Connors, Rumpf & Gove Update Galloway Officials on GSP Exit 40 – Rt. 30 Connector Study
Senator Christopher Connors, Assemblyman Brian Rumpf and Assemblywoman DiAnne Gove of the 9th Legislative District sent the following letter to the Mayor and Council of Galloway Township providing an update on an improvement study conducted by the New Jersey Turnpike Authority (NJTA) regarding the establishment of a full interchange at Garden State Parkway Exit 40-Route 30 Connector.
Included below are PDFs of the letter sent to Mayor Purdy and council members, along with the study documents provided by the NJTA.
Connors, Rumpf & Gove: Updated Alzheimer’s Statistics Demonstrate Need for Long-Term Plan
Women More Impacted by the Disease
Reacting to the latest set of statistics provided by the Alzheimer’s Association, Senator Christopher J. Connors, Assemblyman Brian E. Rumpf and Assemblywoman DiAnne C. Gove, remarked on the need to press forward with New Jersey’s plan for developing a long-term strategy to improve treatment for those suffering from the disease and strengthen the support system for caregivers.
Connors, Rumpf and Gove wrote the 2011 bipartisan supported law that established the Alzheimer’s Disease Study Commission, which was first proposed by the Alzheimer’s Association Greater New Jersey Chapter. The Commission, which Senator Connors serves on as a legislative member, is tasked with studying the current impact and incidence of Alzheimer’s disease among State residents and making projections about the future impact and incidence among State residents.
Jessica Lunsford Act Clears Final Legislative Hurdle, Heads to Governor
Clearing its final legislative hurdle, the State Senate passed the Jessica Lunsford Act (A-892/S-215), which is cosponsored by 9th District Representatives Senator Christopher J. Connors, Assemblyman Brian E. Rumpf and Assemblywoman DiAnne C. Gove. The Act, which is named after the Florida girl who was sexually assaulted and murdered by a convicted sex offender, requires mandatory terms of imprisonment for persons convicted of aggravated sexual assault against a child under the age of 13, for a specific term of years fixed by the sentencing court, between 25 years and life imprisonment, of which 25 years or more must be served before parole eligibility.
“Having had a longstanding record of supporting Megan’s Law in order to more effectively protect our children from sexual offenders, our delegation is elated that the Legislature has finally passed the Jessica Lunsford Act,” said Senator Connors. “Mandatory sentences that consist of extensive prison terms represent the most effective means of safeguarding our communities against sexual offenders from committing further acts of violence.”
Committee Advances Connors, Rumpf & Gove Veterans’ Initiative: The New Jersey Servicemember’s Civil Relief Act
Legislation introduced by Senator Christopher J. Connors, Assemblyman Brian E. Rumpf and Assemblywoman DiAnne C. Gove to update, modernize and bring in line with existing federal law the benefits and protections afforded to military servicemembers and their dependents was advanced by the Senate Military and Veterans’ Affairs Committee.
The 9th District Delegation’s initiative, S-210, entitled the “New Jersey Servicemember’s Civil Relief Act,” would replace the New Jersey Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Civil Relief Act of 1979 to expand the definition of those who are protected under state law by reconciling differences between State and federal law.
Jessica Lunsford Act Passes General Assembly & Senate Budget Committee
The Jessica Lunsford Act, which is cosponsored by 9th District representatives Senator Christopher J. Connors, Assemblyman Brian E. Rumpf and Assemblywoman DiAnne C. Gove, was passed by the State General Assembly.
The Act, which is named after the Florida girl who was sexually assaulted and murdered by a convicted sex offender, requires mandatory terms of imprisonment for persons convicted of aggravated sexual assault against a child under the age of 13, for a specific term of years fixed by the sentencing court, between 25 years and life imprisonment, of which 25 years or more must be served before parole eligibility.
The passage of A-892 coincided with action taken by the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee which favorably released S-215, which is the Senate version of the Jessica Lunsford Act.
Connors, Rumpf & Gove Want Sexual Offenders’ Risk of Re-Offense Determined Prior to Release from Prison
To address a defect in the state’s current sexual offender laws, Senator Christopher J. Connors, Assemblyman Brian E. Rumpf and Assemblywoman DiAnne C. Gove have reintroduced legislation (S-190/A-746) to require that the 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).
The 9th District Delegation issued the following statement regarding their sexual offender legislative initiative:
“Current law prevents sex offenders from being tiered until they have been released into the community because the offender’s residence status is a factor that is considered in determining risk of re-offense. To address this glaring defect in the current law, our legislation would remove the residency from the factors used in the determination process so that sexual offenders are tiered before they are released into the community.
Connors, Rumpf & Gove Initiative Would Establish Domestic Violence Assessment for Repeat Offenders
Senator Christopher J. Connors, Assemblyman Brian E. Rumpf, and Assemblywoman DiAnne C. Gove have re-introduced their legislation that would require courts to consider the results of a domestic violence assessment before dissolving a final restraining order when the defendant has two or more restraining orders against him.
The 9th District Delegation’s legislation, S-194/A-753, would establish a “domestic violence assessment” as an assessment performed by a psychiatrist, licensed psychologist, licensed clinical social worker, or licensed professional counselor with the goal of determining the likelihood that the offender will commit future acts of violence, abuse, or other unacceptable behavior that could pose a threat to the victim, the victim’s family, the victim’s property, or other person identified as being at risk.
