Senator Donald Norcross
I have been a lifelong advocate for working men and women, helping to provide good jobs where workers are treated with decency and respect on the job, after the job, and when work is hard to find. These same values guide me as a legislator. I am committed to lower taxes, smaller government and job creation in order to help make New Jersey more affordable for our citizens, especially seniors and working families struggling to make ends meet.
Since taking office, I am proud to have sponsored key legislative initiatives that are now law. Included in those initiatives is the “New Jersey First Act” (S1730), which requires most new public employees to live in the state of New Jersey – making them accountable to the same rules that they enforce, pay the taxes that pay their wages, and spend their earnings boosting New Jersey’s businesses. In addition, I have sponsored laws that allow our public safety officers to hire well-trained staff quickly and keep our police officers and firefighters on the job (S1799, S1800). Other legislation that is now law includes S1923, which allows Sunday motorcycles sales in the state of New Jersey – a commonsense move that promotes businesses in the state.
Other legislation that I am working on includes:
S2347-S2351: The “Government Reality Check Act”. The far-reaching law would reduce costs by eliminating or sharply curtailing spending associated with everything from multimillion-dollar government contracts to official perks such as car and housing allowances, full-time designated personal drivers and government-issued credit cards. It would impose strict new ethics standards, such as a revolving-door policy banning officials from working with certain private employers for two years after leaving their government job. And it would establish new standards of transparency and accountability for all public bodies.
S1925, S2144, S2204: These bills take aim at improving our public schools in different aspects, including requiring the adoption of nepotism policies by school districts and charter schools, providing students and families with written notification from school districts regarding the use of school owned electronic devices given to students, and the establishment of a requirement that workers on school facilities construction projects undergo criminal background checks and the same completed for nonpublic school employees.
Assemblyman Gilbert L. “Whip” WilsoN
Public service is has been the guiding principle of my professional career. As a young man, I served in the United States Air Force in the Vietnam War – and I am committed to serve my fellow veterans and their families as a member of the Veterans and Military Affairs Committee. After my service, I spent 26 years as a police officer in Camden, rising to rank of lieutenant and helping to keep my community safe. As a member of the Law and Public Safety Committee, I will be a strong advocate for recruiting and hiring the best possible police officers and other law enforcement personnel, as well as for providing the resources necessary for law enforcement agencies to do their jobs. I also serve on the Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee, which is responsible for everything from preserving and promoting the Jersey Fresh brand to keeping New Jersey green for commercial growth and tourism.
There have been many legislative accomplishments that I am grateful to have had the opportunity to take part in since beginning my service in the New Jersey General Assembly. Among those accomplishments is A1945, which created the New Jersey Honor Guard Ribbon. The ribbon will be awarded to active members of the New Jersey National Guard, Honor Guard Retiree members and Contracted Civilian Buglers who have served to honor deceased veterans.
Other initiatives that I am currently working on include:
A2729: This bill will allow municipalities to establish weapons-free zones around schools and public facilities. This strict restriction on weapons is an important step in confronting the problems of crime and violence in our communities.
A3688: This legislation would authorize the New Jersey Department of Agriculture to implement a mobile farmers’ market and a fresh produce voucher program for residents of urban “food desert” communities. By bringing the farm directly to these communities, we're restoring their access to the Jersey Fresh produce that the rest of us take for granted.
Assemblyman Angel Fuentes
As a city councilman, and a social worker, I have dedicated my career to improving the lives of the men and women in the communities around me. That’s why I am proud to serve on several committees that have a direct, positive impact on peoples’ lives. I serve on the Higher Education and Human Services Committees to help improve the quality of our schools and to make sure our essential public services are both effective and cost-efficient. I serve on the Joint Committee on Housing Affordability to enhance the availability, affordability and quality of housing in our state. And as a member of the Commerce and Economic Development Committee, I help create jobs for our citizens – jobs that provide a sense of pride, stability, and opportunity to our communities.
Since joining the New Jersey General Assembly, I have been privileged to sponsor important pieces of legislation that are on their way to become law. I am proud to announce that A2416, which modified the Drug Offender Restraining Order Act – making our streets safer by keeping drug dealers and gangs from returning to a scene of a crime – was signed into law in April of 2011.
Currently, I am also working on:
A2810: The “Opportunity Scholarship Act”. Understanding the need to reform public education in New Jersey, this legislation would establish a pilot program in the Department of Treasury providing tax credits to entities contributing to scholarships for low-income children.
A3616: This bill permits 17 year-olds to register to vote, so that they are ready to vote for their next election occurring on or after their 18th birthday. There is no reason we should deny someone the ability to register to vote simply because they are not yet of age to register -- especially someone so close to the legal voting age.
