Merkt and Carroll Votes

small businesses:
AR175 -- M/C no -- (69-7-3) – resolution urging the United States Congress to restore funding for the Small Business Administration loan programs eliminated under President Bush's proposed budget for fiscal year 2005
S836 -- M/C no -- (76-2) -- expands grant program for woman small businesses
A3305 -- M/C no -- (76-2) (37-0) -- support initiatives to develop NJ businesses in advanced technologies

open space and clean drinking water
ACR177 -- M/C no -- (73-5) (39-0) -- Legislature's approval of the Fiscal Year 2005 Financial Plan of the New Jersey Environmental Infrastructure Trust -- to implement financing of clean water and drinking water projects on the priority lists developed by the Department of Environmental Protection.
A2977 -- M/C no -- (72-4-1) (40-0) -- appropriate certain federal and State moneys to the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) for the purpose of implementing the 2004 New Jersey Environmental Infrastructure Financing Program from such funds as the “Clean Water State Revolving Fund Accounts”; the “Drinking Water State Revolving Fund”; and the "Wastewater Treatment Fund.”
A3643 -- M/C no -- (74-3) (38-0) -- increase the limitation on liability pursuant to the "Spill Compensation and Control Act" for the owner or operator of a vessel from which a hazardous substance is discharged (limitation has not been increased since 1976)
SCR113 -- M/C no -- (74-5) (38-0) -- proposes an amendment to Article VIII, Section II, paragraph 6 of the State Constitution concerning paying costs incurred by the State for the remediation of hazardous substance discharges; providing funding for the upgrade, replacement and cleanup of underground storage tanks, providing loans and grants for the remediation of hazardous substances, and and nonpoint source pollution programs and watershed planning and monitoring.
M/c -- no -- the Highlands bill and the Highlands Greenway, including $75 million for the preservation of open space that included the Budd Lake Bog and youth camps in Rockaway.

our seniors:
AR67 -- (76-1) -- C no -- urges the State's cable television industry to offer senior citizens age 65 and over a reduced or special rate in order to provide them with continuing access to cable television services.
S1997 -- (53-6-17) (36-0) -- M/C no -- provides a mechanism to provide proper distribution of flu vaccine to high risk groups including seniors
A1727 -- M/C no -- (65-6-7) -- requires a general hospital or a nursing facility to provide upon request to a member of the public, information detailing for each unit and each shift, information such as number of and type of nurses; number of patient care incidents; and number and type of complaints filed with the facility concerning patient care
A1411 -- Carroll sponsored bill -- repeals grandparent visitation statute -- present law allows grandparents of a minor child to make an application to Court for visitation rights of their grandchildren

consumers
AR156 -- (78-2) -- M/C no -- urges the President and Congress of the United States to allow the states to require that cable television companies shall not receive consent to operate in their municipalities or franchise territories, at issuance or renewal of that consent, until a cable television company has certified that there is another cable television company operating in the municipality because cable television industry has become highly concentrated in New Jersey with most areas having only one cable service provider
A2088 -- (78-1) -- C no -- clarifies that New Jersey's licensed professionals are subject to the State's Consumer Fraud Act with regard to their advertising.
A516 -- M/C no -- (62-17) -- establishes minimum energy efficiencies for certain products

our children
A338 -- M/C no -- (73-4) -- prohibits the sale of unsafe or recalled children's products by child care facilities
A3346 M/C no (75-2) (38-0) -- requires persons under 17 years of age to wear a helmet when operating or riding a bicycle, roller skates or a skateboard.
A1766 -- M/C no -- 78-2) “Grace’s Law” -- requires insurers to provide coverage for medically necessary expenses incurred in the purchase of a hearing aid for covered children 15 years of age or younger.
S1998 -- M/C no -- (71-5-1) -- increases fines for child labor law violations and uses funds for greater enforcement
A1770 -- M/C -- no -- (73-4) -- prevents making cigarettes more accessible to our children -- prohibits selling smaller packs
A3697 -- M/C -- no -- (73-4) -- requires certain physicians to complete a course on recognizing child abuse and neglect
A2240 -- M/C -- no -- (73-4-2) -- establishes a statewide immunization registry
A2650 -- M/C -- no -- (73-2-1) -- increases penalties for failing to yield at a crosswalk -- dedicates extra money for safety programs
A3196 -- M/C -- no -- (59-14-5) (35-0) -- establishes minimum nutritional restrictions for food sold in elementary schools
AR147 -- M/C no -- (70-5-2) -- memorializes the Congress of the United States to extend for one year the temporary increase in the Federal Medical Assistance Percentage that is due to expire on June 30, 2004

