Senator Declan O’Scanlon, Freeholder Deputy Director Sue Kiley, Assemblywoman Serena DiMaso and Congressman Chris Smith in a pre-pandemic photo
By Senator Declan J. O’Scanlon, Jr
I am tremendously proud of my friend and our Congressman Chris Smith who consistently rises above the noise and clatter of politics and personally goes the extra mile to help people in desperate situations.
During this pandemic Chris Smith has done it again—he has literally saved lives. He’s not just saved the lives of countless unknown people who did not get sick because of the PPE Chris was able to secure for first responders and medical providers. But he’s saved really sick patients whose families called their congressman because they were desperate for answers, medication, and approvals for treatment in a healthcare system that was overwhelmed. Chris Smith came through for them.
Senator Declan O’Scanlon, center-right, with Assemblywoman Serena DiMaso, Christopher Wood, right, owner of Woody’s in Sea Bright and Tinton falls and former Sea Bright Councilman Reid Murphy enjoying a moment at Woody’s in June.
Senator Declan O’Scanlon and Assemblywoman Serena DiMaso (R-Monmouth) today welcomed the news that Governor Phil Murphy is allowing New Jersey restaurants to reopen indoor dining starting this weekend, but criticized the Governor’s delay and his 25% capacity limitation.
Senator Declan O’Scanlon (R-Monmouth) today criticized the Murphy administration’s continued blockade of New Jersey’s reopening and cited numerous metrics from surrounding states’ successful reopening.
“That the Governor, with a straight face, can cite a debunked study of an incident that happened over 8,000 miles away involving a restaurant in China with a wheezy, inadequate ventilation system that doesn’t conform to standards used in this country…to justify continuing to kill businesses here in New Jersey is outrageous and demoralizing for anyone trying to hold out hope that there’s any real, scientific focus on our safety and the health of our economy,” said O’Scanlon. “That the Governor, in the face of overwhelming evidence to the contrary, continues to suggest that we have to continue to destroy thousands of businesses and jobs and livelihoods is simply unconscionable.”
Senator O’Scanlon putting Assemblywoman DiMaso and Senator Gopal to sleep. 2018 photo by John Ward courtesy of RedBankGreen
Senator Vin Gopal did not vote on the controversial bill passed and signed into law yesterday that allows Governor Phil Murphy and four Democrat legislators to borrow up to $9.9 billion without voter approval.
New Jersey’s Constitution requires voters to approve state government debt. New Jersey’s Courts, and therefore its Democrat legislators and Governors, treat the Constitution as book of aphorisms.
“Today, I signed onto a resolution that just strikes me as peculiar. Peculiar in the sense that I never would have imagined the need for this to exist in a democracy. SCR-117 is intended to curtail the Governor’s power to issue emergency executive orders without reapproval by the legislature every 15 days. It’s a proposed constitutional amendment that if passed, would create a ballot question potentially altering our State’s constitution and let the public decide whether a Governor needs to have their power more frequently checked by the Legislature.
Senator Declan O’Scanlon placing his order at Sissy’s in Atlantic Highlands
State Senator hopes to avoid gaining 30 pounds
Senator Declan O’Scanlon, Jr. announced today that he is celebrating the reopening of New Jersey’s restaurants with by patronizing 30 Monmouth County eateries in 30 days.
O’Scanlon launched his tour this morning at Sissy’s at the Harbor in Atlantic Highlands.
Senator Declan O’Scanlon (R-Monmouth) said today that local governments have a right and obligation not to turn on the residents they are sworn to serve, at the behest of a higher level of government.
Speaking about Asbury Park’s resolution passed on Wednesday allowing the City’s restaurants to open for indoor dining on June 15, in defiance of Governor Murphy’s Executive Order 152, O’Scanlon said:
Senator Declan O’Scanlon followed his call for insurrection by moon gazing with a serious framework for New Jersey to contain COVID-19 while unleashing our economic engines.
Sen Declan O’Scanlon and Governor Phil Murphy discuss the micro management of sports betting at Monmouth Park, January 2019
By
Senator Declan O’Scanlon
Under the leadership of Governor
Phil Murphy, New Jersey residents have responded remarkably well given the
unprecedented and deadly invisible enemy we have faced. We have flattened
the curve and reversed the trends of COVID-19. We have changed our behavior,
likely forever. I credit the Governor with making some tough calls and
sympathize with the difficulty of challenges he’s faced, and will face going
forward.
“We waited,” Gov. Phil Murphy said, “because we wanted to get it right.”Governor Murphy said that in response to a question about whether he waited too long to call for our state lockdown.
Sometimes hesitating to “get it right” is wise. Other times it’s the hesitation itself that dooms one to failure. Now Governor Murphy faces a similar test of judgment regarding opening our state back up and potentially saving, or killing our economy.
We faced several major health threats in the last century – Spanish Flu of 1918 and Hong Kong flu in ‘68. But if you ask people today to name t… Read the rest of this entry »
Senator Declan O’Scanlon today called on the Legislature and Governor’s office to coordinate efforts to spearhead a rebirth of New Jersey’s once world-leading manufacturing and pharmaceutical research and production industries.
“The time is right now for New Jersey to be planning to take a lead role in re-domesticating these critical industries” said Senator O’Scanlon. “We still have the educated workforce, we still have incredible research universities, we still have the capital and investment resources and we still have the foundation of industrial knowledge and capability that made New Jersey the pharmaceutical and industrial capital of the world last century.
