NRA-ILA: Gun Bills Stall in Senate Committee

New Jersey:

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2020

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It’s a good day in Trenton when nothing happens, and that’s exactly what occurred today. The Senate Law and Public Safety Committee failed to advance a pair of gun control bills on Monday’s agenda. A few of the committee members were absent, and those who were there couldn’t agree on the legislation.

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S.120 by Sen. James Holzapfel increases penalties on those who fail to secure firearms from minors resulting in death. New Jersey already prosecutes negligent storage, however, S.120 increases the penalty in these cases. This year’s bill at least takes into consideration an objection raised by NRA and ANJRPC in previous hearings, and provides an exception for minors who gain access for self-defense purposes. However, despite this modest improvement, we have learned that anti-gun groups and lawmakers have huddled, deciding the bill doesn’t go far enough. We obviously do not have access to forthcoming amendments, so our analysis has been confined to the original bill.

Another bill, S.746 by Sen. Vin Gopal, would prohibit those convicted of “animal cruelty” from purchasing or possessing a firearm. Clearly, animal abuse is a serious issue and offenders should be prosecuted, and New Jersey already prohibits serious animal abusers from owning firearms. However, there seemed to be a good deal of confusion about the particulars of the bill, specifically what constitutes “animal cruelty.” A consensus emerged among committee members and even a couple witnesses that the bill was overly broad, and they are going to re-examine the definition of “animal cruelty.”

Thank you to the NRA members who contacted members of the committee. Please continue to follow NRA-ILA alerts for updates on these bills and others.

For those wishing to continue to express concerns, please contact the committee members below:

Members of the Senate Law and Public Safety Committee:

Linda Greenstein

(Chair) (D14)

SenGreenstein@njleg.org

Phone: 609-395-9911

Joe Cryan

(Vice Chair) (D20)

SenCryan@njleg.org

Phone: 908-624-0880

Anthony M. Bucco

(R25)

SenBucco@njleg.org

Phone: 973-627-9700

Nia H. Gill

(D34)

SenGill@njleg.org

Phone: 973-509-0388

Declan O\’Scanlon

(D13)

SenOScanlon@njleg.org

Phone: 732-933-1591

Nick Sacco

(D32)

SenSacco

njleg.org

Phone: 201-295-0200

Gloucester County Republicans Announce Endorsements

Vigilante predicts electoral success in 2020

MULLICA HILL – Gloucester County Republican Chairwoman Jacci Vigilante announced today the organization has endorsed Rik Mehta for U.S. Senate, Congressman Jeff Van Drew in the Second Congressional District and Claire Gustafson in the First Congressional District.

“In the US Senate race, after a thorough screening process through a Screening Committee, whose recommendations were made to the Executive Committee, Rik Mehta was awarded the Party line,” Jacci Vigilante said. “The thoroughness of our screening process ensured the Executive Committee that Rik Mehta is a conservative Republican with a keen grasp of the issues who is ready to take the fight to Cory Booker.”

Vigilante continued, “Also earning the party’s endorsement for the Second Congressional District is incumbent Congressman Jeff Van Drew. The Congressman is an excellent addition to our GOP family who cares deeply for our country and is a tireless advocate for South Jersey. Gloucester County GOP is proud to join President Trump in endorsing Congressman Van Drew.

“In the First Congressional District Claire Gustafson has earned the party’s endorsement. Claire has a history of stepping up for the Camden County GOP, is a former member of the School Board in Collingswood, is the Collingswood Republican chair and most recently resurrected Camden County’s Republican women organization. She’s got the experience and the ability to build the organization necessary to mount a competitive campaign against Donald Norcross.”

Vigilante added, “Both, Congressman Van Drew and Claire Gustafson care about our county and respect our process, so much so that while no other candidates for Congress in either district asked to be screened they both appeared before the Screening Committee because they wanted to earn our endorsement and not simply be given the line.”

