all those who come in contact with a program. The failure to fire Coach Rice earlier was a failure by Rutgers to meet its obligation to its student athletes and their parents.

Rutgers needs to examine its policies regarding the conduct of its coaches and how the Athletic Department and other college officials deal with abusive coaches in the future.”