Wagner, Coughlin, Fuentes Vainieri Huttle Bill to Provide Tax Credits for Buying Installing Electric Vehicle Charging Stations Advanced by Assembly Committee

(TRENTON) – Assembly Democratic legislation sponsored by Connie Wagner, Craig J. Coughlin, Angel Fuentes and Valerie Vainieri Huttle to promote electric vehicle usage by providing corporation business tax credit and gross income tax credits for buying and installing electric vehicle charging stations was advanced Monday by an Assembly panel.
The bill (A-566) was released by the Assembly Appropriations Committee.
“It’s clear that electric cars can play a lead role in tackling some of our biggest concerns, whether it be our reliance on foreign oil or environmental and health concerns,” said Wagner (D-Bergen). “This bills will help steer New Jersey in the right direction.”
“We should be doing all we can to promote electric car usage and purchases in New Jersey,” said Coughlin (D-Middlesex). “This bills isn’t a cure-all, but it’s certainly a great stride toward making New Jersey a friendly state for electric cars, and that’s a great thing.”
“We’ve heard all too often about the serious health concerns facing many children in congested urban areas, and we know some of that comes from exhaust pollution,” said Fuentes (D-Camden/Gloucester). “This bill will finally push our state in the right direction toward making it easier to buy and use electric cars.”
“This is a sensible and response way to promote the purchases of electric cars in New Jersey, which helps our economy and environment,” said Vainieri Huttle (D-Bergen). “This is a great start toward a smart future for New Jersey.”
Under the bill, charging stations purchased and installed in 2013 will be allowed a credit in an amount of 25 percent of the cost, up to $500 per electric vehicle charging station; for a charging station purchased and installed in 2014 the credit is 15 percent of the cost, up to $300 per charging station; and for a charging station purchased and installed in 2015 the credit is eight percent of the cost, up to $150 per station.
The bill also provides a gross income tax credit for a charging station purchase that is not required to be for business use. The credit for 2013 is 25 percent of cost, up to $500, for 2014 it’s 15 percent of cost, up to $300 and for 2015 it’s 8 percent of cost, up to $150, for the purchase and installation of a charging station.
To qualify for the bill’s tax credits the taxpayer must file an application for a certification with the Commissioner of Environmental Protection that the charging station purchased and installed by the taxpayer is a qualified electric vehicle charging station.
The bill was released 7-2 by the Assembly Appropriations Committee.

Article source: http://www.assemblydems.com/Article.asp?ArticleID=5195

Assembly Panel Approves Vainieri Huttle Measure to Help Schools Implement Landmark Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights

An Assembly panel on Monday approved legislation sponsored by Assemblywoman Valerie Vainieri Huttle (D-Bergen), lead sponsor of the Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights, to help school districts fully comply with the landmark law.

“This bipartisan solution will help school districts implement the new law, without changing the context of the law, which means that our goal of protecting the countless students who are at the mercy of bullies day in and day out remains intact,” said Vainieri Huttle. “We acknowledged from day one that this law was comprehensive in nature, which is what made it one of the toughest anti-bullying laws in the nation. Any additional help we can provide schools to implement this will hopefully mean more lives bettered because of it.”

The Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights was signed into law last January and went into effect in September with the start of the new school year. In late January of this year, the state Council on Local Mandates found that the law contained unfunded mandates after several school districts filed complaints. The legislature was given 60 days to remedy the law or risk it being invalidated.

Vainieri Huttle and Senator Barbara Buono worked with their co-sponsors from across the aisle and Governor Christie to reach the solution contained in the measure approved today, wherein the state will provide $1 million in funding, to be awarded as grants through the State Department of Education, to help districts provide training on harassment, intimidation, and bullying prevention and on the effective creation of positive school climates, and to help fund related personnel expenses.

However, the bill (A-2709) stipulates that, prior to making an application for a grant, a district must explore bullying prevention programs and approaches that are available at no cost, and make an affirmative demonstration of that exploration in their grant application.

Programs and training to implement bullying prevention programs and approaches and to provide training to school employees and volunteers are available at no cost from the Department of Education, the New Jersey State Bar Foundation, and various other entities. The use of any program or training that would impose a cost on the district would be at the discretion of the district.