first responders (police/fire fighters/emergency technicians)
A1447 -- M no -- (77-2) -- requires the Department of Environmental Protection, in consultation with the Department of Health and Senior Services and the State Office of Emergency Management to develop a model plan for coordination of emergency response programs
AR66 -- M/C no -- (60-9-7) -- requests that the Congress and President release first responder funds to municipalities -- previously approved
S2199 -- M/C no -- provides for permanent funding for the Statewide County Correction Information System (CCIS) -- the computerized, online network that provides automated defendant information to local police, County Prosecutors and Sheriffs
A2247 -- M/C no -- (72-3-2) -- require that all recruit firefighter training programs conducted by the Division of Fire Safety be accredited by the National Board on Fire Service Professional Qualifications, the International Fire Service Accreditation Congress, or any successor entity
A2957 -- M/C no -- (75-3) -- requires the public school district to grant time off from work with pay to a public school employee, other than a teaching staff member or school principal, who is a member of a volunteer fire company, a volunteer with a first aid or rescue squad, or a volunteer driver of an ambulance any time the employee is called to respond to an alarm occurring during the hours of his employment.
AR176 -- M/C no -- (65-11-2) – urges President to restore funding from budget cut to NJ first responders by 10 million dollars
A3050 -- M/C no -- (76-2) -- extended law (issue bonds) to allow municipalities to buy ambulances and other emergency vehicles (previous law applied only to fire engines)
ACR183 -- M/C no -- (75-4) -- set-up NJ laboratory to detect airborne diseases (e.g anthrax/HIV/West Nile/mad cows disease)

our workers
S494 -- (68-5-4) -- M/C no -- requires all services performed under State contracts be performed within the US
AR184 -- M/C no -- creates commission to study the loss of NJ jobs through out sourcing to other countries (74-3)

MC residents' health
A1948 -- (71-6-3) -- M/C no -- requires the Department of Health to prepare an informational booklet in English and Spanish which provides information about the symptoms and treatment for sickle cell anemia
S1862 -- M/C no -- (71-6) -- Supplemental appropriation of $6 million to DHSS for grant to The Cancer Institute of New Jersey -- CINJ is the first and only facility in the State to be designated a Comprehensive Cancer Center, the highest recognition afforded by the National Cancer Institute (the most advanced cancer treatment options, conducts world-class research and transforms laboratory research into clinical practice)
S1294 -- M/C no -- (65-8-1) (37-0) -- require a seller, landlord or transferor of a dwelling unit located in a building with fewer than three dwelling units to equip each dwelling unit with at least one portable fire extinguisher
A3182 -- M/C no -- (73-5-1) (37-0) -- establishes a program to reduce fine particle emissions from certain vehicles and equipment powered by diesel engines and the exposure of the public to these emissions
A1893 -- Carroll sponsored to REPEAL the Federal Clean Air Mandate Compliance Act -- eliminating the statutory authority for implementing the inspection and maintenance for motor vehicles
S2236 -- C no -- (77-3) (38-0) -- reforms the NJ FamilyCare Program and provides for an expansion of NJ FamilyCare and Medicaid eligibility for parents and adults without dependent children, in order to fulfill the original promise of the NJ FamilyCare program to provide health care coverage for low income children, their parents and adults without dependent children.

Affordable housing
AR185 -- M/C no -- (71-7-1) -- urges Congress and President to fully fund the Section 8 housing assistance program (proposed 2005 federal budget reduces funding for this program by $1 billion below 2004 levels)
A1418 -- M no -- (77-2) -- establishes joint committee on affordable housing

our children's education

Urging Congress and the President to make appropriate changes to the “No Child Left Behind Act of 2001” according to recommendations of the Nat’l Conf, of State Legislatures.

ACR236 -- -- M/C no -- (48-27-4) Directing public school officials regarding administration and implementation of the “No Child Left Behind Act of 2001” to make state rather than federal goals the priority.

A3970 -- M/C – no -- (47-25-7) Providing grants to increase access to preschool.

A3124 -- M/C no --(73-6) Holding schools accountable and providing state control when required.

S1431 -- M/C no Establishing School Construction Commission (to study the SCC latest fiscal problems)

A3542 -- -- M/C no --(74-2) Establishing minimum nutritional restrictions for food sold in elementary schools.

A3196- M/C -no--(59-14-5) (35-0) Providing costs to cover repairs to certain school facilities to address a health hazards.

A638 – M/C – no—(74-4-2) Establishing NJ Quality Single Accountability Continuum (NJQSAC), a new state monitoring system for public school districts. A2643 – M/C- no -- (73-4-2)

Assemblyman Merkt’s October 14, 2005 press release states that the Democratic “majority has found all the time and political power it needed to increase state spending by 30%, to double the state debt, and to raise state taxes by more than $4 billion.”

Consequently, the incumbents say that you should vote for them because they are Republicans. However, as we know from past history, voting Republican will not solve the issue of delivering results to Morris County residents:

Facts:
Under the Republican reign (between fiscal year 1995 and 2001):

a) state budget grew by $7.6 billion

b) state spending grew 50%

c) long term debt :tripled from $5.7 billion to $15.7 billion

d) annual payments to public employees pension systems were substantially reduced

In 2002, Assemblyman Merkt admitted that with the Republican majority, “fiscal restraint was thrown to the wind.” (Bergen Record, January 7, 2002, pg. A1).

At his recent kick-off party, Assemblyman Carroll conceded “some Republicans, such as former Gov. Christie Whitman, also got the state too deeply into debt, an issue he said he hopes to resolve with more prudent fiscal practices.” (Star Ledger, September 7, 2005)