10th District Legislators Tell NJDOE to Stop Fighting Transparency in School Aid Calculations
Senator Jim Holzapfel and Assemblymen Greg McGuckin and John Catalano (all R-Ocean) said the Murphy administration should stop trying to hide how State funding to school districts is calculated after a ruling yesterday by a Superior Court judge.
Holzapfel, McGuckin, and Catalano said the Murphy administration should stop trying to hide how State funding to school districts is calculated after a ruling yesterday by a Superior Court judge. (SenateNJ.com)
“School districts like Brick and Toms River shouldn’t have to sue the Murphy administration to get a straight answer about why tens of millions of dollars of State aid were cut from their budgets,” said Holzapfel. “The administration kept trying to deflect blame to the school funding formula, but they refused to let anyone see the actual formula or the data they used to determine aid calculations. The NJDOE’s complete and total lack of transparency has fueled the belief that the Murphy administration is hiding politically-motivated reductions in school aid to Republican districts.”
Holzapfel, McGuckin and Catalano Pushing Legislation to Ensure Open Pools and Gyms in Senior Communities
Legislators Re-Introduced Bill to Restore COVID Legal Immunity for Homeowner Associations
The 10th District lawmakers are once again championing legislation that would extend legal protections that shield senior communities from legal action related to COVID.
Sen. Jim Holzapfel, Asm. Greg McGuckin and Asm. John Catalano sponsor bills that would reinstate legal immunity from COVID-related lawsuits for senior residential developments. (Pixabay)
Senator Jim Holzapfel and Assemblymen Greg McGuckin and John Catalano (all R-10) sponsor bills that would reinstate legal immunity from COVID-related lawsuits for senior residential developments. Legislation providing the temporary protection was enacted last summer but expired on New Year’s Day.
“Inexplicably, the Democrat leadership in Trenton failed to act on crucial legislation extending the protection permanently,” said Senator Holzapfel. “As a result, we’re back where we were last year, with senior communities across the state facing uncertainty as they prepare to open clubhouses and swimming pools for the summer season.
Holzapfel, McGuckin & Catalano: Governor Murphy Continues to Circumvent Legislature and Rule by Executive Fiat
Senator Jim Holzapfel and Assemblymen Greg McGuckin and John Catalano (all R-10) called Governor Murphy’s renewal of his public health emergency powers, which were set to expire on January 11, a blatant disregard for the legislative process.
District 10 lawmakers called Governor Murphy’s renewal of his public health emergency powers, which were set to expire on January 11, a blatant disregard for the legislative process. (©iStock)
“One individual should not be able to have such a far-reaching impact on our state for so long without the input of the entire Legislature,” said Senator Holzapfel. “The New Jersey Legislature, as envisioned in our State Constitution, should be playing a more direct role in determining the state’s pandemic response. As elected officials, our objective is to provide for the public’s general welfare—and the Legislature should be having more of a say on issues that affect our constituents’ lives. The Governor’s unilateral reign is antithetical to that purpose.”
Democrats to Blame for NJ’s Brain Drain, 10th District Legislators Insist
More college-age residents are leaving New Jersey than any other state, and the 10th District lawmakers say that is a powerful indicator of bigger problems in Democrat-controlled New Jersey.
More college-age residents are leaving New Jersey than any other state, and the 10th District lawmakers say that is a powerful indicator of bigger problems in Democrat-controlled New Jersey. (SenateNJ.com)
“State residents are paying their hard-earned tax money to educate our next generation of leaders, but when those students are finally ready to make their mark on the world, they pack up and move out of New Jersey,” said Senator Jim Holzapfel. “Parents send their kids to college out of state, and they end up graduating and taking jobs elsewhere. The upsetting trend weakens our work force and robs the state of earning power.
10th District Lawmakers: Rate Counsel Should Protect NJ Residents from Unreasonable Utility Increases
Democrats Seek to Silence the Watchdog Agency to Help Advance Murphy’s Ridiculously Expensive Energy Plan
Senator Jim Holzapfel and Assemblymen Greg McGuckin and John Catalano today blasted a Democrat-led agenda that would essentially strip the New Jersey Division of Rate Counsel of its primary role protecting state residents from unreasonable utility rate hikes.
Senator Jim Holzapfel and Assemblymen Greg McGuckin and John Catalano today blasted a Democrat-led agenda that would essentially strip the New Jersey Division of Rate Counsel of its primary role protecting state residents from unreasonable utility rate hikes. (SenateNJ.com)
“When the electric and gas utilities want to increase revenue, Rate Counsel is the last line of defense for cash-strapped families and seniors on fixed incomes who will be most impacted by higher prices,” said Holzapfel (R-10). “It’s unconscionable that Democrat leaders in Trenton are scheming to tie the hands of the only state entity concerned about the interests of energy consumers.
