Holzapfel: Lock up the Criminals not the Merchandise
Senator Jim Holzapfel is calling on the New Jersey Legislature to approve his bill that would impose strict penalties for engaging in gang shoplifting.
Sen. Jim Holzapfel is calling on the New Jersey Legislature to approve his bill that would impose strict penalties for engaging in gang shoplifting. (Flickr)
“What’s it going to take to get Trenton Democrats to stop being soft on crime? Earlier this week, a gang of shoplifters cleaned out a Dior store in Short Hills, and just yesterday, Target announced that it lost over a billion dollars in merchandise because of flash mobs of shoplifters,” said Holzapfel (R-10). “Not only do these crimes have an immediate impact on item inventory, but they can also erode investor trust and slowly destroy a company’s stock valuation. Now is the time for the Legislature to approve my bill so that we can put a stop to this reckless behavior.”
District 10 Lawmakers: Murphy’s DEP Just Issued a $266,000 Fine…to Itself
Sen. Jim Holzapfel and Assemblymen Greg McGuckin and John Catalano are asking how the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is going to issue a fine to the Division of Fish & Wildlife’s Bureau of Land Management.
Sen. Jim Holzapfel and Assemblymen Greg McGuckin and John Catalano are asking how the New Jersey DEP is going to issue a fine to the Division of Fish & Wildlife’s Bureau of Land Management. (Pixabay)
“Setting aside the glaring communication issues between different divisions within the DEP, I would really like to know how the DEP plans on paying a penalty to itself,” Senator Holzapfel said. “Where will this payment even go—the state’s general fund? How is taking away more than a quarter of a million dollars, which should be used for environmental purposes, and handing it over to the Treasury an acceptable solution? Only in New Jersey could this make any sense.”
Ocean County Legislators Blast Murphy’s Funding of Transgender Website with Pandemic Relief Funds
Question Governor’s Priorities as Funding Schools, Fixing Unemployment System & Replenishing UI Fund Continue to Be Ignored
Senator Jim Holzapfel, Assemblyman Greg McGuckin, and Assemblyman John Catalano (all R-10) questioned Governor Phil Murphy’s use of pandemic relief funds to develop a “Transgender Information Hub” website while other critical needs that could have been funded have been ignored.
Ocean County lawmakers questioned Gov. Phil Murphy’s use of pandemic relief funds to develop a ‘Transgender Information Hub’ website while other critical needs that could have been funded have been ignored. (Pixabay)
“When we have billions in unspent pandemic relief funds that Governor Murphy has failed to put to effective use, it’s shocking that building a transgender website is where he has chosen to spend American Rescue Plan Act money,” said Holzapfel. “He could have helped struggling businesses, prevented cuts to our schools, or fixed the broken unemployment system, but building a transgender website was his priority. It’s ridiculous.”
District 10 Lawmakers to Governor: ‘Why Are You Choosing Criminals Over Children?’
Gov. Phil Murphy gets a failing grade on his state school aid proposal, say Sen. Jim Holzapfel and Assemblymen Greg McGuckin and John Catalano. Once again, Brick and Toms River school districts find themselves facing massive aid cuts while the governor increases aid to North Jersey districts and uses funds to support woke initiatives like no fee public defenders.
Gov. Phil Murphy gets a failing grade on his state school aid proposal, say Sen. Jim Holzapfel and Assemblymen Greg McGuckin and John Catalano. (Wikipedia)
“Under Governor Murphy’s proposal, total funding to schools in District 10 would decline by nearly 20%,” Holzapfel said. “That’s unconscionable when we are not only facing a school staffing shortage, but trying to give our students some sense of normalcy coming out of Murphy’s masking and lockdown orders. Adding insult to injury, Murphy seems to have plenty of money in the budget for wealthy school districts in North Jersey and his woke, soft on crime initiatives like eliminating all public defender fees.”
Holzapfel, McGuckin & Catalano Blast Huge Cuts by Gov. Murphy to Brick, Toms River & Seaside Heights Schools
Senator Jim Holzapfel, Assemblyman Greg McGuckin, and Assemblyman John Catalano blasted huge cuts to several school districts in the 10th Legislative District that were just announced as part of Governor Phil Murphy’s FY 2024 state budget proposal.
Sen. Jim Holzapfel, Asm. Greg McGuckin, and Asm. John Catalano blasted huge cuts to several school districts in the 10th Legislative District that were just announced as part of Gov. Phil Murphy’s FY 2024 state budget proposal. (Flickr)
“Governor Murphy’s massive school aid cuts to Brick and Toms River are malicious and unnecessary when he’s building a $10 billion budget surplus and putting $1 billion more into schools in other parts of the state,” Holzapfel said. “There’s absolutely no reason that schools in Ocean County or anywhere else should have their funding cut when the state is so flush with cash.”
