Cheerleaders, Fair Funding Act and Patterson's Approval Kept D39 Legislators Busy

While the Senate and Assembly’s main focus was on the state budget this week, the two bodies found time to also take a look at pieces of legislation that was sponsored by District 39 Assembly members. While Sen. Gerald Cardinale signed on in support of the "Fair Funding School Act" and issued a statement on the release of Justine Anne Patterson from the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Last week saw Assemblywoman Charlotte Vandervalk as the co-sponsor on a trio of bills that went before the full Assembly for a vote on Thursday.

The three bills, A4052, A4055 and A4057 had received approval from the Assembly Appropriations Committee previously to advance to a full vote. The full Assembly approved all three bills as well.

The first bill, A4052 is also co-sponsored by Assemblyman Robert Schroeder, would move $84,495,199 from the 2009 Green Acres Fund and Garden State Green Acres Preservation Trust Fund for local government open space acquisition and park development projects in Franklin Lakes, Ridgewood, River Vale, Wyckoff, Garfield, Teaneck, East Rutherford, Westwood, Cliffside Park, Little Ferry, Ridgefield Park, Rutherford, and the 35 municipalities that buffer the Passaic River.

Under A4055 in conjunction with A4057, the 2011 New Jersey Environmental Infrastructure Financing Program would finance $647,997,956 in environmental infrastructure projects for State Fiscal Year 2012 subject to the availability of funds.

On Wednesday, the state Senate took up A4055 and A4057 as well for a vote. 

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Assemblyman Robert Schroeder signed on as one of the primary sponsors for A4008 to require the Department of Education to include cheerleaders in the student-athlete head injury safety program.

Once approved, A4008 amends a prior bill that was approved on Dec. 7, 2010. The amended version requires the DOE to develop and implement by the 2011-12 school year a head injury safety training program for all public and nonpublic schools with interscholastic sports or cheerleading programs.

The training program should include: the recognition of the symptoms of head and neck injuries, concussions, and injuries related to second-impact syndrome; and the appropriate amount of time to delay the return to [sports] competition or practice of a student-athlete or cheerleader who has sustained a concussion or other head injury.

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Senator Gerald Cardinale, the senior Republican member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, issued the following statement on the release of Anne Patterson from the committee:

“Anne Patterson has unshakable credentials as a legal scholar with high ethical standards and a demonstrable judicial deportment. I am pleased that the full Senate confirmed her for a seat on the Supreme Court this evening.

“It is unfortunate that the Senate Democrats failed to consider her nomination last year. The actions of the majority party denied the court and the people of New Jersey the services of a highly qualified jurist. With tonight’s vote Justice Patterson will finally take her seat on the bench.”

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Senator Michael Doherty, a member of the Senate Budget and Appropriation Committee, announced today that that the Senior Republican member of the Senate Judiciary Committee agreed join him as a co- sponsor of SCR-162, “The Fair School Funding Act.”

“I am pleased that Senator Cardinale agreed to join me in seeking a more equitable school funding formula by co-sponsoring the ‘Fair School Funding Act.’

“‘The Fair School Funding Act’ is a proposed constitutional amendment that will forever remove the State Supreme Court from decisions on how we fund our schools. The proposed constitutional amendment will provide equal school aid for each student, regardless of where the student resides. New Jersey needs to establish a fair, simple, transparent, and straightforward educational funding formula that takes the income tax fund and distributes the fund equally to each student.

“I look forward to receiving more support for this common-sense education reform from those who care about New Jersey and the education that our children are receiving.”