“With any new law of this magnitude, there’s going be some growing pains. This will help assist schools in adjusting and complying with the new requirements. I’m grateful that everyone involved in this process has shown a willingness to work together for the benefit of our students.”

Additionally, the bill calls for the creation of a seven-member taskforce to provide guidance to school districts on available reDests to assist in the implementation of the Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights Act; examine the implementation of the act; draft model regulations and submit them to the Commissioner of Education for use in promulgating regulations to implement the provisions of the act.

The task force would also present any recommendations regarding the act deemed to be necessary and appropriate and prepare a report within 180 days of its organizational meeting, and annually for the following three years, on the effectiveness of the act in addressing bullying in schools. The report will be submitted to the commissioner, to the Governor, and to the Legislature, and the task force will expire upon the submission of its final report.

The bill was approved by the Assembly Appropriations Committee and now awaits consideration by the full Assembly.

Article source: http://www.assemblydems.com/Article.asp?ArticleID=5204

Wisniewski, Vainieri Huttle, Stender Ramos Bill Seeking Subpoena Power for Assembly to Get Answers from Port Authority Clears Panel

(TRENTON) – Legislation Assembly Democrats John Wisniewski, Valerie Vainieri Huttle, Linda Stender and Ruben Ramos, Jr. sponsored to grant the Assembly subpoena power to obtain answers into spending by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ) was advanced Thursday by an Assembly panel.
The legislation (AR-61) was prompted by scathing reports and questionable decisions by the Port Authority over the last six months. It would give the subpoena authority to the Assembly transportation committee that released the bill 8-1-2 on Thursday.
“The Port Authority is beginning to look more and more like an out-of-control agency that has forgotten it exists to serve the public,” said Wisniewski (D-Middlesex), Deputy Assembly Speaker and chairman of the Assembly transportation committee. “They hid information about the toll increase, continue to waste money on overtime, stack their payroll with political cronies, failed to respond to public records requests and now they’re attempting to obfuscate it all by declining our recent hearing invitation. It’s time to get straight answers once and for all.”
The legislation would allow the panel to convene as a special committee with the power to issue subpoenas to compel the attendance of individuals and testimony and the production of books, papers, correspondence, and other relevant documents.
“Given the deficiencies detailed in the recent audit, it calls into question the need for the exorbitant toll hikes heaped on commuters last fall,” said Vainieri Huttle (D-Bergen), who is sponsoring legislation (A-1011) along with Ramos and Wisniewski to overhaul the way the Authority conducts business. “Toll payers shouldn’t be forced to suffer for the Port Authority’s lack of oversight, insufficient cost controls and poor capital planning. More importantly, they shouldn’t be lied to and kept in the dark, especially when it impacts their daily finances. If they’re not willing to take control of their finances, somebody must.”
In August, a New York Comptroller audit revealed that the Port Authority had wasted nearly half of a billion dollars on overtime costs over the last five years.
Despite this and other reports of mismanagement and abuse, the agency went ahead and approved near record toll hikes with little public input, citing, among other things, increased costs for the Word Trade Center reconstruction project. After the agency was sued by AAA of New York and Northern New Jersey, the authority then rescinded the claims that a portion of the tolls would be used for the World Trade Center site, calling into question the need for the exorbitant hike.
Consequently, Wisniewski called a Feb. 2 hearing of the Assembly Transportation, Public Works and Independent Authorities Committee to investigate the authority’s finances and invited the Executive Director of the Port Authority who declined to attend or send a representative in his place.
Several days later, a scathing audit described the agency as “a challenged and dysfunctional organization” that suffered from lack of oversight, insufficient cost controls and poor capital planning.
“We’ve now seen not one, but two scathing audits detail the complete lack of accountability and transparency at the Port Authority,” said Stender (D-Middlesex/Somerset/Union). “At this point, it appears as though the agency is accountable to no one, certainly not the toll payers who are bearing the burden of the authority’s actions and clearly not lawmakers either. It’s time to put an end to that.”
“The back-pedaling, double-talk and lack of transparency has to change,” said Ramos (D-Hudson). “This is a monstrous agency that impacts the lives of countless tri-state area commuters every day and yet they operate in the shadows answering to no one. We must shine some light on the way they operate.”
Specifically, the legislation will allow the Assembly Transportation, Public Works and Independent Authorities Committee to be constituted as a special committee of the General Assembly with subpoena power to investigate all aspects of the finances of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, including, but not limited to, the recently proposed 10-year capital plan, the allocation of the revenue generated from the recently imposed toll increase plan and where that revenue is being spent, and the salary, overtime, and other compensation paid to officers and employees of the authority.

