Legislators Return to Trenton for Committees

The State Legislature is returning to Trenton Monday for a round of committee meetings.

For 21st district legislators, Senate Minority Leader Tom Kean Jr. (R-Westfield), Assemblyman Jon Bramnick (R-Westfield) and Assemblywoman Nancy Munoz (R-Summit),  and their colleagues, this is the first time they have returned to Trenton since the Legislature recessed in June after passing the state budget. The Legislature traditionally recesses in June until November in election years to allow members to campaign for reelection. The Legislature will be meeting through the end of their term in January for the traditional lame duck session.

All three local legislators will be attending meetings of their committees today. Kean is scheduled for a meeting of the education committee in the morning followed by the health, human services and senior citizens committee in the afternoon. Bramnick will be attending a consumer affairs committee meeting in the morning following by a meeting of the law and public safety committee in the afternoon. Munoz has a morning meeting with the health and senior services committee on her schedule. Munoz' other committee, human services, is not meeting today.

Kean and his colleagues on the education committee, have nine bills on their docket for the morning meeting. This includes bills granting college credits to high school students who complete the Girl's State and Boy's State programs, a bill to place sensors on school buses to alert drivers to children walking in front or behind the bus and a bill establishing temperature control guidelines for school facilities.

Kean and the health committee have 16 confirmed bills on the agenda with one possible bill. These include bills providing child welfare social workers with police assistance, allowing hospitals to transfer patients with mental health conditions to appropriate facilities, establishes a state child poverty council and requiring chain restaurants to provide nutrition information for food and beverages on menus.

In the Assembly, Munoz and her health committee colleagues are considering two bills one to direct Medicaid to establish a medical home demonstration project and the other to establish the New Jersey Broadband and Electronic Health Information Network Authority. There are six bills which could be assigned to the committee today, including two sponsored by Munoz regarding bans on the use of electronic smoking devices by minors and in public places.

Bramnick will be considering three bills before the consumer affairs panel. These include a bill establishing a credit card do-not-solicit list for certain individuals, allowing identity theft victims to petition courts for factual innocence and asking Congress and President Obama to pass toy safety legislation.

In the public safety committee Bramnick will be considering five bills today. These include bills to create a mental health court and extends the time period for the renewal of lapsed liquor licenses. The committee will be considering a package of prison reform bills proposed by Assembly Majority Leader Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-Mercer County).

The legislators will also be welcoming two new colleagues today in brief sessions of the full chambers. Kean will be welcoming Assemblyman Michael Doherty (R-Warren County) to the Senate. Doherty defeated Sen. Marcia Karrow (R-Hunterdon County) in the June primary to permanently replace U.S. Rep. Leonard Lance (R-Hunterdon County) in the Senate. Bramnick and Munoz will witness the swearing in of former Long Beach Mayor DiAnne Gove (R-Ocean County) to replace former Assemblyman Daniel Van Pelt (R-Ocean County) who resigned over the summer after being arrested on federal corruption charges.