DeCroce: Just Say No To Legalizing Marijuana

Source: Daily Record – Letter-to-editor by BettyLou DeCroce -

The parade of those clamoring for the legalization of pot in New Jersey includes an odd alignment of progressives, municipal prosecutors and doctors. They see legalization as harmless and inevitable. They make an interesting, if not a compelling case.

Legalizing marijuana, they argue, would eliminate from our already crowded court system cases of casual users of pot who pose little threat to the community. Why waste taxpayer money prosecuting these individuals and why burden these people with criminal records for smoking a weed? Instead, they argue, legalize pot, and tax it; filling government coffers with millions of dollars.

I have a different view: let’s not make another illicit drug legal just for expediency. I am not persuaded that legalizing marijuana for anything but medical use will prove beneficial to our society.

The experiment with legalizing marijuana in Colorado is barely five months old; before we blindly follow that state off a Rocky Mountain cliff, let’s review real world data. I’m not alone in that position. California Gov. Jerry Brown recently told The New York Times that “I think we ought to kind of watch and see how things go in Colorado,” before legalizing marijuana in the Golden State.

Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper is no big fan of legalization of marijuana, which was approved via referendum, not legislation. He said in an eye-opening documentary by CNBC that legalization sends a “terrible message” to minors. He’s right. Pot smoking may or may not be as dangerous as alcohol, but it is not benign.

While the entertainment industry glamorizes marijuana and other drugs in movies and magazines, it sidesteps reality. Scientists at the National Institute on Drug Abuse warn that the effects of pot on the developing teenage brain include the potential of an 8 to 10 point drop in IQ over time. They also note that users are likely to become dependent, physically or psychologically.

Recently, fourth-graders in Colorado were caught selling an edible form of marijuana, which is popularly baked into candy and cookies. Their parents left the edible marijuana where their children could access it and take it to school —apparently ignorant of the dangers of ingesting marijuana . Eating pot can lead to life-threatening overdoses and dangerous behavior, especially in children. The catastrophic impact of drunk drivers on innocent people is already well documented. Do we really want to encourage young people under the influence of marijuana to get behind the wheel of a car and hurt more innocent people? I say no.

Marijuana smokers suffer many of the same respiratory problems as cigarette smokers. The American Lung Association says cigarette smoking-related diseases claim over 393,000 American lives each year and cost the nation over $97 billion in lost productivity and $96 billion in direct health care expenditures. Encouraging the smoking of pot through legalization will only worsen those statistics.

Legalization proponents say we have to throw in the towel on the war on drugs and legalize marijuana so we can reap the benefits of taxing it. I say government’s insatiable desire for tax dollars should not rest on legalizing harmful substances to subsidize more wasteful spending. Government already taxes cigarettes and alcohol heavily to generate revenue and then spends money telling people to quit smoking and not to abuse alcohol. Following the same schizophrenic model, the government will do the same with marijuana: legalize it, tax it, and then direct people to government subsidized clinics to stop abusing marijuana. What’s next: Legalize cocaine or heroin so we can generate more government revenue?

The CNBC report on Colorado’s marijuana experiment showed tremendous entrepreneurial activity built around marijuana sales and a booming demand for the weed largely among middle age people. The sellers are raking in big money, but how long will 50- and 60-year-olds shell out good money to relive the 1960s and 70s? Or will “Big Pot’s” business model mirror that of cigarette companies — get them hooked young and keep them coming back?

Legalizing marijuana without knowing more about the social and health consequences is reckless and not something I can support.

Assemblywoman BettyLou DeCroce

DeCroce Bill Extending Permit Extension Moratorium Date Approved By Committee

Source: Assembly Republican Press Release -

Bipartisan legislation sponsored by Assembly Republican BettyLou DeCroce, R-Morris, Essex and Passaic, that re-instates the moratorium on the imposition of fees on non-residential construction projects through December 31, 2014, was approved by the Assembly Housing and Community Development Committee today. The moratorium had expired on July 1, 2013.

“The building industry is one of New Jersey’s key economic drivers as it creates jobs and facilitates commerce,” said DeCroce. “Extending the moratorium will save builders from re-applying for approvals previously obtained which only drives up the costs of a project. The recent report that small business loan activity has increased 12 percent over the last six months in the state is certainly good news as this business segment accounts for the majority of our economic activity. Construction is an important first step in growing our economy.”

The legislation, A-1907, provides that municipalities are required to return any monies paid by a developer during the time period between July1, 2013, through the effective date of the bill. Municipalities that have already spent such fees on affordable housing projects would not be required to provide a refund. The Assembly unanimously approved the identical bill last December (A-4457), but it received no action in the Senate.

