
Senator Vin Gopal and Assemblywoman Joann Downey are the only Monmouth County legislators who voted to approve drivers licenses for illegal aliens. Photo via ericandjoann.com
The New Jersey Senate and Assembly on Monday passed a bill that would allow illegal aliens qualify for drivers licenses. Governor Phil Murphy is expected to sign the bill.
Of the legislators representing parts on Monmouth County, only Senator Vin Gopal and Assemblywoman Joann Downey voted in favor of the bill.
Here’s a tally of the Monmouth delegations’ votes on A4743:
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Posted: December 18th, 2019 | Author: Art Gallagher | Filed under: Monmouth County News, New Jersey | Tags: Drivers License for illegal aliens, Joann Downey, Monmouth County News, New Jersey, Senator Vin Gopal | 1 Comment »

Senators Sam Thompson, standing, and Vin Gopal, were the only Monmouth County legislators to vote in favor of busting the 2% property tax cap. Photo via NJ School Boards Association
The New Jersey Senate and Assembly passed legislation on Monday that allows school districts that have lost state funding for their budgets and are spending less annually than what the state considers adequate to raise property taxes above the 2% cap without voters’s consent. The 2% cap was the hallmark reform of the Christie administration. The cap busting legislation expires after the 2024-2025 school year.
The bill awaits Governor Phil Murphy’s signature before it becomes law. Murphy has indicated he is opposed to busting the property tax cap, preferring to raise income taxes on millionaires.
Of the legislators who represent parts of Monmouth County, only Senators Vin Gopal (D-11) and Sam Thompson (R-12) voted in favor of the bill.
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Posted: December 18th, 2019 | Author: Art Gallagher | Filed under: Monmouth County News, New Jersey | Tags: 2% Property tax cap, Monmouth County News, New Jersey, NJ Property Taxes | 5 Comments »
Superior Court Judge Joseph W. Oxley was affirmed for tenure by a 40-0 vote by the New Jersey State Senate on Monday afternoon.
Nominated by Governor Chris Christie for a seven year term in 2012, Judge Oxley was renominated by Governor Phil Murphy last month.
“These past seven years have been the greatest years of my life, both personally and professionally,” Oxley told the Senate Judiciary Committee during his confirmation hearing last week, according to New Jersey Law Journal.
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Posted: December 16th, 2019 | Author: Art Gallagher | Filed under: Monmouth County News, New Jersey, News | Tags: Governor Phil Murphy, Goveror Chris Christie, Judge Joseph W. Oxley, Judge Katie Gummer, Monmouth County News, Monmouth County Vicinage, NJ Judiciary | 1 Comment »
Ahmed A-Hady, 35, of Keyport, New Jersey, was arrested by the FBI early on Saturday morning and charged with being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. He expected to appear on before U.S. Magistrate Judge Joseph A. Dickson in Newark federal court on Monday, according to a statement by U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito.
A note found in the pants of the male suspect in the Jersey City mass shooting last week prompted federal authorities to investigate A-Hady who goes by the name Ed Him on social media.
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Posted: December 15th, 2019 | Author: Art Gallagher | Filed under: Monmouth County News, New Jersey, News | Tags: Ahmed A-Hady, Ed Him, Jersey City shooting, Keyport, Monmouth County, Monmouth County News, New Jersey, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito | Comments Off on Monmouth County Man Connected To Jersey City Shooting Faces Federal Weapons Charges

Highlands Mayor-elect Carolyn Broullon, left rear, celebrates her victory with supporters on Saturday with dinner at Chilangos
Highlands Mayor Rick O’Neil has chosen not to contest his one vote loss to Councilwoman Carolyn Broullon in court.
O’Neil conceded in a letter to the residents of Highlands posted Friday on the nation’s first online-only newspaper, ahearald.com:
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Posted: December 14th, 2019 | Author: Art Gallagher | Filed under: Monmouth County News, New Jersey | Tags: Anna C. Little, Carolyn Broullon, Highlands, Monmouth County News, Rick O'Neil | Comments Off on O’Neil concedes Highlands election to Broullon
O’Neil undecided on challenging the election results