Article source: http://www.assemblydems.com/Article.asp?ArticleID=5170

VAINIERI HUTTLE BUONO PLEASED WITH BIPARTISAN SOLUTION THAT WILL KEEP LANDMARK ANTI-BULLYING LAW INTACT

Assemblywoman Valerie Vainieri Huttle (D-Bergen) and Senator Barbara Buono (D-Middlesex), lead sponsors of the Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights, today praised the bipartisan solution that has been reached to help school districts fully comply with the landmark law.

“I’m extremely pleased with this solution because at the end of the day, the law has not changed, which means that our goal of protecting the countless students who are at the mercy of bullies day in and day out remains intact,” said Vainieri Huttle. “With any new law of this magnitude, there’s going be some growing pains. This will help assist schools in adjusting and complying with the new requirements. I’m grateful that everyone involved in this process has shown a willingness to work together for the benefit of our students.”

“Hopefully it will be easier for schools to implement the Anti-Bullying law as a result of this agreement. More importantly, it protects all of the victims of bullying who may not have had the law on their side until now,” said Buono. “I hope this sends a strong message to students everywhere, who have been harassed, intimidated or bullied, that they are not alone and their pleas have not fallen on deaf ears.”

The Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights was signed into law last January and went into effect in September with the start of the new school year. In late January of this year, the state Council on Local Mandates found that the law contained unfunded mandates after several school districts filed complaints. The legislature was given 60 days to remedy the law or risk it being invalidated.

Vainieri Huttle and Buono worked with their co-sponsors from across the aisle and Governor Christie to reach a solution that was announced today wherein the state will provide $1 million in funding, to be awarded as grants through the State Department of Education, to help districts with programming, approaches and personnel issues. A seven-member taskforce will also be created to draw up guidance for school districts to follow in implementing the law.

Article source: http://www.assemblydems.com/Article.asp?ArticleID=5167

Conaway, McKeon, Ramos Vainieri Huttle Bill to Combat Illegal Steroid Use Advanced by Assembly Committee

(TRENTON) – Legislation Assembly members Herb Conaway, Jr., M.D., John McKeon, Ruben Ramos, Jr., and Valerie Vainieri Huttle sponsored to crackdown on illegal steroid abuse in New Jersey’s law enforcement and firefighting communities was released Monday by an Assembly panel.

The legislation comes after an extensive series by The Star-Ledger revealed widespread steroid abuse in police and fire departments. In one case, at least 248 officers and firefighters reportedly obtained prescriptions for these drugs from a single Jersey City doctor.

The bill (A-1827) would require the Department of Law and Public Safety to include human growth hormones among the drugs to be monitored in the state’s Prescription Monitoring Program (PMP).

The PMP was created in 2007 to monitor controlled dangerous substances dispensed in most outpatient settings.

“This steroid abuse is frightening from both a public policy and public health perspective,” said Conaway (D-Burlington/Camden). “Taxpayers have been stung and public safety has been put at risk, as has the health of the abusers. We cannot sit idly by and let this abuse continue. This bill is a step in the proper direction.”

“State taxpayers have been wrongly paying for millions of dollars in insurance costs for prescriptions that were, in many cases, issued illegally,” said McKeon (D-Essex/Morris). “Taxpayers also have been footing the bill for the side effects of this abuse. It’s long past time for this outrage to finally stop. Taxpayers and public safety deserve better.”

Human growth hormone is not a controlled dangerous substance under federal and state laws. Therefore, prescriptions for human growth hormones would not be monitored as a matter of course under the PMP.

However, the program’s Director is authorized to expand the program to monitor drugs such as human growth hormones after a lengthy and protracted process. The process requires that the director initially determine that the drug should be monitored, taking into consideration various factors, including potential for abuse, scientific evidence or its pharmacological effects, history and current patterns of abuse, and the risk to the public health. The director is then required to monitor the drug on a temporary basis, after which the director has the discretion to permanently add the drug to the monitoring program, which must follow the regulatory process of publication in the New Jersey Register.