“President Trump won Gloucester County in 2016 and Bob Hugin won Gloucester County in 2018, I believe in 2020 these candidates, along with our team of Freeholder candidates, Greenwich Township Mayor George Shivery, entrepreneur Chris Konawel and Franklin Township School Board member Nick DeSilvio will keep voters in the column all the way down to the municipal level and Gloucester County Republicans will enjoy electoral success in 2020,” Vigilante said.

NEW 2020 DEMOCRATS FEATURED IN COMIC BOOK SERIES

TidalWave Comics is proud to announce the addition of several comic books to its popular “Political Power” series focused on the Democratic Party candidates vying to replace President Trump.

With the 2020 U.S. presidential election in full swing, TidalWave’s latest slate features Joe Biden, Pete Buttigieg, Bernie Sanders, Mike Bloomberg and Elizabeth Warren.

TidalWave has profiled politicians for more than 11 years using the unique storytelling properties of comic books. In 2016, the company published books featuring Republican presidential candidates, including Marco Rubio, Jeb Bush, Rand Paul and, of course, Donald Trump.

“In 2016, we focused heavily on Republicans. This time, we are heavy on the Democrats,” TidalWave Comics Publisher Darren Davis said.

Davis’ balanced approach appealed to writer Michael Frizell, an administrator at Missouri State University who wrote several of the biography comics during the last election cycle. “My goal is always to tell a good story,” Frizell said.

The biography comic format allows TidalWave writers to delve into the history of newsworthy figures and explore what shaped them. Several media outlets, including CNN, FOX News, “The Today Show” and Time and People magazines, have featured the company’s line of biographical comic books.

“As a reluctant reader, I found the comic book form easy to access, so I always believed comics could both entertain and teach,” Davis said.

The comic books give readers insights into the candidates’ personal stories, plus they make great political memorabilia.

Print copies of the biography comics are available on Amazon. Digital versions are available from iTunes, Kindle, Nook, ComiXology, Kobo and wherever e-books are sold.

Political Power: Joe Biden

Written by Wey-Yuih Loh

Art by Jonathan Rector

Joe Biden was once America’s youngest member of Congress. As Barack Obama’s running mate and eventual vice president, Biden gradually carved a place for himself in American history. Like all long-serving politicians, his road to the presidency has not been easy. This biography comic traces Biden’s life in an easily accessible story that gives the reader insight into Biden’s character.

Political Power: Peter Buttigieg

Release date: April 2020

Written by Michael L. Frizell

Art by Juan José Pereyra

Cover by famed comic book artist: Dave Ryan

Peter Paul Montgomery Buttigieg, a veteran of the Afghanistan War, is the son of professors at Notre Dame who instilled in him a desire to learn. After graduating from Harvard and studying at Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar, Pete became the nation’s youngest mayor. His tenure at the helm of South Bend, Indiana, has met with some controversy, but Mayor Pete, the first openly gay candidate for U.S. president, has grown to be a rising star in the Democratic Party.

Political Power: Bernie Sanders

Written and art by Joe Paradise

The longest-serving independent member of Congress in American history, the often-fiery senator from Vermont enjoyed a grassroots-level groundswell of support that brought him within striking distance of the nomination for president in 2016. Bernie is back, consistently polling high with Democrats and Independents and ready to take on the establishment in 2020.

Political Power: Mike Bloomberg

Release date: May 2020

Written by Michael L. Frizell

Cover by famed comic book artist: Dave Ryan

Mike Bloomberg, the once Republican mayor of New York City, is now a Democrat and ready to take on President Trump in the 2020 election. The billionaire is self-funding his race for the nomination and has traded barbs with the president in some very public feuds. Read the story of a self-made billionaire who wants to lead the United States of America.

Female Force: Elizabeth Warren

Written by Michael L. Frizell

Art by Pablo Martinena & Vincenzo Sansone

Senator Elizabeth Warren is a favorite target of President Trump. Undaunted, Warren has carved a name for herself as a rising star in the Democratic Party and a presidential candidate who fights big banks and large corporations to support the middle class. From her modest roots in rural Oklahoma to her exalted role as a senator from Massachusetts, Warren’s story comes to life in this issue of Female Force.

