fbpx

Angelini: Houghtaling and Downey should break from criminal NJEA

Hougtaling and Downey’s spokeman denies hearing of Sweeney’s call for a criminal investigation into NJEA

Angelini

Mary Pat Angelini

Still smarting from her shocking loss last November, former Assemblywoman Mary Pat Angelini yesterday issued a statement calling on the Democrats who unseated her to join Senate President Steve Sweeney in his demand that the U.S. Attorney and N.J. Attorney General investigate the teachers union for extortion.

The Democrat leader of the State Senate accused the NJEA of extorition eariler this week after Democrat County Chairmen and other power brokers told him that NJEA leaders told them that the union would withhold campaign contributions to Democrats unless Sweeney allowed a vote in the Senate on an amendment to the State Constitution that would compel specified contributions to the teacher’s pension fund every year.

Angelini said that Assembly Members Eric Houghtaling and Joann Downey would not have defeated her if not for the “vicious lies” the NJEA broadcast about her and the non-profit drug abuse prevention organization she runs during the final days of the 2015 election campaign.

Read the rest of this entry »

Posted: August 5th, 2016 | Author: | Filed under: Mary Pat Angenlini, Monmouth County News, NJEA, Stephen Sweeney | Tags: , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment »

Angelini blasts Democratic colleagues on her way out of Trenton

assetContent (46)In the wee hours of Tuesday morning, the state Assembly still had business to do before the two-year legislative session expired — including saying goodbye to all the departing lawmakers. Most of the time, it’s nice words followed by contrite thank-yous from the about-to-be-former legislators. Not so this time, when the object of praise was Assemblywoman… Read the rest of this entry »

Posted: January 12th, 2016 | Author: | Filed under: Mary Pat Angenlini, Monmouth County News, NJ Democrats, NJ State Legislature | Tags: , , , | 2 Comments »

Assemblywoman Mary Pat Angelini Looks Back At Her Tenure in the Legislature

Angelini

Mary Pat Angelini

By Mary Pat Angelini

On Monday my term serving in the NJ General Assembly will officially end. As I look back on my eight years in the Legislature, I’m proud of my legislative accomplishments and to have represented my constituents with honesty, integrity and personal accountability. I’m especially thankful that I was able to shine a light on issues that affect the more vulnerable segments of our society, including young people and individuals struggling with substance abuse and mental illness. I always felt that one of my duties as a public servant was to give a voice to those who are not always heard. Of course this was sometimes easier said than done, but I’m proud to say that I was able to make some tremendous headway.

During my tenure, I had numerous bills signed into law, including the state’s landmark “Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights” that has helped reduce bullying in NJ schools by requiring school employees to take action in addressing harassment, intimidation and bullying. Another landmark bill was my “911” or “Lifeline Legislation,” which established a “safe haven” from prosecution for minors who summon medical assistance for intoxicated underage persons. Furthermore, I became deeply involved with our state’s crippling heroin epidemic by supporting legislation to help those struggling with addiction and an advocate for defying the stigma of mental illness by supporting the pressing mental health needs of all Monmouth County residents.

Read the rest of this entry »

Posted: January 10th, 2016 | Author: | Filed under: 11th Legislative District, Mary Pat Angenlini, Monmouth County News, NJ State Legislature | Tags: , , , , | 6 Comments »

Angelini Concedes LD 11 Loss

Angelini

Assemblywoman Mary Pat Angelini

Assemblywoman Mary Pat Angelini released the following statement after the certification of the November 3rd elections: 

“The voters of the 11th District have spoken and I respect the choices that they have made. I congratulate Joann Downey and Eric Houghtaling and wish them nothing but the best.

Serving in the Legislature for the past eight years has been an incredible experience that I will always cherish.

I am proud of my legislative accomplishments and especially, my efforts to shine a light on the issues affecting the more vulnerable segments of our society, including young people and individuals struggling with substance abuse and mental illness.