In light of the investigations that have revealed significant abuses in the use of human growth hormones throughout New Jersey that pose a risk to the public’s health and safety, this bill is intended to ensure that human growth hormones are added to the monitoring program as soon as possible.

“It’s bad enough that this abuse has been costing the taxpayers of this state millions of dollars,” said Ramos (D-Hudson). “But law enforcement officers susceptible to ‘roid rage’ pose a grave danger to the public safety. This measure will increase accountability and awareness and send a message that this behavior must stop.”

“Steroid abuse often comes with increased aggression, so this illegal activity by those assigned to protect our safety has been costly to taxpayers and put people at risk,” said Vainieri Huttle (D-Bergen). “It cannot continue. This bill will prevent abuse, save taxpayers money and hopefully lead to these abusers getting the help they need before it’s too late.”

The bill was released by the Assembly Health and Senior Services Committee.

Article source: http://www.assemblydems.com/Article.asp?ArticleID=5143

Moriarty, Albano, Ramos Vainieri Huttle Bill Targeting Unsolicited Checks Advanced by Assembly Panel

Bars Sending Checks to Consumers That Once Cashed Enroll Them in Costly Programs

(TRENTON) – Legislation Assembly Democrats Paul Moriarty, Nelson Albano, Ruben J. Ramos Jr and Valerie Vainieri Huttle sponsored to make it illegal to mail unsolicited checks that once cashed enroll consumers in costly programs was advanced 5-0 Monday by an Assembly panel.
Moriarty (D-Gloucester/Camden) drafted the bill after a constituent showed him an unsolicited $8.25 check they received from a company. Cashing the check would enroll the consumer in an automotive roadside assistance program that costs $15.99 per month.
“These so-called free money offers are at their best deceptive and, at their worst, downright dishonest,” Moriarty said. “Right now, consumers are at their most vulnerable to fall for a scheme that appears to offer them instant cash but would end up costing them much more in the long-run.”
“Instead of relying on tricks, companies looking to sell their services in New Jersey should go back to the old-fashioned way – earning consumers’ trust,” said Albano (D-Cape May/Atlantic/Cumberland).
“Checks related to legitimate services would be exempt, as they should, but trying to take advantage of people in these difficult economic times is just flat out wrong,” said Ramos (D-Hudson). “We can do better and this bill will make sure of that.”
“It’s unfortunate, but true, that people try to take advantage of others in this tough economy by throwing what appears to be free money their way, but nothing in life is free,” said Vainieri Huttle (D-Bergen). “This bill, quite simply, does the right thing by ending these scams.”

The legislation (A-1227) would make it unlawful to send an unsolicited check to an individual which, upon being cashed or redeemed, obligates the recipient to pay fees or enrolls them in any club, service, plan or continuing agreement.
Checks related to legitimate banking services or stemming from a pre-existing and direct business-to-consumer relationship would be exempt from the measure’s provision.
An unlawful practice under the Consumer Fraud Act is punishable by a fine of not more than $10,000 for a first offense and not more than $20,000 for any subsequent offense.
Violations can also result in cease and desist orders by the Attorney General, the assessment of punitive damages and the awarding of treble damages and costs to the injured party.
The bill was advanced by the Assembly Consumer Affairs Committee chaired by Moriarty.

Article source: http://www.assemblydems.com/Article.asp?ArticleID=5144

WISNIEWSKI, VAINIERI HUTTLE, STENDER RAMOS SEEKING SUBPOENA POWER FOR ASSEMBLY PANEL TO GET ANSWERS FROM PORT AUTHORITY

(TRENTON) – Assembly Democrats John Wisniewski, Valerie Vainieri Huttle, Linda Stender and Ruben Ramos, Jr. have introduced legislation that would grant the Assembly Transportation Committee rare subpoena power in order to obtain highly sought after answers into the record toll hikes approved in August by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ), which has refused to appear before the panel thus far.

The bipartisan legislation (AR-61), which is also sponsored by Assemblyman Michael Patrick Carroll, was prompted by a series of scathing reports and questionable decisions by the Port Authority over the last six months.

