By Trish Graber- NJ Senate Democrats-  January 23, 2012

Measure Would Authorize State Contribution to Defray Funeral Costs

TRENTON – Legislation sponsored by Senators Donald Norcross (D-Camden/Gloucester) and Fred Madden (D-Gloucester/Camden) to aid the families of fallen police officers, firefighters, emergency medical responders and correctional officers by providing assistance to help cover funeral costs was approved today by Senate Law and Public Safety Committee.

TRENTON – Legislation sponsored by Assemblyman Gilbert L. “Whip” Wilson to improve access to fresh produce for residents living in as few as one selected low-income community with little or no supermarkets – known as a ‘food desert’ – was signed into law yesterday.

The bill (A-3688/S-2728) authorizes the Department of Agriculture to establish a mobile farmers’ market pilot program to be conducted in one or more municipalities to be determined by the Secretary of Agriculture in which residents are unable to obtain adequate access to nutritious foods. The municipality must then agree to participate in the program. Under the pilot program, state-authorized vendors will transport fresh fruits and vegetables into the state-designated community or communities where the produce is to be sold. Vendors will be encouraged to accept government-issued low-income food vouchers as payment, but will be allowed to accept any form of payment at their discretion.

JANUARY 17, 2012

Reform Measure Will Allow Voters to Take Control of Local Finances, Save Money

TRENTON – Legislation sponsored by Senators Donald Norcross (D-Camden/Gloucester) and Shirley K. Turner (D-Mercer) to give voters, municipalities and school districts the ability to move local school elections from April to November is now law.

The law (A-4394/S-3148) will provide residents more control over their property taxes, by allowing voters to decide – without the approval of a government entity – to eliminate a local election date, in some cases saving hundreds of thousands of dollars locally. The law sets forth several methods by which the April school elections could be moved to the date of the November general election, a move which also would provide for greater participation in the election process.

Pilot Program Will Allow for ‘Renaissance School Projects’
in Camden, Newark, Trenton

TRENTON – Legislation sponsored by the 5th District Legislators to create a permissive, state-monitored pilot program that would provide students in three failing school districts access to new, quality public schools in their communities was signed into law today by Governor Chris Christie.