I am forever grateful for the many wonderful friends, colleagues and supporters who helped make my time in the Assembly such a tremendous experience. I thank the residents of the 11th District for giving me the opportunity to serve and I look forward to what the next chapter of my life will bring.”

Posted: December 2nd, 2015 | Author: | Filed under: 11th Legislative District, 2015 Elections, 2015 Legislative Races, Mary Pat Angenlini, Monmouth County News | Tags: , , , | 4 Comments »

Asbury Park Press Endorses Angelini and Casagrande in LD 11

Monmouth County Democratic Chairman Vin Gopal is having a bad day year.

The Dems have put their eggs in the LD 11 basket this year, hoping to pick off one or two of New Jersey’s only all female LD11-taxpayers-1st-300x250-crisplegislative delegation in Assemblywomen Mary Pat Angelini and Caroline Casagrande.

Vin made sure that his county candidates for Clerk and Freeholder are residents of the 11th, in hopes that a hometown turnout boost for the county candidates, who are hardly campaigning elsewhere in the county, might help Eric Houghtaling of Neptune and Joann Downey of Freehold over the finish line.

Only in the 11th will you find a typical election year showing of road and lawn signs. Houghtaling and Downey are advertising on ESPN and even FoxNews.

Gopal has historically been able to count on an assist from the Asbury Park Press. Not this year and not where he needs it most.

In endorsing Angelini and Casagrande, APP called them “among the strongest legislators in New Jersey.”

Read the rest of this entry »

Posted: October 20th, 2015 | Author: | Filed under: 2015 Elections, 2015 Legislative Races, Caroline Casagrande, Mary Pat Angenlini, Monmouth County News, Monmouth Democrats, NJ State Legislature, Vin Gopal | Tags: , , , , , , , | 3 Comments »

Report: Gopal Considering Another Run For Assembly

What will Dan Jacobson do?

Vin Gopal

Vin Gopal

Ever the optimist and desperate for relevancy, Monmouth County Democratic Chairman Vin Gopal is floating his name as a candidate for Assembly in 11th District.

The district’s Assembly seats are currently held by Mary Pat Angelini and Caroline Casagrande.  Gopal and Red Bank Councilwoman Kathy Horgan lost to Angelini and Casagrande by over 3000 votes (out of 37,093 cast) in 2011.  Former Democratic Assemblyman Dan Jacobson, publisher of the triCityNews and AsburyParkSun earned 2358 votes as an Independent candidate that year.

MoreMonmouthMusings hereby endorses Gopal for one of the Democratic Assembly nominations in the 11th.

We were worried that 2015 would be a boring year politically in Monmouth County and that we’d have to start covering restaurant openings to keep our traffic up next year.  With Gopal on the ballot, MMM’s political focus would be assured for another year.

Another reason we like Gopal as a candidate for Assembly is that it takes an issue of the table for Sheriff Shaun Golden’s reelection in 2016.

Read the rest of this entry »

Posted: December 9th, 2014 | Author: | Filed under: 11th Legislative District, 2015 Legislative Races, Caroline Casagrande, Mary Pat Angenlini, Vin Gopal | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments »

Long Branch Mayor Adam Schneider Endorses Republicans Beck, Angelini and Casagrande

Guv Chris Christie accepting Long Branch Mayor Adam Schneider's endorsement. Photo by Art Gallagher.

Guv Chris Christie accepting Long Branch Mayor Adam Schneider’s endorsement. Photo by Art Gallagher.

Long Branch Mayor Adam Schneider, a Democrat, today endorsed the all female Republican team of legislators in New Jersey’s 11th district, Senator Jennifer Beck and Assemblywomen Mary Pat Angelini and Caroline Casagrande.

“I have a worked closely with our legislators on a variety of issues,” said Schneider in a statement issued by the Republican legislators, “They always have the best interests of Long Branch in mind and have gone out of their way to help our residents.  Senator Beck, Assemblywoman Angelini and Assemblywoman Casagrande manage to keep partisan politics out of the picture and focus on the issue at hand. I am proud to work with them and offer them my endorsement.”