The latest books featuring 2020 Democratic Party presidential candidates join TidalWave’s ever-growing library of more than 200 comic book biographies. Previous titles have profiled Donald Trump, Condoleezza Rice, George Bush, Marco Rubio and Rand Paul, among others.

Please feel free to use the images and credit TidalWave Productions. To download some PDF’s and covers click here:

http://bit.ly/38UiSZG

Review copies in PDF form and interview opportunities are available upon request.

For more information about the company, visit

www.tidalwavecomics.com

About TidalWave Comics

TidalWave is a multifaceted multimedia production company with the mission of delivering dynamic storytelling in a variety of forms by developing graphic and literary fiction and nonfiction, audio, film and more. The company’s wide range of diverse titles delight readers through its creative and innovative storytelling available in high-quality print and electronic formats.

TidalWave delivers a multimedia experience unparalleled in the burgeoning graphic fiction and nonfiction marketplace. Dynamic storytelling, coupled with groundbreaking art, delivers an experience like no other. Stories are told through multiple platforms and genres, gracing the pages of graphic novels, novelizations, engaging audio dramas and cutting-edge film projects. Diversity defines TidalWave’s offerings in the burgeoning pop-culture marketplace through its use of fresh voices and innovative storytellers.

As one of the top independent publishers of comic books and graphic novels, TidalWave unites cutting-edge art and engaging stories produced by the publishing industry’s most exciting artists and writers. Its extensive catalog of comic book titles includes the bestsellers “10th Muse” and “The Legend of Isis,” complemented by a line of young adult books and audiobooks.

TidalWave’s publishing partnerships include entertainment icon William Shatner (“TekWar Chronicles”), legendary filmmaker Ray Harryhausen (“Wrath of the Titans,” “Sinbad: Rogue of Mars,” “Jason and the Argonauts” and more), novelists S.E. Hinton (“The Puppy Sister”) and William F. Nolan (“Logan’s Run”), and celebrated actors Vincent Price (“Vincent Price Presents”), Dirk Benedict of the original “Battlestar Galactica” (“Dirk Benedict in the 25

Century”) and Adam West of 1966’s “Batman” fame (“The Mis-Adventures of Adam West”). TidalWave also publishes a highly successful line of biographical comics under the titles “Orbit,” “Fame,” “Beyond,” “Tribute,” “Female Force” and “Political Power.”

Detectives Searching for Suspect Involved in Two Collingswood Burglaries

Camden City, N.J. (February 25, 2020)–– Detectives are searching for a man believed to be involved in two separate Collingswood burglaries Feb 22, according to Acting Camden County Prosecutor Jill S. Mayer and Collingswood Police Chief Kevin Carey.

Surveillance footage from Virginia Avenue

Just before 11 a.m. Saturday, a victim arrived at their home on the 400 block of Virginia Avenue to find a man inside. Detectives said he told the victim to get on the ground before he left. Police learned surveillance cameras outside of the home captured him leaving wearing a distinct shirt underneath a black sweatshirt.

Through the investigation, detectives found video of a man entering CVS on the White Horse Pike not long after the burglary. In the video, the man was wearing a multicolored zip-up with a shirt underneath that matched the shirt from the burglary.

Later the same day, the man is captured on a Ring doorbell camera breaking into a home on the 400 block of Champion Avenue around 12:30 p.m. In the video, the man is wearing the same multicolored zip-up from the CVS footage.

Footage from a inside home on the 400 block of Champion Avenue

Footage from a home on the 400 block of Champion Avenue

Investigators are looking into these two cases together, but said it’s unclear if this man has any involvement with the Feb. 23 home invasion on Crestmont Terrace.

If you have any information that could help identify the man seen in the surveillance footage, contact Camden County Prosecutor’s Office Detective Mike Batista at 856-676-8175 or Collingswood Sgt. William Lyons at 609-868-0266.

