ANGELINI-RIBLE-RUMANA-DECROCE SPONSORED HOME INVASION BILL PASSES ASSEMBLY

Source: Assembly Republican Press Release-

Legislation sponsored by Assembly Republicans Mary Pat Angelini, Dave Rible, Scott Rumana and BettyLou DeCroce that makes the crime of home invasion when a person is present a first degree offense was approved by the General Assembly today. The bill (A-4329/S-2932) is in response to the break-in, robbery and vicious assault in a Millburn residence in June.

“The video showing the break-in and assault that took place in Millburn was horrifying,” said Angelini, R-Monmouth. “The intrusion and callous disregard for the homeowner was shocking and disgusting. A criminal who acts with such indifference should face a severe penalty, without leniency.”
The Home Invasion Bill stipulates that entering a home with the intent to commit a robbery, a first or second degree crime, or certain kidnapping and sexual crimes when a person is present is a first degree crime, which imposes a 10-30 year prison term.

“The contempt demonstrated by the assailant shows the cruel indifference criminals have for the public,” said Rible, R-Monmouth and Ocean, who is a retired police officer. “Words cannot aptly describe the fear a person and their loved ones feel when a burglary occurs when they are home. A person who acts with utter disdain and disrespect for other human beings and their property must pay the appropriate penalty.”
A home invasion offense would be subject to the No Early Release Act which stipulates that the convicted must serve at least 85 percent of their sentence.

“Home invasion is an egregious violation of a person’s right to live peacefully in their home,” said Rumana, R-Passaic, Bergen, Essex and Morris. “The trauma of burglary is bad enough, but when a person is in their home and fearing for their life, the mental and physical anguish never goes away. A criminal who acts so viciously deserves to face the stiffest sentence under the law.”

“The assault in Millburn is an example of how callously indifferent criminals are,” said DeCroce, R-Morris, Essex and Passaic, who sponsored legislation signed into law last year (Alex DeCroce’s Law) advocating for the rights of crime victims. “The brutality of this attack is a vivid example of the horror people endure. Many victims of crime bear the emotional trauma forever, especially when it involves an intrusion into their home. The criminal who is responsible deserves to pay a steep penalty for the harm they cause.”

Currently, the charge for the unlawful, non-violent break-in of a home is a third degree offense and does not require a prison sentence.

BACK TO SCHOOL TIPS

The kids are antsy from the long vacation.  The malls are packed.  That’s right – it’s back to school time.  As a parent, what do you need to know?

For starters, it’s important to engage with your child’s teachers early.  According to Eric Sheninger, an award-winning Principal at New Milford High School, Back to School Night is vitally important to attend for face-to-face interaction and also a “good time to address potential problems at home that may interfere with your child’s success at school, such as family illness, divorce or economic struggles…these details can help a teacher better communicate with your child.”  You may also want to consider writing a brief note to your child’s teacher at the start of the school year conveying your interest in hearing feedback about his or her academic performance and behavior in the classroom.  This will create a smooth introduction, should miscommunication with your child or the school ever occur.

In an article “What Teachers Want You to Know” from USA Weekend, staying tapped into social media – whether it’s keeping up to date with your child’s online presence (the average young person spends 7.5 hours a day in front of a screen) or following classroom activity – is integral in a changing age of technology. Principal Sheninger also suggests setting up timetables for long projects and shying away from actually finishing projects for your children in the place of their own learning.

In anticipation of the back-to-school rush, the National Association of School Psychologists advises on re-establishing bedtime and mealtime routines now and weaning kids off the television, so the transition back to a more disciplined education setting is easier.  Additionally, teaching young children to make their own lunches the night before will instill a good habit and reduce stress on you for many years to come.

With that – I wish students and parents alike a much successful new school year!

Assemblywoman BettyLou DeCroce represents parts of Morris, Essex, and Passaic Counties.  She serves on the Education Committee, Higher Education Committee, Joint Committee on Public Schools, and the Women and Children Committee.

A Right To Know What You're Eating

Source: Hunterton County Democrat (Op-Ed By BettyLou DeCroce)-

Since the 1960s, U.S. consumers have become increasingly interested in what’s in the food they buy. With good reason. Modern processed foods are loaded with unhealthy ingredients such as sodium, sugar and saturated fats — not to mention, a host of chemicals.

As people have become increasingly health conscious, consumer advocates have demanded that food companies detail what’s in the products they sell. That’s why we see moms and dads in supermarkets reading labels and comparing ingredients; they want to make the healthiest, smartest choices they can for themselves and their families.

To help consumers make those choices, I signed on to a bipartisan bill in the Legislature to require foods made with genetically modified organisms, or GMOs, to be labeled as such. I’m not necessarily opposed to GM foods, and I appreciate the biotechnology that makes some crops more resistant to disease and drought and increases yields. I also appreciate the investment in GMOs made by international companies such as Monsanto, Dow and BASF.

