Connors, Rumpf & Gove Outraged by Christie Veto of Superstorm Sandy Clawback Bill
As representatives of a legislative district that’s among those hardest hit by Superstorm Sandy, Senator Christopher J. Connors, Assemblyman Brian E. Rumpf and Assemblywoman DiAnne C. Gove conveyed outrage and empathy for affected Sandy victims in response to Governor Christie’s refusal to sign the Superstorm Sandy clawback bill.
Aerial view during an Army search and rescue mission shows damage from Superstorm Sandy to the New Jersey coast, Oct. 30, 2012. (U.S. Air Force/Master Sgt. Mark C. Olsen)
The intent of the legislative policy initiative (A-4784/S-3149), which passed both houses of the Legislature, was to address circumstances in which Superstorm Sandy victims are required to refund overpayments, known as “clawbacks,” in Sandy assistance aid. Each member of the 9th District delegation joined as cosponsors on the bill that was introduced by Assemblyman Reed Gusciora (D-15).
The members of the 9th District delegation issued the following statement regarding Governor’s Christie’s pocket veto of the Sandy clawback bill:
“For those Sandy victims who’ve had too many sleepless nights contending with an endless bureaucratic nightmare, we worked together with the New Jersey Organizing Project to advance this legislation with the intent of providing the necessary assistance, including mediation, to help resolve clawback cases.
Connors, Rumpf & Gove Committee Assignments Cover Veterans, Health, Federal Relations & Higher Education
9th District legislators Senator Christopher J. Connors, Assemblyman Brian E. Rumpf and Assemblywoman DiAnne C. Gove have received their committee assignments for the 2018-2019 Legislative Session.
Connors, Rumpf, and Gove have received their committee assignments for the 2018-2019 legislative session. (Wikimedia Commons)
Senator Connors will once again serve on the Senate Community and Urban Affairs Committee and the Senate Military and Veterans’ Affairs Committee. Assemblyman Rumpf will continue serving on the Regulatory Oversight, Reform and Federal Relations Committee and will be joining the Assembly Health and Senior Services Committee. Assemblywoman Gove will be returning to both the Assembly Military and Veterans’ Affairs Committee as well as the Assembly Higher Education Committee and will be taking on a new assignment by joining the Assembly Human Services Committee.
For the third consecutive legislative session, Assemblyman Rumpf and Assemblywoman Gove were named as policy co-chairs to the Assembly Republican caucus. The 9th District legislators issued the following statement subsequent to receiving their committee assignments.
Connors, Rumpf & Gove: Compelling Need Remains for Controlling Size, Cost & Scope of State Bureaucracy
Following Governor Chris Christie’s final State of the State Address, Senator Christopher J. Connors, Assemblyman Brian E. Rumpf, and Assemblywoman DiAnne C. Gove cautioned on the pressing need in the coming years to continue controlling the cost, size, and scope of the state bureaucracy.
Connors, Rumpf & Gove cautioned on the pressing need in the coming years to continue controlling the cost, size, and scope of the state bureaucracy. (SenateNJ.com)
The 9th District Delegation’s remarks were offered in response to the Governor’s comments in the Address that the state workforce had been reduced by more than 10,000 employees during his Administration.
Connors, Rumpf and Gove issued the following statement following the Governor’s address:
“To bring about the fiscal reform demanded by beleaguered taxpayers, our delegation supported the sustained and very necessary effort to reduce a costly and overbearing state bureaucracy. Too many taxpayers felt the bureaucracy worked against their interests by fixating on imposing suffocating regulations as opposed to providing essential services to the public. Consequently, the costs of paying bureaucrats to write and enforce unwanted and unnecessary government regulations crowded other state budget priorities.
Senate Committee Advances 9th District Delegation Veterans’ License Plate Initiative
Legislation sponsored by Senator Christopher J. Connors which would authorize a special “Support Our Veterans” license plate with proceeds supporting New Jersey homeless veterans’ centers was advanced by the Senate Military and Veterans’ Affairs Committee.
Legislation by Sen. Chris Connors would create special ‘Support Our Veterans’ license plates in support of New Jersey homeless veterans’ centers. (©iStock)
Under Senator Connors’ bill, S-2322, there would be a $50 initial fee, in addition to the registration fees required by law, with a $10 annual fee, in addition to the renewal fees required by law. The Assembly companion bill, A-1540, was passed unanimously by the full Assembly on June 22 of this year.
Senator Connors, along with his 9th District legislative colleagues Assemblyman Brian E. Rumpf and Assemblywoman DiAnne C. Gove, issued the following statement about the recent legislative action:
Connors, Rumpf & Gove: Heroin Dealers Chief Culprits in Elevating Opioid Addiction to Nation Public Health Emergency
In response to President Trump’s declaration of the opioid crisis as a national public health emergency, the 9th District legislative delegation renewed its call for New Jersey to correct a defect in State law that allows heroin dealers to receive lesser sentences as compared to other drug charges.
