Connors, Rumpf & Gove Oppose Sanctuary Cities Receiving State Funding
Following through on their constitutional obligations to uphold the law, Senator Christopher J. Connors, Assemblyman Brian E. Rumpf and Assemblywoman DiAnne Gove announced that they will oppose legislation that would provide state taxpayer dollars to sanctuary cities that lose federal funding in connection with White House executive orders.
Members of the 9th District delegation announced their opposition to legislation that would provide state taxpayer dollars to sanctuary cities that lose federal funding.. (SenateNJ.com)
Legislation (S-3007), which has been introduced and was scheduled to be voted on by the full Senate, would require the Department of Community Affairs Commissioner to establish a program to provide grant funding to a county or municipality that has had its federal grant funding denied or reduced based upon its status as a sanctuary jurisdiction.
Connors, Rumpf & Gove: It’s About Time Ocean County Was Represented at Turnpike Authority
Saying it’s better late than never, Senator Christopher J. Connors, Assemblyman Brian E. Rumpf and Assemblywoman DiAnne C. Gove all praised the nomination of Louis Goetting, a resident of Point Pleasant, Ocean County, to the New Jersey Turnpike Authority Board.
Connors, Rumpf and Gove praised the nomination of Louis Goetting, a resident of Point Pleasant, Ocean County, to the New Jersey Turnpike Authority Board. (Wikimedia Commons)
For several legislative sessions, the 9th District legislative delegation has sponsored bipartisan legislation (S-1674/A-3817) along with the 1st Legislative District to require that at least one member of the New Jersey Turnpike Authority be from South Jersey. On February 13 of this year, S-1674 was passed by the full Senate and referred to the Assembly Transportation and Independent Authority Committee.
Connors, Rumpf & Gove: We Don’t Need a Study Commission to Tell Us What’s Wrong With the State’s School Funding Formula
Dueling Senate and Assembly committees have convened to study the issue of school funding. But for taxpayers in underfunded school districts, including those in our legislative district, there is no need to study how the school funding formula is broken.
Connors, Rumpf and Gove call for a fair school funding formula that serves all school districts, not just a select few. (©iStock)
All you have to do is look at your property tax bill to know that you’re not only paying for the students in your local school district, but the students in other districts as well.
Special needs districts, more commonly known as Abbott districts, which are mostly located in urban areas receive the lion’s share of school funding. Essentially, the school funding formula is a cash cow that is milked for every drop by Abbott districts. Why not? Most of their funding is your tax dollars.
Connors-Rumpf-Gove Veterans’ Surviving Spouse Benefit Bill Advances
The Senate Military and Veterans’ Affairs Committee voted to approve legislation sponsored by Senator Christopher J. Connors, Assemblyman Brian E. Rumpf and Assemblywoman DiAnne C. Gove which would require the $750 annual compensation to surviving spouses of certain blind or disabled veterans to be payable from the date of the veteran’s death.
Legislation sponsored by the 9th District Delegation to support surviving spouses of veterans was advanced by a senate panel. (©iStock)
Under the 9th District Delegation’s legislation, S-1542, payments to a surviving spouse would be due from April 9, 1985, in the event the veteran’s death occurred prior to that date, or the date of the veteran’s death if the death occurred after April 9, 1985, regardless of the date of the surviving spouse’s application
Connors, Rumpf and Gove issued the following statement on the Committee’s release of their veterans’ initiative:
“Presently, surviving spouses of blind or disabled veterans are eligible to receive the $750 annual compensation benefit from the date of their application under current regulations. This lifetime benefit is statutorily available to a veteran who was blinded or severely disabled as a result of service during any war, including specifically World War II, Korean, or Vietnam.
Assembly Passes Connors-Rumpf-Gove Bill Upgrading Crime of Trespassing in a Nuclear Facility
Legislation introduced by Senator Christopher J. Connors, Assemblyman Brian E. Rumpf and Assemblywoman DiAnne C. Gove to increase the penalty for trespassing offenses committed in a nuclear generating plant from a 4th degree crime to 3rd degree crime was passed by the Assembly.
The New Jersey Assembly passed legislation by Connors, Rumpf and Gove to upgrade the crime of trespassing at a nuclear facility. (Flickr)
The 9th District Delegation issued a joint statement following the Assembly’s passage of its legislative initiative (A-3186): “In this age of terrorism, any unauthorized presence in a nuclear generating plant constitutes a serious risk to public safety. Those who would threaten public safety by trespassing at this type of site should face a harsher penalty to reflect the seriousness of the crime.