Highlands Mayor-elect Carolyn Broullon in Freehold, following the recount of the November 5 election
The results of the election for mayor of the Borough of Highlands remain unchanged following a recount conducted by the Monmouth County Board of Elections in Freehold on Tuesday afternoon.
Councilwoman Carolyn Broullon won the election over Mayor Rick O’Neil by one vote, 603-602.
O’Neil won the majority of the votes cast on voting machines, 534-518. Broullon got 59% of the Vote By Mail votes that arrived by election day, November 5, 71-49. O’Neil got 6 of the 8 VBM ballots that were postmarked by November 5 and were delivered by the post office by November 7. The certified provisional ballots broke for O’Neil, 13-12.
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Posted: December 11th, 2019 | Author: Art Gallagher | Filed under: Highlands, Monmouth County, Monmouth County News | Tags: Carolyn Broullon, Highlands, Monmouth County News, Rick O'Neil | Comments Off on Broullon prevails in Highlands mayoral recount

Bill Robinson, center, with Monmouth Dem Chairman Dave Brown and Asbury Park Dem Chair Joe Grillo. photo via facebook
Bill Robinson, the Democrat volunteer operative and sign guy who former congressional candidate Tiffany Kaszuba accused of “concerning” and “unhealthy” behavior has resigned from the New Jersey Democratic State Committee, according to one of the Monmouth County Democrats who is allowed to talk to MMM.
Monmouth Democrat Chairman Dave Brown (not allowed to talk to MMM) called for Robinson’s resignation from the State Committee and banned him from Party activities after he and Senator Vin Gopal (allowed to talk to whoever he wants) were widely criticized on how they initially handled Kaszuba’s concerns.
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Posted: December 11th, 2019 | Author: Art Gallagher | Filed under: Monmouth County, Monmouth County News, Monmouth Democrats, New Jersey | Tags: Dave Brown, Governor Phil Murphy, Monmouth Democrats, Stephen Sweeny, Tiffany Kaszuba, Vin Gopal | 1 Comment »

Xiyue Wang and his family. photo via @FreeXiyueWang on twitter
Xiyue Wang, 38, a Princeton University graduated student, was released from an Iranian prison on Saturday. Wang had been held on espionage charges since August of 2016. He was exchanged by the U.S. government for Masoud Soleimani, an Iranian scientist who was arrested in Chicago last year and convicted of violating American trade sanctions against Iran, according to the NY Times.
Rep Chris Smith has kept pressure on the Trump Administration to secure Wang’s release since the PhD candidate’s friends and family reached out to the congressman in early 2018.
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Posted: December 7th, 2019 | Author: Art Gallagher | Filed under: Chris Smith, Monmouth County News, New Jersey | Tags: Congressman Chris Smith, Masoud Soleimani, Monmouth County News, New Jersey, Prisoner Exchange, Xiyue Wang | Comments Off on Princeton Grad Student Released By Iran In Prisoner Exchange

Tiffany Kaszuba, left and Bill Robinson, right at an event in Asbury Park in September. Photo via Kaszuba’s twitter page
Monmouth County Democrat Chairman Dave Brown issued an apology this morning for the way he handled the concerns of Tiffany Kaszuba, a lobbyist who ended her candidacy for Congress in CD4 on Tuesday with explosive allegations against Bill Robinson, the former Chairman of the Eatontown Democrats and former member of the Monmouth Democrats Executive Committee.
Kazuba issued the following statement announcing her withdrawal:
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Posted: December 5th, 2019 | Author: Art Gallagher | Filed under: Monmouth County News, Monmouth Democrats | Tags: Bill Robinson, Dave Brown, Monmouth County News, Monmouth Democrats, New Jersey, Tiffany Kaszuba, Vin Gopal | 4 Comments »
The freedom loving people of Hong Kong are celebrating the support of the United States this Thanksgiving Day thanks to President Trump’s signing of the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act, a law that our Congressman Chris Smith has been championing since 2014.
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Posted: November 28th, 2019 | Author: Art Gallagher | Filed under: Chris Smith, Human Rights, Monmouth County, New Jersey | Tags: Congressman Chris Smith, Hong Kong, Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act of 2019, President Donald Trump | Comments Off on Trump signs the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act