Tips may also be emailed to

ccpotips@ccprosecutor.org

NJBIA Statement on Gov. Murphy\’s Proposed FY 2021 Budget

NJBIA President and CEO Michele N. Siekerka, Esq. issued the following statement regarding Gov. Phil Murphy\’s proposed FY 2021 budget today.

\”NJBIA appreciates Governor Murphy\’s efforts to prepare a state budget that makes investments in New Jersey\’s future, particularly given our state\’s considerable fiscal challenges. We support investments in NJ TRANSIT and workforce development proposed today, and await more details on potential public health benefits savings.

\”Unfortunately, this proposed budget continues along the well-worn path of more taxation and spending without truly addressing the structural issues that leave New Jersey with an ever-increasing mountain of debt.

Gloucestercitynews.net graphics

\”Today\’s proposal increases New Jersey\’s overall budget by 5.4% compared to last fiscal year and 17.6% from FY 2018. To balance this additional spending, the governor is again looking to place an even greater burden on our already overtaxed residents and job creators whose slim profit margins have been reduced amid costly mandates and onerous regulations.

\”The question we need to ask ourselves today is: How can tax increases be justified at a time of a budget surplus, built largely on the backs of business, and when spending on discretionary items is going up by hundreds of millions of dollars?

\”New Jersey has experienced a net loss of $30.1 billion in adjusted gross income over the last 14 years of available data. This is indisputable. Broadening the base for the top gross income tax rate will do nothing to reverse this trend. It will make more top earners pay the second highest top income rate in the nation. It will also not bring about meaningful property tax relief.

\”True relief for the middle class will only be found when our policymakers stop their tax-first approach and embark on a reform agenda that comprehensively addresses underfunded pensions.

\”Without that fiscal discipline and political resolve, New Jersey will continue along the path of ballooning budgets and ever-escalating taxes. And our affordability crisis will worsen as we wonder what new or increased tax will be proposed next year to fund the pension system.

\”We hope that during this budget season, Governor Murphy and the Legislature can work together on a comprehensive strategy that addresses our unsustainable obligations and gives our great state the opportunity to grow our economy through responsible, sound investment.\”

Drug Dealer Tareese Brown Charged with Death of Medford Twp. Customer

Rashan Demby (left) and Tareese Brown, both of Camden City

MOUNT HOLLY NJ (February 25, 2020)–Burlington County Prosecutor Scott Coffina and Medford Township Police Chief Richard Meder announced that a 30-year-old Camden drug dealer has been charged with causing the fatal overdose of a Medford Township woman to whom he sold fentanyl-laced heroin and cocaine last year.

Tareese Brown, of the 200 block of Ablett Village in Camden, was charged with Strict Liability for Drug-Induced Death (First Degree), ten counts of Possession of a Controlled Dangerous Substance (Third Degree), ten counts of Distribution of a Controlled Dangerous Substance (Third Degree), and two counts of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Dangerous Substance (Third Degree).

The investigation began on September 22 after officers from the Medford Township Police Department were called to Club House Lane for a report of an unresponsive 55-year-old female. An autopsy performed by Burlington County Medical Examiner Dr. Ian Hood determined the woman died of fentanyl and cocaine toxicity.

The investigation determined the drugs that caused the fatal overdose had been purchased from Brown. The investigation also led to charges against Rashan Demby, 33, of the 1200 block of Langham Avenue in Camden. He was charged with two counts each of Possession of a Controlled Dangerous Substance (Third Degree), Distribution of a Controlled Dangerous Substance (Third Degree) and Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Dangerous Substance (Third Degree).

Brown was arrested in Camden on February 20 by the U.S. Marshals Service New York/New Jersey Regional Fugitive Task Force. Demby was arrested in Mount Holly on February 21 by the Burlington County Sheriff’s Department. They are lodged in the Burlington County Jail awaiting a pre-trial detention hearing.

The case was investigated by the Medford Township Police Department, with assistance from the Prosecutor’s Office Gang, Gun and Narcotics Task Force. The lead investigator is Medford Township Detective William Knecht.