10th District Legislators Urge Murphy Administration to Halt Offshore Wind Projects
In response to a ninth dead whale washing up on New Jersey beaches, Senator Jim Holzapfel and Assemblymen Greg McGuckin and John Catalano (all R-10) have called for Governor Murphy to put a moratorium on all offshore wind projects until the cause of the whales’ deaths can be determined.
In response to reports of a ninth dead whale washing up along the Jersey shore, Senator Holzapfel and Assemblymen McGuckin and Catalano have called on the Murphy Administration to halt all offshore wind projects. (NJ.com)
“Nine dead whales washing ashore in just over two months is more than a coincidence,” Senator Holzapfel stated. “Something in our waters is causing whales to die at an alarming rate. Until we can definitively say that the work related to these projects aren’t causing whales to die the governor should put a halt to all offshore wind projects.”
10th District Legislators Introduce Toll Relief Program Legislation for E-ZPass Commuters
In an effort to provide some financial relief for commuters, Senator Jim Holzapfel and Assemblymen Greg McGuckin and John Catalano (all R-10) have introduced S-3552/A-5205 to appropriate $250 million to the New Jersey Turnpike Authority and South Jersey Transportation Authority in the form of a toll relief program.
To provide some financial relief for commuters, Senator Holzapfel and Assemblymen McGuckin and Catalano have introduced a bill to appropriate $250 million to the NJTA and SJTA in the form of a toll relief program. (SenateNJ.com)
“Qualifying commuters have a unique opportunity to save big when they travel on toll roads across the state,” Senator Holzapfel stated. “Ocean County commuters make up a majority of the cars on our major highways each day and this legislation will make the average cost of the daily commute more affordable.”
10th District Lawmakers Introduce Bill Mandating State Board of Education to Meet in Person
Legislation Also Requires Both In-Person and Virtual Public Access to Board Meetings
Senator Jim Holzapfel, Assemblyman Greg McGuckin, and Assemblyman John Catalano (all R-Ocean) have introduced legislation requiring members of the New Jersey State Board of Education to attend Board meetings in person.
Sen. Jim Holzapfel, Asm. Greg McGuckin, and Asm. John Catalano introduced legislation requiring members of the New Jersey State Board of Education to attend Board meetings in person while giving parents the ability to access these meetings both publicly and virtually. (Pixabay)
“Why is it that every other institution can return to pre-COVID procedures except government boards in charge of making decisions that affect everyone’s lives?” Senator Holzapfel asked. “We can agree or disagree with the State Board of Education’s decisions, but there is no longer an excuse for Board members to hide behind a computer and limit the public’s ability to comment on controversial policies that will impact their children’s education.”
Holzapfel, McGuckin & Catalano Introduce Bill to Implement Comprehensive Ban of TikTok on All State Devices
Directive Announced by Governor on Monday Only Applies to Executive Branch
Senator Jim Holzapfel and Assemblymen Greg McGuckin and John Catalano (all R-Ocean) introduced legislation yesterday to ban TikTok on all State government devices. The bill was announced by the legislators last month amid rising concerns about cybersecurity risks associated with the social media platform raised by the FBI and U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
Sen. Jim Holzapfel and Asm. Greg McGuckin and John Catalano introduced legislation to implement a comprehensive ban TikTok on all State government devices. A recent directive from the Murphy administration only applies to the Executive Branch. (©iStock)
“We were the first to raise concerns about the cybersecurity risks associated with the use of TikTok on state government devices in New Jersey,” said Holzapfel. “We’re glad Governor Murphy listened and issued a directive to ban the app on Executive Branch devices. Our legislation goes even further and would prohibit TikTok on devices across every branch of government, including the Legislature and the Judiciary.”
LD10 Lawmakers Join Toms River Officials Opposing Proposed Legal Settlement for Toxic Ciba Site
Senator Jim Holzapfel, Assemblyman Greg McGuckin, and Assemblyman John Catalano today pledged their support of Toms River Township officials opposing the Department of Environmental Protection’s proposed settlement with the current owners of the Ciba-Geigy superfund site.
Sen. Jim Holzapfel, Asm. Greg McGuckin, and Asm. John Catalano pledged their support of Toms River Township officials opposing the Department of Environmental Protection’s proposed settlement with the current owners of the Ciba-Geigy superfund site. (Wikimedia Commons)
“This deal seems more like a slap on the wrist than punishment for despicable corporate malfeasance,” said Senator Holzapfel (R-10). “The Ciba site has been a primary source of stress, concern and even health problems for residents, and this shocking arrangement only adds insult to injury. It is appalling that this proposal was crafted without any input from local elected officials or families who have lived in fear of the water in their taps and under their feet.”