Senate Passes Connors-Rumpf-Gove-Supported Bill Requiring South Jersey Representation on Turnpike Authority
The New Jersey Senate has passed bipartisan legislation sponsored by the 9th District legislative delegation requiring at least one member of the New Jersey Turnpike Authority to be from South Jersey.
Legislation sponsored by Connors, Rumpf and Gove requires at least one member of the New Jersey Turnpike Authority to be from South Jersey. (SenateNJ.com)
The measure, S-1674, sponsored by Senator Christopher J. Connors, would require at least one member of the Turnpike Authority must be a resident of Ocean, Atlantic, Burlington, Camden County, Cape May, Gloucester or Salem County.
Assemblyman Brian E. Rumpf and Assemblywoman DiAnne C. Gove are prime sponsors of the identical companion measure, A-3817, which is awaiting action by the Assembly Transportation and Independent Authorities Committee.
Additional $19 Million in Funding Approved for Clean Drinking Water Projects in 9th District
Senator Christopher J. Connors, Assemblyman Brian E. Rumpf and Assemblywoman DiAnne C. Gove announced that following last year’s approval of $39 million for clean water and drinking water projects, another $19 million has just been approved to finance additional projects in the 9th Legislative District.
Connors, Rumpf and Gove announced that another $19 million has been approved to finance clean water and drinking water projects in the 9th Legislative District. (Pixabay)
This action stems from the enactment of two legislative measures recently signed by the Governor that pertain to the New Jersey Environmental Infrastructure Trust.
The 9th District delegation issued the following statement following the approval of additional financing for drinking water projects in the state:
“There are few other issues more important to our constituents than clean drinking water, which is why we are pleased that this financing has been secured for the 9th Legislative District.
Connors, Rumpf & Gove Bill Would Tier Sexual Predators Before Their Release From Prison
Amid growing public safety concerns among communities, Senator Christopher J. Connors, Assemblyman Brian E. Rumpf and Assemblywoman DiAnne C. Gove are calling for action on their legislation (S-253 and A-1142) to require that county prosecutors determine a sexual offender’s risk of re-offense, or tier, prior to the inmate’s release from incarceration. Prosecutors classify sex offenders in one of three tiers based on the degree of risk they pose to the public: low risk (Tier 1), moderate risk (Tier 2), or high risk (Tier 3).
Legislation sponsored by Connors, Rumpf & Gove would require sexual offenders to be tiered prior to release from incarceration. (Pixabay)
The 9th District delegation’s request comes in response to an incident in Little Egg Harbor in which an already convicted sex offender had been released on bail, despite the objections of the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office, following new accusations of attempting solicit sexual favors from a minor. The delegation issued the following statement on the need for a public hearing on their sexual offender legislative initiative:
“For Megan’s Law to be as effective as possible, the state needs to correct an inherent system flaw preventing sex offenders from being tiered until they’ve been released into our communities.
9th District Delegation: Outdated State Drug Laws Let Heroin Dealers Off With Lighter Sentences
As policy discussions currently focus on addiction treatment, Senator Christopher J. Connors, Assemblyman Brian E. Rumpf and Assemblywoman DiAnne C. Gove say it’s time to bring the fight directly to heroin dealers through longer prison sentences.
A bill by Connors, Rumpf and Gove would increase penalties for heroin dealers. (©iStock)
In direct response to the heroin epidemic sweeping across the state, the 9th District delegation has, for several legislative sessions, been the prime sponsors of companion legislation (S-272 and A-1175) which would empower prosecutors to charge drug dealers based on the dosage units rather than the weight of the drug.
Assembly Passes Connors-Rumpf-Gove Veterans’ Housing Initiative
The State Assembly overwhelmingly passed legislation sponsored by Senator Christopher J. Connors, Assemblyman Brian E. Rumpf and Assemblywoman DiAnne C. Gove that would expand housing opportunities for veterans.
Legislation by Connors, Rumpf and Gove would expand housing opportunities for veterans. (Flickr)
The 9th District delegation’s veterans’ initiative, S-260/A-452/A-984, would reserve a portion of the tenant-based rental assistance vouchers under the State Rental Assistance Program (SRAP) for grants to veterans. The legislation passed the Senate unanimously in May of last year.