A bill sponsored by Connors, Rumpf and Gove would increase penalties for heroin dealers. (©iStock)
Senator Christopher J. Connors, Assemblyman Brian E. Rumpf and Assemblywoman DiAnne C. Gove have introduced companion legislation (S-272 and A-1175) which would empower prosecutors to charge drug dealers based on the dosage units rather than the weight of the drug.
Connors, Rumpf & Gove Supporting Bill to Protect Seniors From Telemarketer Harassment
Senator Christopher J. Connors, Assemblyman Brian E. Rumpf and Assemblywoman DiAnne C. Gove are putting their full support behind a legislative initiative to better protect consumers, most especially seniors, from telemarketing harassment.
The 9th District delegation supports legislation to protect consumers from telemarketing harassment. (SenateNJ.com)
Senator Connors is second prime and Assemblyman Rumpf and Assemblywoman Gove have requested to be added on as cosponsors to companion legislation, S-2461 and A-4209, that would establish a task force to evaluate and make recommendations relating to the cost and feasibility of implementing appropriate technology and other methods to reduce incidents of telemarketing harassment and intimidation of consumers in New Jersey.
Connors, Rumpf & Gove: 9th District Stands to Substantially Benefit from New Open Space & Clean Drinking Water Laws
Senator Christopher J. Connors, Assemblyman Brian E. Rumpf and Assemblywoman DiAnne C. Gove hailed the recent signing of several open space and clean water initiatives into law.
Connors, Rumpf, and Gove hailed the recent signing of several open space and clean water initiatives into law. (SenateNJ.com)
Those legislative environmental initiatives are as follows:
- S-3352/A-5045: Appropriates $71,700,224 from constitutionally dedicated CBT revenues and various Green Acres funds to DEP for local government open space acquisition and park development projects;
- S-3353/A-5046: Appropriates $12.3 million from constitutionally dedicated CBT revenues for recreation and conservation purposes to DEP for State capital and park development projects; and
- S-3354/A-5044: Appropriates $8,992,898 to DEP from constitutionally dedicated CBT revenues and various Green Acres funds for grants to certain nonprofit entities to acquire or develop lands for recreation and conservation purposes
Correspondingly, bipartisan legislation (S-3240/A-4996) was also signed into law authorizing the NJ Environmental Infrastructure Trust to provide loans with an interest rate at or below the prevailing market rate to local governments, public authorities, or public water utilities for environmental infrastructure projects, including clean drinking water projects.
9th District Delegation Bill Designating U.S. Constitution Week Signed Into Law
Legislation introduced by the 9th District legislative delegation that designates the week of September 17 through September 23 of each year as “Constitution Week” in order to remember and honor the signing of the Constitution of the United States of America on September 17, 1787 has been signed into law. New Jersey law now correlates with the national week as established by Congress in 1956.
New Jersey will now celebrate ‘Constitution Week’ each year under a bill sponsored by Connors, Rumpf, and Gove that was signed into law. (National Archives)
The joint resolution (AJR-72) supported by Senator Christopher J. Connors, Assemblyman Brian E. Rumpf and Assemblywoman DiAnne C. Gove enjoyed bipartisan sponsorship and was passed unanimously in both houses of the State Legislature. The 9th District delegation issued the following statement on the enactment of their measure:
“In working to establish U.S. Constitution Week in New Jersey, our thoughts were first and foremost with teaching our youth the immensity in which this sacred and living document has impacted not only on our country, but on the entire world.
Connors, Rumpf & Gove: Predictably, Trenton’s School Funding Fairness Plan Was a Bust
Senator Christopher J. Connors, Assemblyman Brian E. Rumpf and Assemblywoman DiAnne C. Gove all remarked on how, once again, Trenton power brokers ensured that the people of the 9th Legislative District will get severely shortchanged in terms of State school aid.
Connors, Rumpf, and Gove remarked on how Trenton power brokers have ensured that the 9th Legislative District will get severely shortchanged in State school aid. (SenateNJ.com)
As part of its constituent outreach efforts, the 9th District delegation issued the following joint statement:
“Once again, the state’s school aid formula failed students, teachers and taxpayers in the 9th Legislative District, as several school district are targeted for aid cuts. Trenton outdid itself by not just continuing to underfund our schools but to go one step further and cut school aid, even to school districts in areas still recovering from Superstorm Sandy.
Connors, Rumpf & Gove Statement on Ending of State Shutdown and Horizon Raid Showdown
Echoing the equivalent level of frustration expressed by their constituents, Senator Christopher J. Connors, Assemblyman Brian E. Rumpf and Assemblywoman DiAnne C. Gove offered the following remarks upon the end of the state government shutdown over the July 4th holiday:
Connors, Rumpf, and Gove echoed the frustration of their constituents over the state government shutdown that lasted until the July 4th holiday. (SenateNJ.com)
“Now that the state government shutdown has ended and the question remains: How was this ever allowed to happen?
“Like many of our constituents, we are still confounded as to why Trenton power brokers were fixated on raiding Horizon’s surplus funds not for the benefit of ratepayers but to fill the state’s coffers. From the outset, our delegation opposed the Horizon raid which the Governor initially made a condition of agreeing to special spending projects, including school funding, in the State Budget. What does Horizon’s surplus level have to do with state school funding?