Brown and Demby will be prosecuted by Assistant Prosecutor Michael Angermeier, supervisor of the GGNTF.

All persons are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.

*The Salvation Army Kroc Center in Camden Hosts 5th Annual Garbage Bag Gala

Fashion Show Supports Women’s and Family Programs at Kroc Center

Camden City, NJ

–

The Salvation Army Ray and Joan Kroc Corps Community Center

in Camden City will hold its

Annual Garbage Bag Gala Fashion Show, presented by U.S. Facilities

, on

Friday, May 15

at the renovated

Marian House

in Cherry Hill in support of women’s and family programs at the Kroc Center.

Presented by U.S. Facilities, Inc. and sponsored by New Jersey American Water, this awe-inspiring runway show will showcase fashions created from recycled and unconventional materials, even garbage bags. Over 30 designs from professional, hobbyist and student designers from

Drexel’s Westphal College of Media Arts & Design

will be featured in the annual event, including designs from acclaimed red-carpet designer and Season 18 contestant on Bravo’s “Project Runway,”

Nancy Volpe Beringer

“The Garbage Bag Gala is one-of-a-kind fashion show,” said The Salvation Army’s

Major Susan Wood

. “We’re very excited to showcase the creations of our many talented designers participating in this inspiring show that seems to get exponentially better every year – all in support of The Salvation Army’s goal of transforming the life of every member of our community.”

Attendees of this year’s Garbage Bag Gala are invited to a pre-show reception beginning at 6:30 p.m., featuring delicious food, cocktails and music. The fashion show will then begin promptly at 8 p.m. with Fox 29’s Good Day Philadelphia Co-Anchor

Thomas Drayton

serving as emcee. Cocktail attire is expected, fashion forward is encouraged. For those feeling adventurous, dress in-theme by creating a garment, gown or accessory made from recycled materials. All participants dressed in-theme will be eligible to be named “Trashiest Dressed of the Night.”

Proceeds from the Garbage Bag Gala support women\’s programs at the Kroc Center, many of which benefit single mothers and women who are head-of-household, and their families. Funds raised help make possible programs such as after-school care, fitness and recreation activities, prayer and Bible study groups, nutrition classes and special events like “Operation Cinderella”. The Garbage Bag Gala also helps meet the needs of the community by providing funding for food assistance, Christmas meals and holiday toys for low-income families.

“The Salvation Army is often an unsung hero serving every need – the whole person – through their incredible Kroc Center,” said

Angela Barnshaw

, Chair of the Garbage Bag Gala Planning Committee. “These recycled materials transformed into gorgeous garments offer amazing symbolism for the good work being done by The Salvation Army. It is such an honor to be part of this project. We are working to make it the most fashionable charity event in South Jersey!”

Tickets for the Garbage Bag Gala are $125 each. Sponsorships are available. If you are interested in sponsoring the Garbage Bag Gala, please contact Event Chair, Angela Barnshaw at (856) 261-6765 or

abarnshaw@agent06.com

. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit

http://www.camdenkroccenter.org/garbagegala.html

Photo Caption

Acclaimed red-carpet designer and show director, Nancy Volpe Beringer, and Drexel University College of Westphal Media Arts and Design student Tara Rasmussen pose with model Kei Mante Wright, who wears their co-designed finale look for presenting sponsor U.S Facilities, Inc. at the 2019 Garbage Bag Gala.

###

About The Salvation Army Ray & Joan Kroc Corps Community Center

Located on 24 acres, the 120,000 square-foot Salvation Army Kroc Center is the largest community center of its kind in Camden, New Jersey. This unprecedented place of gathering and enrichment houses a fitness center, basketball court, water park, 8-lane swimming pool, as well as an array of education, faith, arts and supportive programs open and accessible to all. The programs, as well as the building itself, have been designed to stimulate the mind, body and spirit, to provide hope, and to transform lives within the community. Development of The Salvation Army Kroc Center was made possible by a combined capital and endowment grant from a bequest to The Salvation Army by the late Mrs. Joan Kroc, widow of McDonald’s founder Ray Kroc, as well as the support of hundreds of local donors. For more information please visit

www.camdenkroccenter.org

CNB BUSINESS NEWS

CNB Business News: Apply Today for South Jersey Gas Game On Grant Program to

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J., February 24, 2020 –

South Jersey Gas, a subsidiary of South Jersey Industries, Inc. (NYSE: SJI), today announced the kick-off of its annual Game On Grant Program providing 20, $1,000 grants to recreational organizations in its service territory, serving children ages 4 to 18.

