Holzapfel, McGuckin, and Wolfe Applaud Ocean County Freeholders for Taking Legal Action to Combat Sanctuary State Directive
Freeholders Will Sue State of New Jersey in Federal Court
Senator Jim Holzapfel, Assemblymen Greg McGuckin and Dave Wolfe of the 10th Legislative District applauded the Ocean County Freeholders for taking legal action to combat Governor Murphy’s directive that forces jails in the state to decrease their cooperation with federal immigration authorities.
District 10 lawmakers applauded the Ocean County Freeholders for taking legal action to combat Governor Murphy’s sanctuary state directive. (SenateNJ.com)
“Governor Murphy’s preoccupation with protecting illegal aliens over lawful citizens is baffling and flat out wrong,” Holzapfel said. “Those who are in our country illegally are cheating our already generous immigration system by bypassing the rules legal immigrants are required to follow. As a former Ocean County prosecutor, I commend the Ocean County Freeholders for standing up and taking legal action to ensure our local law enforcement can work with ICE to deport known criminals who are already in custody.”
Holzapfel, McGuckin & Wolfe Blast Impact of Governor’s Immigration Directive on Ocean County Jails
Senator Jim Holzapfel and Assemblymen Greg McGuckin and Dave Wolfe of the 10th Legislative District are speaking out against Governor Murphy’s directive forcing jails in the state to reduce their cooperation with federal immigration authorities. The legislators blasted it as yet another step in the Governor’s quest to turn New Jersey into a sanctuary state.
District 10 lawmakers speak out against Gov. Murphy’s directive forcing jails in the state to reduce their cooperation with federal immigration authorities. (Flickr)
“Governor Murphy’s directive will prevent our jails from working with ICE to deport known criminals who are already in custody,” said Senator Holzapfel. “It’s an outrageous and dangerous political statement that jeopardizes the safety of millions of New Jersey residents. We shouldn’t allow the Governor to create a sanctuary for criminals in our state.”
Holzapfel, McGuckin & Wolfe Opposed Democrats’ Pork-Filled Budget
Trenton Democrats Priorities: Cut Millions in Brick & Toms River School Aid, Spend Millions More on Wasteful Programs
Senator Jim Holzapfel and Assemblymen Greg McGuckin and Dave Wolfe opposed a State Budget put forward by Democrats in the Legislature that cuts millions in aid to schools in Brick and Toms River while funding tens of millions of unnecessary pork projects.
Holzapfel, McGuckin & Wolfe opposed a State Budget that cuts millions in aid to schools in Brick and Toms River while funding tens of millions of unnecessary pork projects. (SenateNJ.com)
The legislators highlighted the misplaced priorities of the Democrats’ budget plan that will force local Ocean County schools to lay-off teachers and eliminate after school programs.
“Democrats in the Legislature took a bad budget proposal put forward by Governor Murphy and made it worse by adding at least $60 million of unjustifiable spending,” said Senator Holzapfel. “Instead of funding our schools fairly, they’ve decided to cut aid from our classrooms and redirect it into pork projects in their districts. It says a lot about the priorities of Trenton Democrats that they’re choosing to fund wasteful programs over our children.”
The budget adopted by the Senate and General Assembly includes more than $60 million of legislative add-ons to the budget initially proposed by Governor Murphy in March. Some of the items they have chosen to add include:
- $4 million for Turtle Back Zoo;
- $3 million for an Irvington camp;
- $250,000 for a Newark mayor’s initiative to have ex-convicts and former gang leaders mentor youth on conflict resolution and reducing violence;
- $4 million for urban park grants;
- $3.1 million undocumented legal aid; and
“Republicans have repeatedly provided common-sense solutions to make New Jersey more affordable and properly fund our schools,” said Assemblyman McGuckin. “In contrast, Trenton Democrats are diverting millions for urban camps, programs for ex-cons and gang leaders and legal aid for undocumented immigrants. Some of these things might be understandable if we were flush with money, but they don’t make any sense if we have to fire school teachers and sacrifice the quality of education in our classrooms to pay for them.”