“The Port Authority is beginning to look more and more like an out-of-control agency that has forgotten it exists to serve the public,” said Wisniewski (D-Middlesex), Deputy Assembly Speaker and Chair of the Assembly Transportation Committee. “They hid information about the toll increase, continue to waste money on overtime, stack their payroll with political cronies, failed to respond to public records requests, and now they’re attempting to obfuscate it all by declining our hearing invitation. It’s time to get straight answers once and for all.”

The legislation would allow the panel to convene as a special committee with the power to issue subpoenas to compel the attendance of individuals and testimony and the production of books, papers, correspondence, and other relevant documents.

“Given the deficiencies detailed in the recent audit, it calls into question the need for the exorbitant toll hikes heaped on commuters last fall,” said Vainieri Huttle (D-Bergen), who is sponsoring legislation (A-1011) along with Ramos and Wisniewski to overhaul the way the Authority conducts business. “Toll payers shouldn’t be forced to suffer for the Port Authority’s lack of oversight, insufficient cost controls and poor capital planning. More importantly, they shouldn’t be lied to and kept in the dark, especially when it impacts their daily finances. If they’re not willing to take control of their finances, somebody must.”

In August, a New York Comptroller audit revealed that the Port Authority had wasted nearly half of a billion dollars on overtime costs over the last five years. Despite this and other reports of mismanagement and abuse, the agency went ahead and approved near record toll hikes with little public input, citing, among other things, increased costs for the Word Trade Center reconstruction project. After the agency was sued by AAA of New York and Northern New Jersey, the authority then rescinded the claims that a portion of the tolls would be used for the World Trade Center site, calling into question the need for the exorbitant hike.

Consequently, Wisniewski called a Feb. 2 hearing of the Assembly Transportation, Public Works and Independent Authorities Committee to investigate the authority’s finances and invited the Executive Director of the Port Authority who declined to attend or send a representative in his place.

Several days later, a scathing audit described the agency as “a challenged and dysfunctional organization” that suffered from a lack of oversight, insufficient cost controls and poor capital planning.

“We’ve now seen not one, but two scathing audits detail the complete lack of accountability and transparency at the Port Authority,” said Stender (D-Middlesex/Somerset/Union). “At this point, it appears as though the agency is accountable to no one, certainly not the toll payers who are bearing the burden of the authority’s actions and clearly not lawmakers either. It’s time to put an end to that.”

“The back-pedaling, double-talk and lack of transparency has to change,” said Ramos (D-Hudson). “This is a monstrous agency that impacts the lives of countless tri-state area commuters every day and yet they operate in the shadows answering to no one. We must shine some light on the way they operate.”

Specifically, the legislation will allow the Assembly Transportation, Public Works and Independent Authorities Committee to be constituted as a special committee of the General Assembly (under chapter 13 of Title 52 of state statutes) with subpoena power to investigate all aspects of the finances of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, including, but not limited to, the recently proposed 10-year capital plan, the allocation of the revenue generated from the recently imposed toll increase plan and where that revenue is being spent, and the salary, overtime, and other compensation paid to officers and employees of the authority.

Article source: http://www.assemblydems.com/Article.asp?ArticleID=5105

VAINIERI HUTTLE: PORT AUTHORITY AUDIT COMFIRMS WHAT WE KNEW ALL ALONG

Assemblywoman Urges Swift Passage of Legislation to Institute Accountability at Troubled Agency

Assemblywoman Valerie Vainieri Huttle (D-Bergen) on Tuesday released the following statement on the newly released audit of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which described the agency as “a challenged and dysfunctional organization”:

“This audit confirms what we have been saying all along. It’s time to change the way the Port Authority does business. The Assembly took the first steps last week, approving the ‘Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Transparency and Accountability Act’ in committee.

Now more than ever, it’s important that we get this legislation to the Governor’s desk as soon as possible. Commuters shouldn’t have to pay the price for the Port Authority’s dysfunction. It’s time to institute accountability once and for all,” said Vainieri Huttle.

Vainieri Huttle is the lead sponsor of the aforementioned legislation (A-1011) and has worked on the issue since last summer when she joined forces with New York State Senator Andrew Lanza, who is sponsoring the measure in the New York legislature. Any legislation governing the bi-state agency must be approved by the legislatures in both New Jersey and New York.