These companies have given us many tremendous products, but they have also given us products that harm people and the environment. It’s safe to say there are downsides to GM foods that we don’t know about yet. So why not give consumers the right to know if the wheat, corn or sugar beets they put on the table were genetically altered? Why not give consumers the right to choose?

I’m not alone in my desire to empower and protect consumers.
• A New York Times poll found that 93 percent of respondents wanted labeling of GMO products and that three-quarters expressed concerns about the health effects of GMOs.
• 26 states have introduced or passed GMO labeling laws.
• Whole Foods stores support mandatory labeling of GMO foods.
• Several European Union countries, including France, Germany and Austria, have banned cultivation of genetically modified crops.

Experts say one of the biggest risks of GMOs is introducing allergens and toxins to food. Accidental contamination between genetically modified and non-modified foods also destroys the claim of organic food producers.

Concerns about GMOs are highlighted by an incident involving StarLink modified corn, which was approved for animal feed, but not for human consumption because of concerns about allergic reactions. The StarLink corn turned up unexpectedly in many Kraft products, including Taco Bell corn shells. Apparently, some corn fields were accidentally contaminated with the StarLink seed. Several dozen people reported severe allergic reactions to the tacos; major recalls followed.

The Environmental Protection Agency said tests were inconclusive about the connection between the GMO corn and the allergic reactions. But Aventis Cropscience, StarLink corn’s inventor, voluntarily withdrew registration for the GMO corn. It will no longer be grown.

Clearly, those who insist GMO crops are safe for people and the environment and are rigorously tested are simply wrong.

Regulation of GMO foods is in the jurisdiction of the Food & Drug Administration, the EPA and the Agriculture Department, which often rely on industry to self-police its products. In a WebMD article, Gregory Jaffe, director of the Biotechnology Project at the Center for Science in the Public Interest, wrote:
“I think the regulation system in the U.S. could be greatly improved. Our view is that the public is entitled to have the FDA determining that the food is safe and not relying on (companies such as) Monsanto telling us the food is safe.”

Commenting on the science of engineering food technology, David Ehrenfeld, a professor of biology at Rutgers’ Cook College, said: “The technology is based on sound science to the extent that they’ve been able to do it. It’s not based on sound ecology or sound environmental practice.”

There is enough doubt about GMOs to at least alert consumers they are ingesting engineered foods. Government already requires companies to list many product ingredients. Many food producers proudly display the term “organic” to encourage consumers to buy their product.

If farmers and manufacturers believe GMOs are truly beneficial, or benign, why not proudly admit that “this is a genetically altered food”?

I don’t think that’s too much information. I think it’s the right information.

DeCroce: Comptroller’s Report on Free School Lunch Program Costly for All Taxpayers

Assemblywoman BettyLou DeCroce, R- Morris, Essex and Passaic, said today’s report issued by state Comptroller Matt Boxer revealing a lack of oversight by 15 school districts in reviewing applications for the Free School Lunch Program (FSLP) is troubling evidence that lessons were not learned when such problems were revealed in the Elizabeth school district nearly two years ago.

Boxer’s audit found that school board members and school district employees had provided materially false information regarding their income on the FSLP applications. The comptroller’s office is forwarding the names of 109 individuals discovered in the audit to the Division of Criminal Justice for its review.

“Apparently, some school districts did not learn any lessons from what was discovered in Elizabeth,” said DeCroce, who is a member of the Assembly Education Committee. “Lax oversight in reviewing applications that result in ineligible students receiving a free or reduced cost lunch is unacceptable and cheats taxpayers and other school districts.

“The fact that additional school aid is granted based on the number of participants in this program exacerbates the problem and takes aid from other districts that would welcome the additional help,” continued DeCroce. “This report should serve as a wakeup call to all districts throughout the state that taxpayers expect applications for aid to be reviewed thoroughly and rejected when inaccurate information is supplied. I wholeheartedly agree with the comptroller forwarding the names of people who provided false information to the justice system for review.”

DECROCE ANNOUNCES $67,000 IN SAFE CORRIDOR GRANTS FOR DISTRICT

Four municipalities in Morris and Essex counties will share $67,036 in state Safe Corridor grants to improve motorist safety along Route 46, announced Assemblywoman BettyLou DeCroce (R- Essex Morris, Passaic).

The municipalities receiving the funds are: Montville, which will receive $18,503;
Parsippany, $910; Rockaway Township, $9,403; and Fairfield $38,220.

Assemblywoman DeCroce explained that the safe corridor grants can be used by municipalities to purchase law enforcement equipment, including police vehicles, radar equipment, hardware and software for computers, as well as for police salaries.

“Highway safety is very important and I want to thank Gov. Christie for releasing this money that will help improve safety for my constituents who travel the heavily used highway that runs through my legislative district,” said DeCroce.

The Safe Corridor grant program originated in 2003 and targets resources to 14 ten-mile segments of several highways that have a history of high automobile crash rates. Grants are supported by fines which are doubled in designated Safe Corridors for a variety of moving violations, including speeding.

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.