When New Jersey Dems, GOP Agree: Going Beyond Blue And Red

Go ahead. Ask New Jersey Assemblyman Jon Bramnick if he thinks the media is influencing the public’s ability to have a level-headed, bias-free discussion about politics in the Garden State.

But make sure you have some free time; it’s a frustration that he’s happy to elaborate on.

“The reason there’s so much animosity is because the media reports on where the disputes are, not on where the consensus is,” the Assembly Republican leader recently told a Patch editor. “In order to sell newspapers or get people interested to watch television, you have to have something that’s controversial. And if you were to report on all the good things that are done on a bipartisan basis, no one would read the Patch.”

Even a casual follower of political news knows exactly what phenomena Bramnick is lamenting. Many pundits argue that civil discourse – the ability to have a respectful conversation that enhances mutual understanding – is on the ropes in not only New Jersey, but also the rest of the nation.

But the reality is that while some of their peers are lighting up comment sections on the far right and left, there are many New Jersey politicians who don’t hesitate to reach across party lines for the good of the Garden State, Bramnick said.

“Every few weeks when we have a voting session in the statehouse, 70 to 80 percent of all the bills are voted on unanimously on a bipartisan basis,” Bramnick told Patch. “There are issues where there are substantial differences between Democrats and Republicans, but it’s not normally what goes on in the floor in Trenton.”

Bramnick added that he’s a big fan of “treating people in a civil way” but that he’s worried about the vitriol that he sees on the news… from all sides of the political spectrum.

“It’s a very dangerous precedent that I see being set,” he cautioned. “Very dangerous.”

COMING TOGETHER FOR NEW JERSEY

Patch reached out to dozens of New Jersey lawmakers and political groups — including Republicans, Democrats, Green Party members and Libertarians — asking a single question: “Give us a recent example of politicians working across party lines for the good of New Jersey.”

Read their answers below.

GOV. CHRIS CHRISTIE

While New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie — one of the most recognizable Republicans in the state — didn’t give a direct reply for this article, a spokesperson pointed out that the governor has praised bipartisan cooperation on the following issues:

• The state’s Veterans Diversion Program
• “Pro-taxpayer Atlantic City reform bills,” such as S-1711/A-2569 (Sweeney, O’Toole, Sarlo/Prieto, McKeon, Mazzeo, Caputo), the Atlantic City “Municipal Stabilization and Recovery Act” and S-1715/A-2570 (Sweeney, Whelan/Prieto, Mazzeo, Caputo), a law aimed at helping Atlantic City “compensate for a decline in property assessments”
• Statewide expansion of drug courts and other “drug relations initiatives”

Christie’s spokesperson also provided Patch with the below video clip, pointing to the second half of the clip which contains the following quote about the state’s recently approved Transportation Trust Fund:

“We needed to make sure we took more of the politics out of this business, because building roads, building bridges, resurfacing roads, resurfacing bridges, and building train systems, isn’t a Republican or Democrat idea. Republicans, Democrats, independents and everybody else rides on those roads and rides on those trains. Now, they don’t care who’s taking the credit, they just want it done and this plan helps to get it done. So that’s the first time in history that we have that.”

U.S. SEN. CORY BOOKER

U.S. Sen. Cory Booker, a New Jersey Democrat, provided Patch with the following reply:

"Sen. Frank Lautenberg committed his career to ensuring the health and safety of our children in New Jersey and across our nation. I was proud to be part of carrying on his remarkable legacy by working with a bipartisan group of colleagues on landmark legislation that protects our children and families from toxic chemicals found in everyday products. The Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act, which was signed into law by President Obama early last year, overhauls the way tens of thousands of chemicals used in everyday products are regulated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The signing of this bill into law is not only a testament to what can be done when we reach across the aisle to get something done for the greater good, but it also serves as a fitting tribute to one of New Jersey’s greatest public servants.”

SEN. JENNIFER BECK

Republican Deputy Leader Jennifer Beck said that the state experiences bipartisan collaboration in the New Jersey Legislature more than most people would think.

“For example, there are currently 15 different bills in the legislature sponsored by both Republicans and Democrats to address the $2 billion property tax liability from sick and vacation payouts,” Beck said.

Beck added that she’s currently working with Senate President Stephen Sweeney on the Stephen Kominos legislation (S-516), a bill that would improve protections for individuals with developmental disabilities.

“Just last week, Sen. Ron Rice (a Democrat from Essex) and I announced the Safe Sanitary Subsidized Rental Housing Bill of Rights (S-3270), which would hold negligent landlords accountable for living conditions in subsidized housing,” Beck added. “These are all important initiatives that can help vulnerable people and taxpayers across the state. I believe that all good ideas, like these, deserve fair consideration that’s independent of politics.”