Article source: http://www.assemblydems.com/Article.asp?ArticleID=5067

RAMOS, WAGNER, VAINIERI HUTTLE, MORIARTY, MILAM WISNIEWSKI 4-BILL PORT AUTHORITY OVERHAUL PACKAGE ADVANCES

Bills Would Increase Municipal Revenues, Enhance Accountability, Place Restrictions on Employee Perks Provide Legislative Oversight of Multi-Billion Dollar Bi-State Agency

(TRENTON) — A legislative package aimed at enhancing legislative oversight and public transparency at the New York/New Jersey Port Authority (Port Authority) was released Thursday from the Assembly Transportation, Public Works and Independent Authorities Committee.

A series of increasingly alarming news reports in recent months have drawn sharp criticisms about how the multi-billion dollar agency conducts its business. Concerns have been raised over overtime costs in excess of $90 million; contradicting statements about where the majority of the money raised by the agency’s September toll hike was being spent; $4 million in Christie administration patronage hires; and borderline-ridiculous levels of perks for authority members and retirees.

“We essentially have an agency funded by tolls and taxpayer dollars more or less operating with no outside oversight,” said Deputy Speaker John S. Wisniewski (D-Middlesex), the chairman of the Assembly transportation panel. “In light of the litany of disturbing news reports about the agency’s operations, it seems apparent that a legislative intervention on behalf of taxpayers and commuters is necessary.”

The first bill in the package (A-699) would require the Port Authority, a tax exempt entity, to make payments to municipalities on properties it owns in New Jersey in the amount that would have otherwise been paid in property taxes on those properties. The bi-state agency owns properties in 15 counties in New York and New Jersey and, according to the sponsors — Assembly members Ruben J. Ramos, Jr., and Connie Wagner — the measure would attempt to mitigate the loss of tax revenue faced by towns where the Port Authority owns property.

The bill contains a hold-harmless provision that would allow any current or future negotiated payment amounts in excess of the bill’s minimums to continue unabated.

“We have had conflicting reports about what the Port Authority has been doing with its extra revenue since raising PATH fares by almost 14.5 percent,” said Ramos (D-Hudson), a member of the Assembly transportation panel. “Since the authority can’t seem to tell us what, if anything, the extra money is going to, it should be used to reimburse towns for their lost property tax revenue.”

“If the Port Authority can afford to pay $90 million a year in overtime and waive toll payments for present and former commissioners, then it stands to reason that it can afford to pay New Jersey municipalities for the use of their land,” said Wagner (D-Bergen).

The second bill (A-1011) — sponsored by Assembly members Valerie Vainieri Huttle, Wagner and Ramos — entitled the “Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Transparency and Accountability Act,” would implement reforms at the bi-state agency to ensure that it operates as an open, transparent, and accountable authority.

“With at least 55 percent of Port Authority bridge and tunnel tolls and 80 percent of PATH fares paid by New Jersey residents, we have a vested interest in seeing our hard-earned commuting money being properly spent,” said Vainieri Huttle (D-Bergen). “Recent news stories indicate that this is not the case, something this legislation seeks to rectify.”

“It is simply no longer acceptable for the Port Authority to continue to conduct its business behind closed doors,” said Wagner. “New Jersey taxpayers and commuters deserve to know precisely how their toll and tax dollars are being spent.”

“This is an agency that annually spends billions of dollars in taxpayer money,” said Ramos. “The New Jersey taxpayers and commuters who provide this funding have a right to know that their money is being spent on projects and salaries that are appropriate and fiscally sound.”

Specifically, the act would create requirements for:

• An independent auditing of the Port Authority;
• Open public meetings and the publication of minutes of the meetings of the authority’s Board of Commissioners;
• Public hearings to be held in the port district of New York and New Jersey to discuss any proposed fee, toll, charge or fare increase;
• The establishment of audit, finance and governance committees;
• Financial disclosures and training for commissioners;
• Financial reports certified by the chair and vice-chair of the board of Commissioners of the Port Authority and the executive director, deputy executive director and chief financial officer of the authority; and
• The creation of a fiduciary responsibility for commissioners.

The third bill (A-1247), sponsored by Assemblymen Paul D. Moriarty and Matthew W. Milam, would impose various restrictions on perks and benefits for the Port Authority, its subsidiary corporations and the commissioners, officers and employees of same.