Under both Governor Murphy’s original budget plan and that adopted by legislative Democrats, school districts within the 10th Legislative District will lose over $5.5 million in State aid next year. The biggest cuts will come at the expense of the Brick and Toms River school districts, which will lose more than $2.7 million each. In total, schools in the 10th District will lose 4.5 percent of their State aid under the Democrats’ budget plan.
“Trenton Democrats have advanced a lavish spending plan without any concern for our property taxpayers or our schoolchildren,” added Assemblyman Wolfe. “I could not support a budget that values partisan pork over our children’s education.”
Holzapfel, McGuckin & Wolfe Call on Murphy to Use Extra Funds to Stop Cuts to Brick & Toms River School Districts
Governor Says State Tax Collections Coming in $250 Million Over Projections
Senator Jim Holzapfel, Assemblyman Greg McGuckin, and Assemblyman Dave Wolfe (all R-Ocean) said any unexpected State tax revenues should be dedicated to fully funding school districts like Brick and Toms River that have been hit with massive cuts in aid under Governor Phil Murphy’s proposed FY 2020 State Budget.
Holzapfel, McGuckin & Wolfe said Gov. Phil Murphy should use $250 million in unanticipated State tax revenue collections to reverse millions in local school funding cuts proposed in his FY 2020 State Budget plan. (Chart Source: NJ Department of Education)
The Governor recently said that State tax collections for the current fiscal year, which ends June 30th, are running approximately $250 million ahead of projections.
“Governor Murphy has proposed cutting $5.5 million from the Brick and Toms River school district budgets next year, which has resulted in a massive number of teacher layoffs that will impact our classrooms,” said Holzapfel. “If the Governor is now sitting on hundreds of millions in extra tax revenues that he wasn’t expecting to collect, he must make fully funding our schools, protecting our teachers, and educating our children his top priority.”
Holzapfel, Wolfe & McGuckin Blast Sanctuary Cities in Response to Murder in Jersey City
The rape and murder of a woman in Jersey City by an illegal immigrant who was deported twice, highlights the dangers of sanctuary cities within our state, Senator Holzapfel and Assemblymen Greg McGuckin and Dave Wolfe (all R-10) today said.
The lawmakers, outraged by this preventable tragedy, released the following statement sounding off on the threat to public safety caused by sanctuary cities:
District 10 lawmakers: the rape and murder of a woman in Jersey City by an illegal immigrant who was deported twice, highlights the dangers of sanctuary cities within our state. (Flickr)
“Sanctuary cities jeopardize the safety of millions of our residents, and the life of a young woman has been taken away because our state chooses to arrogantly disregard federal law,” said Senator Holzapfel. “We must not allow criminals, such as Rios to slip through the cracks in our immigration system.”
Holzapfel, Wolfe & McGuckin: We Support Superintendent Healy’s School Funding Testimony
Senator Jim Holzapfel and Assemblymen Dave Wolfe and Greg McGuckin (all R-10) today said that they stand by Toms River Regional School District Superintendent David Healy’s testimony, as delivered during a public budget hearing, stating that they will continue to fight for fair funding for students in Ocean County and throughout New Jersey.
District 10 Legislators stand by Toms River Regional School District Superintendent David Healy’s testimony, as delivered a March 21, 2019 public budget hearing, stating that they will continue to fight for fair funding for students in Ocean County and throughout New Jersey. (Wikimedia Commons)
Superintendent Healy testified at a March 21, 2019 public budget hearing in Newark, urging officials to stop all further cuts until the flaws in the state’s funding formula are fixed. The severe funding cuts to schools within Legislative District 10 have been vehemently opposed by legislators, school officials, and students.
“Superintendent Healy’s testimony shines a light on the glaring holes in our state’s school funding formula,” Senator Holzapfel said. “As a result of Governor Murphy’s funding cuts, District 10 is set to lose over $5.5 million in State aid for the 2019-2020 school year. On behalf of students and taxpayers in our district, we will continue to speak out against the deeper cuts that will be imposed in the years to come if the Governor’s budget proposal becomes law.”