The grants provide critical support needed to sustain local, community-centered athletic programs, leagues, clubs, associations and recreational organizations for children. Winners are selected at random by South Jersey Gas. To qualify, recreational services must be coordinated primarily through volunteer efforts and the grant must support a traditional youth sport including, but not limited to baseball, softball, soccer, football, basketball, wrestling, cheerleading, volleyball, tennis, lacrosse, golf, field hockey, hockey and swimming.

For additional information, to see past winners and apply, visit southjerseygas.com/community. All entries must be received by South Jersey Gas no later than Friday, March 13, 2020.

About South Jersey Gas

South Jersey Gas, subsidiary of SJI (NYSE:SJI), delivers safe, reliable, affordable natural gas and promotes energy efficiency to approximately 385,000 residential, commercial and industrial customers in Atlantic, Cape May, Cumberland, Salem, and portions of Gloucester, Burlington and Camden counties in New Jersey. For more information, visit southjerseygas.com.

CNB BUSINESS NEWS

Paramus Inspection Station Closed February 26

TRENTON – New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC) customers are advised that the Paramus Inspection Station, located at 20 W. Century Road, Paramus, NJ 07652, will be closed on Wednesday, February 26, 2020.

The MVC has been notified by PSE&G that it will be doing electrical work in front of the entrance and exit to the inspection facility that will require closing access points. The electrical work is in connection with a Bergen County bridge refurbishing project that requires PSE&G to relocate its overhead wires and equipment.

The MVC apologizes for any inconvenience.

Alternate inspection stations include:

Wayne

481 Route 46 West

Wayne, NJ 07470

Lodi

8 Mill Street

Lodi, NJ 07644

The MVC reminds customers to always check our website before visiting a local office and to take advantage of driver license renewal and other online services, such as vehicle registration renewals, driver abstract requests, and surcharge and restoration payments.

For more about the ongoing positive changes at the MVC, visit

njmvc.gov

Ash Wednesday Services at Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul

Archbishop Nelson J. Pérez

will be the main celebrant and homilist at the Ash Wednesday Mass at the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul, Wednesday, February 26, 2020.

Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul

Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the Season of Lent for Christians throughout the world. Lent is a 40-day penitential time of prayer, fasting and almsgiving from Ash Wednesday through Holy Thursday in preparation for the Easter celebration.

Wednesday, February 26, 2020

12:05 p.m.

Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul

18th Street and Benjamin Franklin Parkway

Philadelphia, PA 19103

Faithful across the Archdiocese will receive blessed ashes on their foreheads, marked in the sign of a cross, reminding them to repent and believe in the Gospel as the 2020 Lenten Season begins. In addition to the celebration of Mass with the distribution of Ashes, there will be Celebrations of the Word of God and the distribution of Ashes in each of the nursing facilities within the parish boundaries on Ash Wednesday.

The Cathedral Parish offers the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation on weekdays beginning at 11:30 a.m. for the Lenten Season in addition to other scheduled times. Alternative dates and times for this Sacrament are available at individual parishes throughout the Archdiocese.

The Bishops of the United States prescribe that all Catholic persons who are fourteen years of age and older should abstain from eating meat on Ash Wednesday, Good Friday and all the Fridays of Lent. Further, all persons eighteen years of age and older, up to and including their fifty-ninth birthday, are bound to fast by limiting themselves to a single full meal on Ash Wednesday and on Good Friday, while the other two meals on those days are to be light.