“The cost of living in New Jersey is out of control, and more than 800,000 residents are behind in their utility bills,” Holzapfel continued. “Instead of taking steps to make it more affordable, Governor Murphy’s foot soldiers are moving to ensure even more residents will be unable to afford to keep their lights on and heat their homes.”
10th District Legislators Decry Automatic Toll Hikes as Tax on Drivers
Will Sponsor Legislation to Prohibit Turnpike Authority from Using Tactic
Senator Jim Holzapfel and Assemblymen Greg McGuckin and John Catalano today moved to slam the brakes on automatic toll increases like the ones sprung on Garden State drivers last week.
Senator Jim Holzapfel and Assemblymen Greg McGuckin and John Catalano today moved to slam the brakes on automatic toll increases like the one set to go into effect on Jan. 1. (SenateNJ.com)
The 10th District lawmakers will be sponsoring legislation that prohibits the New Jersey Turnpike Authority, which operates the state’s two largest toll roads, from implementing automatic toll increases.
“I think everybody who commutes on the Turnpike or Garden State Parkway was blindsided by the announcement that tolls would increase for the second time in a little over a year,” said Holzapfel. “There was no discussion about it, no public hearings, no transparency. This is a tax on driving, and it is a disgrace that in a state with some of the highest taxes in the nation, the bureaucrats at the Turnpike Authority would stoop so low to sneak verbiage in a contract that provides for annual and automatic increases.”
Holzapfel/McGuckin/Catalano Bill Offering Free Beach Access to Veterans Clears Assembly Committee
Shore Municipalities Would Be Permitted to Waive the Fees
Legislation sponsored by the 10th District lawmakers that would give shore towns the option to offer free or discounted beach access to veterans and their spouse and children was approved today by the Assembly Military and Veterans Affairs Committee.
Military veterans and their families could be granted free beach access under legislation sponsored by Sen. Jim Holzapfel, Asm. Greg McGuckin and Asm. John Catalano. (Wikimedia Commons)
The panel unanimously passed the bill, A-4870, sponsored by Assemblymen Greg McGuckin and John Catalano, and Senator Jim Holzapfel’s identical bill, S-1454.
Ocean County Legislators: Murphy Didn’t ‘Work With’ Toms River on School Funding, He Cut District’s Aid by 25%
The 10th Legislative District lawmakers expressed shock over Governor Phil Murphy’s comments during the recent gubernatorial debate that he “already worked with Toms River” on school funding to address the school district’s concerns about massive cuts to State aid.
The 10th Legislative District lawmakers expressed shock over Governor Phil Murphy’s comments during the recent gubernatorial debate that he ‘already worked with Toms River’ on school funding to address the school district’s concerns about massive cuts to State aid. (SenateNJ.com)
“If ‘working with them’ means gutting Toms River’s State school aid like a fish, then I guess Governor Murphy is telling the truth,” said Senator Jim Holzapfel. “The Murphy administration slashed aid for Toms River schools by more than 14 percent this year alone. The Governor ripped away more than $8 million in funding, an especially devastating loss for a district that has already seen its annual educational support from Trenton reduced by more than $17 million – 25 percent – under Murphy.
10th District Legislators: Murphy Administration to Blame for Student Drivers Who Cannot Get Permits
Call it Another Example of Incompetent Leadership
For teens on the road to adulthood, getting their first driver’s license is a rite of passage, but problems with New Jersey’s Motor Vehicle Commission is making things difficult for thousands of young New Jerseyans.
The 10th District Legislators blame poor leadership by Governor Murphy for the thousands of student drivers who are unable to schedule appointments with MVC for learner’s permits and written tests. (SenateNJ.com)
Would-be drivers who want to apply for a permit or to take the written test are finding it almost impossible to schedule appointments, and lawmakers from the 10th Legislative District said it points to incompetency at MVC.
10th District Legislators Fault Democrats for Risking Jobs
Not One Democrat Has Signed on to Efforts to Stop Massive Tax on NJ Employers
Senator Jim Holzapfel and Assemblymen Greg McGuckin and John Catalano today lamented the absence of even a single Democrat legislator on a petition that would require a special legislative session to spare local employers from the punishing impact of an imminent tax increase to replenish New Jersey’s Unemployment Insurance Fund.
Senator Jim Holzapfel and Assemblymen Greg McGuckin and John Catalano lamented the absence of even a single Democrat legislator on a petition that would require a special legislative session to spare local employers from the punishing impact of an imminent tax increase to replenish NJ’s Unemployment Insurance Fund. (Pixabay)
“Not one single Democrat has been willing to break rank with the Governor and support the state’s Main Street businesses, mom-and-pop shops, and restaurants that have suffered every day since the pandemic emerged,” said Holzapfel. “Some of our Democrat colleagues issued press releases criticizing Murphy’s plan to restore the UI Fund on the backs of small employers, but they won’t step up to prevent a devastating tax hike that will assuredly force even more businesses to close their doors forever. The tax increase is coming, and it is time for the Democrats to put up or shut up. The State economy depends on it.”