“Many jobs are created both directly and indirectly due to the building industry, such as suppliers, retailers, financial institutions and real estate,” stated DeCroce. “I would like to thank my colleagues Assemblymen Bramnick, Burzichelli, Singleton and Wimberly, and Assemblywoman Lampitt for working in a bipartisan manner on this legislation.”

DeCroce Asks Speaker To Post Vote on Resolution Demanding More Money From Washington

Source: Assembly Republican Press Release -

Assemblywoman BettyLou DeCroce (R- Morris, Essex, Passaic) is strongly urging that the Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto post a resolution (for a vote that calls for the state’s Congressional delegation to fight harder for a more equitable return of tax revenue that New Jersey taxpayers send to the federal government in Washington D.C.

Her resolution (AR50) – which has strong bipartisan support. notes “that that for every dollar New Jersey sends in taxes to the federal government, the State receives only 61 cents in return. This disparity needs to be diminished.”

The legislation which focuses on a greater need for federal transportation for the state, is supported by Democrat Assembly members John Wisniewski, chairman of the Assembly Transportation Committee Chairman and Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto who are both co-sponsors of the legislation; and former Speaker Sheila Oliver, who is a primary sponsor of the legislation.

She said with a more equitable return of its tax dollars New Jersey would be able to reduce taxes and make the state attractive to businesses looking to invest in the Garden State. DeCroce is a member of the Assembly Commerce and Economic Development Committee and the Assembly Transportation and Independent Authorities Committee.

“With just a 61 percent return on our federal tax dollar we are subsidizing other states that are competing with us for jobs,” said DeCroce, who spoke with U.S. Senator Cory Booker about the legislation and offered to go to Washington to testify in support of the state’s need for more federal funding.

Citing a report in the March 2014 edition of The Atlantic Magazine – New Jersey ranks 40th out of 50 state in return of federal tax dollars

The authors of the study Wallet Hub Analysts, noted that: “It’s not just that some states are getting way more in return for their federal tax dollars, but the disproportionate amount of federal aid that some states receive allows them to keep their own taxes artificially low.”

Georgia, Pennsylvania and North Carolina, states that New Jersey is competing with to retain or attract business, all rate higher in return of federal tax dollars.

The Assemblywoman said companies such as Mercedes Benz of Montvale, and Sealed Air Corp. of Elmwood Park are moving to states that get a better return of their tax dollar from the federal government. Georgia for example got $270 million more in federal highway funds in 2014 than New Jersey did.

DeCroce pointed out that New Jersey last year saw a drop of almost 20 percent ($231 million) in its federal highway allocation from Washington. That $231 million, she said, would be extremely helpful as the state battles to deal with funding to upgrade its infrastructure.

“It’s time for us in the state legislature to rattle the cage of our congressional delegation and tell them they need to do a better job for the taxpayers of New Jersey,” said DeCroce. “I hope the Speaker will agree with me.”

Legislators Officially Join Forces on Bridge Investigation

Source: Inquirer -

The Legislature voted unanimously Monday to establish a joint panel to investigate disruptive lane closures in September at the George Washington Bridge, though Republicans continued to voice frustration with the Democrat-led effort.

“We’ve been down here twice, and both times in the last two weeks were related to the investigation,” Minority Leader Jon Bramnick (R., Union) told reporters. “I would hope we can move forward with property-tax relief and those other issues.”

The decision comes 10 days after the Assembly and Senate created separate special investigatory committees. Those committees were dissolved Monday after Democratic leaders brokered a deal last week to combine their efforts.

Documents obtained and released by legislators this month suggest that Gov. Christie’s deputies at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey worked with at least one member of the governor’s inner circle to shut down the lanes, perhaps as political payback.

The scandal has consumed the start of the legislative session and created a political headache for Christie, a popular Republican who has not hidden his possible ambitions for the presidency in 2016.

“Who knew what and when did they know it? That’s all this is about,” Majority Leader Louis D. Greenwald (D., Camden) said Monday on the Assembly floor.
The new committee is composed of 12 legislators from both houses: eight Democrats, including Greenwald, and four Republicans. Senate Majority Leader Loretta Weinberg (D., Bergen) and Assemblyman John S. Wisniewski (D., Middlesex) are co-chairs.

