New Jersey NEWS Round-Up Tuesday March 6
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(bump – promoted by jmelli)
- The Senate Budget and Appropriations committee advanced two anti-corruption bills yesterday: S1192 making it illegal to knowingly misuse public grants, loans or property for other than the intended use, and S1318, which would allow the Attorney General to seek financial penalties from those convicted of public corruption crimes (such as bribery.) Bills to exempt health club fees and parking from the sales tax and to make new state construction environmentally responsible also advanced. The Senate Economic Growth committee also advanced a bill to exempt the value of renewable energy systems from property taxes. Go solar!
- A package of bills relating to autism passed easily yesterday in the Assembly Health and Senior Services Committee. A full Assembly vote could come next week.
- A bill to stop insurance companies from using education level or occupation as a determining factor for auto insurance rates died in committee yesterday. The bill would have rolled back reforms that have helped make insurance more affordable, according to Sheila Kenney of the Dept. of Banking and Insurance.
- A man suing the Tropicana casino in Atlantic City, claiming that the secondhand smoke in which he had to work gave him lung cancer, has been fired. He says he was \”thrown under the bus\”; the casino says he wasn\’t being singled out and that they have laid off over 200 people this year. Doesn\’t look very good, does it?
- Gov. Corzine is pushing his plan to to expand eligibility for the earned income tax credit to workers earning less than $40,000 a year. Currently, the income cutoff is $20,000.
- Changes to rules for police academies could force some S. Jersey facilities to close. The Police Training Commission now requires two classes a year with a certain level of participation in order to maintain their status.
- There is debate within the Monmouth County Republicans about whether or not Chairman Adam Puharic should continue in his position. He recently became a federal employee and is no longer participating in Repub fundraising, leading some to question what he can do for them.
- A computer consultant for the city of Newark was charged with fraud, using his position to cheat the company out of up to $10million in computer hardware that he later resold.
- It\’s cold. It\’s so cold that road construction work is being postponed on 95 and on Rts. 34/35. It\’s so cold that some folks need help paying their heating bills.
Have at it, Blue Jersey: Open thread time! |
| Sharon GR :: News Round-up and Open Thread for Tuesday, March 6, 2007 |
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