Editorial: NJ Marijuana Legalization Comes with Serious Downsides
Senator Jim Holzapfel’s editorial on concerns regarding the legalization of marijuana in New Jersey was published by the Asbury Park Press on March 19, 2019:
Sen. Jim Holzapfel’s Asbury Park Press editorial on concerns regarding the legalization of marijuana in New Jersey. (Pixabay)
As a state senator and former county prosecutor, I oppose efforts by Gov. Phil Murphy and Democrats in the state Legislature to legalize the recreational use of marijuana in the Garden State.
The claims made by supporters of legalization don’t tell the full story, including the negative impacts on our neighborhoods and our children that can be expected should this proposal become law.
Proponents of legalization often cite a variety of anticipated benefits, ranging from large streams of new tax revenues for governments to anticipated “social justice” gains that they say would level the playing field for minorities.
The reality, however, is far less rosy. That’s clear from the example set by Colorado, where legalization occurred in 2014.
District 10 Legislators to Gov. Murphy: We Can’t Afford New Programs
Governor’s budget includes spending for college aid to illegal immigrants and overfunding Pre-K
On behalf of students and taxpayers in Ocean County, Senator Jim Holzapfel and Assemblymen Dave Wolfe and Greg McGuckin (all R-10) issued the following response to Governor Murphy’s budget address. The lawmakers noted that the funding cuts in the Governor’s proposed budget would drastically affect public schools in their district, such as Brick and Toms River Township.
District 10 lawmakers sound off on Gov. Murphy’s budget, noting that his proposed funding cuts would drastically affect public schools in their district, such as Brick and Toms River Township. (SenateNJ.com)
“While our constituents are being told that there is not enough money for school funding, Governor Murphy is handing out money to other programs that would give free college tuition and financial aid to illegal immigrants. State spending is out of control and our taxpayers and students are paying the price.
Holzapfel, Wolfe & McGuckin Blast Minimum Wage Hike
District 10 Lawmakers Note that State-mandated Minimum Wage Hike Will Hurt Seasonal & Small Businesses the Most
Senator Jim Holzapfel and Assemblymen Dave Wolfe and Greg McGuckin (all R-10) sounded off on Thursday’s passage of S-15/A-15 which would increase the minimum wage over time to $15 an hour. The Jersey Shore legislators are vehemently opposed to the increase, stating it will hurt seasonal and small businesses the most.
District 10 lawmakers sound off on the proposed minimum wage hike to $15 an hour. The Jersey Shore legislators stated it will hurt seasonal and small businesses the most. (Wikimedia)
“This bill is yet another attempt by Governor Murphy to force residents and business owners out of state,” said Senator Holzapfel. “Small businesses are the backbone of the Jersey Shore and this wage increase will send ripple effects throughout our Shore economy. Everyone, from the business owner on the boardwalk, to the tourist at the beach, will pay for this wage hike. The only option left for our hardworking business owners is either to raise prices, cut workers or close up shop entirely.”
Holzapfel, Wolfe & McGuckin: Murphy’s “Jersey Shore Tax” Negatively Impacting Tourism Economy
Extra Tax of Up to 14% Already Hurting Renters
Senator Jim Holzapfel and Assemblymen Dave Wolfe and Greg McGuckin (all R-10) said Governor Phil Murphy should listen to the concerns of homeowners and small businesses owners along the Jersey Shore who are raising the alarm about the impacts already being felt due to a tax increase the Governor approved last year on short-term beach rentals.
Holzapfel, Wolfe, and McGuckin said Gov. Phil Murphy should listen to Jersey Shore homeowners and small businesses owners impacted by his tax increase on short-term beach rentals. (WikiMedia)
“You shouldn’t have to be a millionaire like Governor Murphy to vacation down the shore,” said Holzapfel. “To charge a family that already stretches to pay thousands for a summer vacation an extra ten to fourteen percent in rental taxes is ridiculous. We’re already hearing that potential customers are responding to the new tax by booking at a much slower pace, which is concerning to the many tourism-driven businesses that make the bulk of their income during the summer months.”
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