While there was universal agreement on the need to continue investigating, Republicans suggested the scope of the inquiry was too broad. They asked, for example, whether the committee would delve into allegations made by Hoboken Mayor Dawn Zimmer that the Christie administration had tied Sandy relief funds to a development project. Christie’s office strongly denies that claim.

Assemblywoman BettyLou DeCroce (R., Morris), who is not a member of the new committee, asked how the committee would approach someone such as Zimmer, who has said that she has met with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and has been advised not to discuss the matter publicly. Democrats said they would consult their outside special counsel to determine how to proceed in such a scenario.

Republicans, who are the minority party in both houses, also said they were wary of a Democratic-led partisan investigation. All four Republican committee members voted against a resolution to establish the parameters of the investigation, including its power to issue subpoenas.

Wisniewski argued that it was impossible to know what the documents subpoenaed by the panel might reveal. Therefore, he said, it would be unwise to declare certain subject matters, such as the Hoboken controversy, off-limits.

“This investigation started out as an inquiry into the operations and finances of the Port Authority. Following that level of inquiry, we uncovered e-mails that originated from [the governor's office],” Wisniewski said on the Assembly floor. “We can’t predict what other information will come before the committee.”

This month, the special Assembly panel served subpoenas to 20 organizations and individuals, including some of Christie’s top advisers. Wisniewski said Monday that the committee would reissue those subpoenas as a matter of precaution. The recipients have until Feb. 3 to respond.

The new committee has subpoena power through 2016.

Separately, the U.S. Attorney’s Office has issued subpoenas to Christie’s reelection campaign and the Republican State Committee, seeking information about the lane closures.

In the meantime, at least one legislator expressed hope that the Legislature would continue to legislate.

“We’ve been down here twice, and both times in the last two weeks were related to the investigation,” Minority Leader Jon Bramnick (R., Union) told reporters. “I would hope we can move forward with property-tax relief and those other issues.”

Route 53 Now Officially "DeCroce Memorial Highway'

Source: Morris Bee -

It’s official.

Gov. Chris Christie signed bipartisan legislation Thursday renaming Route 53 (Tabor Road) to the Alex DeCroce Memorial Highway after DeCroce, who served as Assembly Republican Leader when he died following a legislative session in January 2012.

DeCroce’s wife, District 26 Assemblywoman BettyLou DeCroce, R-Morris, Essex and Passaic, issued the statement Jan. 6 following the General Assembly passage of the bill.

“I extend my sincerest thanks to the bill’s bi-partisan sponsors for initiating this measure. Those who knew Alex know he never sought the limelight. In fact, he would be quite uncomfortable over this because he was not one to flaunt his accomplishments. His only goal was to get the job done for the people of his district and the state. Alex was a huge supporter of transportation issues. To have Rt. 53, which runs through his hometown and district, named for him is truly a great honor to his legacy.”

DeCroce was noted an avid proponent of transportation issues in New Jersey, and was a former chairman of the Transportation Committee. He was the prime sponsor of legislation that renewed the Transportation Trust Fund. He also was a strong advocate for crime victims’ rights.

Route 53 is a state highway that spans about  five miles from U.S. Route 202 in Morris Plains north to Bloomfield Avenue in Denville.

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.

Gov. Christie Signs DeCroce and Casagrande's 'Autumn Joy Stillbirth Research Act'

Source: Assembly Republican Press Release -

The “Autumn Joy Stillbirth Research and Dignity Act,” sponsored by Assemblywomen BettyLou DeCroce and Caroline Casagrande, has been signed into law by Gov. Christie.

“With the guidelines that will be established, we will provide effective tools to help medical professionals and staff provide sensitive and compassionate care following the loss of a child in stillbirth,” said DeCroce, R-Essex, Morris and Passaic. “Families grieving and struggling after a stillborn loss are especially vulnerable, and skilled care is crucial.”

The new law calls on the Department of Health to create a database for stillbirth research and to develop protocols for stillbirths and to create a database for stillbirth research. It requires the development of policies to ensure that families experiencing a stillbirth receive psychological and emotional support.

“An entire family is impacted by the stillbirth loss of a child,” says Casagrande, R-Monmouth. “This new law will better prepare medical workers to care for, and comfort, mothers and fathers struggling with the emotional and psychological trauma of that loss. In addition, establishing a comprehensive research database could ultimately provide clues for the prevention of stillbirths in the future.”

DeCroce and Casagrande’s bill is named in honor of Autumn Joy Vijayvergiya, a baby who was stillborn in New Jersey in 2011.

Approximately one in every 160 pregnancies in the U.S. ends in stillbirth, or 26,000 each year.