SEN. LORETTA WEINBERG

Senate Majority Leader Loretta Weinberg, a Democrat, told Patch that she didn’t have to reach back into ancient history to think of some good examples of cross-party cooperation.

“Most recently, there was a bill that passed both the Senate and the Assembly and which was signed by Governor Christie, that sets up a process for the removal of firearms when there are domestic violence restraining orders,” Weinberg said.

“[Christie] originally vetoed that bill and challenged myself and [Republican] Senator Tom Kean, who is the minority leader and my counterpart in the Senate on the other side of the aisle, to come up with a compromise, which we did,” Weinberg said.

“Most of our appearances and press conferences have been on a bipartisan level, so in spite of everything you see nationally and in spite of the kind of vitriol you see even at the state level, we do get things done, and we do work together on many common issues for our residents,” she added.

PATRICK MCKNIGHT: NJ LIBERTARIAN PARTY

“Several years ago, New Jersey third parties worked together to change voter registration laws,” said Patrick McKnight, the chair of the New Jersey Libertarian Party.

SEN. DIANE ALLEN

“Democrat or Republican, we should all share the same common goal: to do everything we can to secure and expand opportunities and equal protections for the families we were elected to serve,” Sen. Diane Allen told Patch.

The Deputy Republican Leader offered the following example of a recent bipartisan win-win, her recent adoptee birthright bill:

“I first started working to change New Jersey’s adoption records laws nearly 20 years ago, so that adoptees could learn about who they are and where they came from, without sacrificing the privacy of parents who chose to remain anonymous. Senator Joe Vitale, a Democrat, and I, a Republican, reached across the aisle to find a compromise and as a result, we passed a law that was better and stronger than we ever imagined. As of January, all adoptees now have access to the birth records and medical history they need to live healthy, fulfilling lives. This was an extremely long fight but when I hear from all of the people whose lives have been changed by this law, I know that it was worth it.”

U.S. REP. DONALD PAYNE JR.

U.S. Rep. Donald Payne Jr., a Democrat, told Patch:

"Last week, Democratic and Republican members of our congressional delegation came together to call on House appropriators to support $11.6 million in funding for the Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board, which President Trump has proposed to eliminate. This is a great example of bipartisanship in action to prioritize the safety of our workplaces and our communities."

SEN. ROBERT SINGER

Republican Conference Leader Sen. Robert Singer offered the following statement to Patch in response to our query:

“There was a recent bill that was introduced, S-3073, concerning school funding issues, that if a township issues a PILOT [agreement], 50 percent of that PILOT must go to the schools. This is an example of how the Senate President Stephen Sweeney, a Democrat, and myself as conference chairman, worked together on a common goal to make sure that schools aren’t short funded.”

MICHAEL EGENTON: NJ CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

“I have the perfect examples,” said Michael Egenton, executive vice president of the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce.

“A few months ago, the state’s replenished its Transportation Trust Fund, which sustains the road, bridge and rail infrastructure of the state. And in tandem, the legislature and the governor signed a tax reform package into law that included the phase out and eventual elimination of the estate tax… Both of those issues saw Republicans and Democrats get together and work on a bipartisan basis to get it done for the good of New Jersey.”

Egenton also cited a bipartisan effort to raise the Bayonne Bridge so that bigger ships could pass through and unload their cargo.

“If that wasn’t done we would have seen a lot of that business turned away and go to the likes of Canada or Baltimore or somewhere else,” Egenton said.

ADAM KRAEMER: ESSEX COUNTY FREEHOLDER CANDIDATE

Adam Kraemer, a Republican running for a slot on the Essex County Board of Chosen Freeholders in the autumn, told Patch that there is more “commonality” between politicians that the public thinks.

“I'll be running against Lenard Luciano in the fall, he as the Democrat and I as the Republican,” Kraemer said. “I think he is a good man and I consider him a friend.”

While the two don’t always agree on policy issues, they both feel that the county has made great improvements in their local parks and recreational facilities, particularly the Turtle Back Zoo, Kraemer said.

“I look forward to debating my friend Lenny and wish him luck along the campaign trail,” he added. “This is the way it should be: two people with different views and styles and the people can choose one of us. And knowing Lenny and myself, I have no doubt that we will keep the mud out of it.”

Send feedback and news tips to eric.kiefer@patch.com

Main Photo: Flickr Commons, Daniel Lobo