“At the same time that the average commuter is paying thousands of dollars a year to cross Port Authority-owned bridges and tunnels, you have commissioners and employees of the agency literally getting a free ride because of where they work,” said Moriarty (D-Gloucester). “That simply isn’t fair and it needs to stop.”

“The commissioners and employees of the Port Authority are charged with the responsibility of spending billions of our tax dollars each year on a variety of projects,” said Milam (D-Cumberland). “Because of the scope of their responsibility to the taxpayers, they should be held to the same standards of behaviors as public officials.”

The bill would prohibit the Port Authority and its subsidiaries from:

• Compensating any commissioner, officer or employee for expenses related to commuting or a personal vehicle;
• Exempting any commissioner, officer or employee, or former commissioner, officer or employee from payment of any Port Authority tolls or fares or reimbursing any such individual for use of any of any Port Authority tolled facilities or transportation services or for payment of any other expense for commuting between home and work or for travel not directly related to the public business of the authority;
• Providing to any commissioner, officer or employee a driver whose assigned full-time or part-time duties are to operate any motor vehicle in which the commissioner, officer or employee, or an immediate family member is a passenger, unless the drive is a law enforcement officer who is assigned also to provide for the security of the commissioner, officer or employee when the need for such security has been documented;
• Compensating any commissioner, officer, or employee for overnight travel on behalf of the authority or for purposes of conducting authority business unless such travel arrangements and itinerary are approved in writing by the authority board at a public meeting, excepting emergent situations relating to the authority’s business;
• Extending to any commissioner, officer or employee a personal line of credit or any other form of credit agreement for any purpose unless the use of such credit card is directly related and essential to the performance of those official duties of the commissioner, officer or employee, as documented in writing, that concern the maintenance of security for specified persons or property, law enforcement, inspections or audits of regulated facilities, entities or persons or the health, safety and welfare of members of the public;
• Providing to any commissioner, officer or employee any personal expense allowance or contingent fund for personal or official expenses except where such allowance or fund is expressly provided for by stature or legislative appropriation;
• Providing to any commissioner, officer or employee an allowance, stipend, subsidy or other form of payment for the purchase, lease or maintenance of a residence; and
• Providing tuition reimbursement to officers and employees unless:
  • The course is taken at an accredited public institution of higher learning in New York or New Jersey;
  • The course is directly related to the skills and knowledge required for the duties being performed by the officer or employee or required for the performance of the duties of a position to which the officer or employee may directly be promoted form the current position;
  • The officer or employee agrees to remain an officer or employee for five years after the final tuition reimbursement is made; and
  • Total tuition reimbursement is not to exceed 50 percent of the total tuition.

The bill also would prohibit commissioners, officer and employees of the Port Authority or its subsidiary corporations from:

• Soliciting or accepting any compensation, reward, employment, gift, honorarium, out-of-state travel or subsistence expense or any other thing of value from any source other than the authority for any matter related to the official duties of the commissioner, officer or employee or under any other circumstance which could reasonably be expected to influence the manner in which authority business is conducted;
• Engaging in employment with any professional service provider, vendor or independent contractor of the authority for two years after termination;
• Accepting use of a Port Authority or Port Authority subsidiary-owned resident for purposes not directly related and essential to the performance of those official duties of the officer or employee; and
• Soliciting, receiving or agreeing to receive, whether directly or indirectly, any ticket or other form of admission to any place of entertainment that is provided free of charge or at a discounted rate by the sponsor, promoter, performer or operator of the event or entertainment venue unless the same free or reduced admission is available to:
• The public;
• A class consisting of all officers or employees of New York or New Jersey state agencies, as appropriate, whether or not restricted on the basis of geographic consideration;
• All members of a group or class in which membership is unrelated to Port Authority service;
• All members of an organization, such as an employees’ association or state or other public entity credit union, in which membership is related to Port Authority service; or
• A group or class that is not defined in a manner that specifically discriminates among state or Port Authority officers or employees on the basis of branch of government or type of responsibility, or on a basis that favors those of higher rank or rate of pay.

Any commissioner, officer or employee of the authority or its subsidiaries who willfully engages in conduct, or accepts a benefit, in violation of the provisions of the measure would be subject to removal from office or employment and fined up to $10,000.

The final measure (A-2166), sponsored by Wisniewski, would require that Port Authority minutes be subject to review and approval by the legislatures of New York and New Jersey.

“While Gov. Christie has shown no problem in exercising his gubernatorial veto power over other authorities, he seems to have a blind spot when it comes to the Port Authority,” said Wisniewski. “Adding a layer of legislative oversight will help remedy that and ensure that billions in public dollars are being spent appropriately.”

Under the bill, either legislature, by concurrent resolution, may disapprove the minutes within 10 business days of receipt. If neither legislature acts within the prescribed period, the minutes shall be deemed approved, subject to the governors’ veto.

The bill package now heads to the Assembly Appropriations Committee for further review.

Due to the bi-state nature of the Port Authority, in order for any of these measures to take effect, New York would have to pass and enact identical legislation.

Article source: http://www.assemblydems.com/Article.asp?ArticleID=5040

VAINIERI HUTTLE URGES APPROVAL OF MARRIAGE EQUALITY BILL TO BREAKDOWN STIGMAS THAT INSPIRE BULLYING, DISCRIMINATION

Assemblywoman’s Civil Rights Bill Would Bring Equal Treatment to All Couples

Assemblywoman Valerie Vainieri Huttle (D-Bergen), one of the sponsors of democratic legislation to create true marriage equality for same-sex couples in New Jersey, today released the following statement as the Assembly Judiciary panel listens to testimony on the legislation:

“One year ago, Governor Christie signed the Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights, one of the toughest anti-bullying laws in the country.

“I certainly remember the articulate and brave young men and women who shared their horrific experiences with the Legislature. Many of those students were targeted because of their sexual orientation. It became clear that while bullying affects all students, those who identify as gay or are perceived to be gay are disproportionately impacted by peer harassment and intimidation.

“The purpose of the anti-bullying law is to respond to bullying and also to prevent it. That can only be done by teaching students that although they are not all the same, they are all equal and will be treated equally in our state.

“Unfortunately, that is not true.

“LGBT students, as well as their peers, know that when it is time to get married in our state, they will not be treated equally. They will not be treated fairly.

“New Jersey schools are tasked with teaching students that discrimination against their fellow classmates is wrong and punishable. It is undoubtedly more difficult to impress the values of fairness and equality upon our children when our state does not allow same sex couples to marry.

“Now is the time to change that. Every person in our state should have the same opportunities and privileges. It is the only way we can truthfully tell our children that intolerance is unacceptable, that discrimination is unacceptable, and that unequal treatment is unacceptable,” said Vainieri Huttle.

The bill (A-1) – titled the Marriage Equality and Religious Exemption Act – would eliminate the civil unions that have been in place since 2007, but have failed to provide equal treatment to New Jersey’s same-sex couples, and instead define marriage as the legally recognized union of two consenting people in a committed relationship.

Vainieri Huttle noted that six states and the District of Columbia, together comprising 35 million Americans, allow same-sex couples to marry.

The bill also expressly stipulates that no member of the clergy of any religion authorized to solemnize marriage and no religious society, institution or organization in this state shall be required to solemnize any marriage in violation of the free exercise of religion guaranteed by the First Amendment to the United States Constitution.

It also includes another religious exemption stating that no religious society, institution or organization in this state serving a particular faith or denomination shall be compelled to provide space, services, advantages, goods or privileges related to the solemnization, celebration or promotion of marriage if such solemnization, celebration or promotion of marriage is in violation of the beliefs of such religious society, institution or organization.

Also, the bill states that no civil claim or cause of action against any religious society, institution or organization, or any employee thereof, shall arise out of any refusal to provide space, services, advantages, goods or privileges.

Under the bill, partners who have previously established a civil union may apply for a marriage license and would receive the license immediately, without the usual 72-hour waiting period between application for, and issuance of, the license. The usual fees for a marriage license would apply to same sex couples.

The bill is also sponsored by Assembly Democratic lawmakers Speaker Sheila Oliver, Reed Gusciora, Connie Wagner, Mila Jasey, John McKeon, Jason O’Donnell, John Wisniewski and Timothy Eustace.

It would take effect on the 60th day following enactment.

Article source: http://www.assemblydems.com/Article.asp?ArticleID=5045