In addition to endorsing the Republican legislators from his district, Schneider is one of over 50 Democratic elected officials who have endorsed Governor Chris Christie.

“Oh, that was nice of him,” said Red Bank Councilman Ed Zipprich, a Democratic candidate challenging Angelini and Casagrande, when informed of Schneider’s endorsement.

Monmouth County Democratric Chairman Vin Gopal was surprised that Schneider endorse all three Republican women representing the 11th.  “He endorsed all three of them?” Gopal asked twice, “No, I have no comment.”

Read the rest of this entry »

Posted: October 14th, 2013 | Author: | Filed under: 11th Legislative District, 2013 Election, Caroline Casagrande, Ed Zipprich, Jennifer Beck, Mary Pat Angenlini, NJ State Legislature | Tags: , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments »

O’Scanlon Reiterates His Support Of Gay Marriage

declan-oscanlon-budgetVarious news sources are reporting that Assemblyman Declan O’Scanlon (R-Monmouth) has “broken with Governor Christie” over the issue of same sex marriage.

The news reports are inaccurate.

O’Scanlon was never “with” Governor Christie on the same sex marriage issue. He’s been on the record as favoring the Marriage Equality and Religious Exemptions Act since February of 2012 when the bill passed both houses of the legislature and was vetoed by Christie.

O’Scanlon was absent from the February 2012 vote because he was attending Senator Jennifer Beck’s wedding in Jamaica.   Upon his return to New Jersey, he told triCityNews that he would have voted for the bill had he been present and that he would vote to override Christie’s veto if it ever comes up for a vote.

triCityNews is not published online.  Publisher Dan Jacobson verified my recollection of O’Scanlon’s quotes on the phone this evening.

The issue is in the news again because marriage equality advocates have been in Trenton this week lobbying for an override of Christie’s veto before the end of the legislative session in January.

The Marriage Equality and Religious Exemptions Act passed the Senate with a vote of 24-16 and the Assembly by 42-33, with 5 Assembly members, including O’Scanlon and Mary Pat Angelini not voting.   An override requires a 2/3 affirmative vote.  In order for an override to succeed, the bill needs three additional yes votes in the Senate and 12 yes votes in the Assembly. O’Scanlon and Angelini represent two of the needed yes votes. Republican Assemblywoman Holly Schepisi of Bergen County also didn’t vote in 2012.  Schepisi said she would vote to override, leaving the bill needing 9 votes to pass in the Assembly.

If there is a override vote, it probably won’t occur until the “lame duck” session after the November election and before the new legislature takes office in January.

Posted: September 19th, 2013 | Author: | Filed under: Declan O'Scanlon, Gay Marriage, Gender Equality, marriage, Marriage Equality, Marriage Equality and Religious Exemptions Act, Mary Pat Angenlini, NJ State Legislature | Tags: , , , , , , , | 6 Comments »

Zipprich Has More Campaign Cash Than Angelini and Casagrande Combined

Assembly candidate Ed Zipprich and Senator Barbara Buono and NY's Gay Pride Parade, 6/30/13 facebook photo

Assembly candidate Ed Zipprich and Senator Barbara Buono and NY’s Gay Pride Parade, 6/30/13 facebook photo

Red Bank Councilman Ed Zipprich, a Democratic candidate for Assembly in the 11th legislative district, announced today that he has outraised his Republican opponents, Assemblywomen Mary Pat Angelini and Caroline Casagrande, over the last two fundraising periods and that he has more cash on hand than Angelini and Casagrande combined.

RED BANK–  Today, Ed Zipprich, candidate for New Jersey Assembly (NJ-11), announced that he has outraised his opponents, Mary  Pat Angelini and Caroline Casagrande, over the last two fundraising  periods.  Zipprich raised a total of $21,793 during the pre and  post-primary reporting periods while Angelini and Casagrande combined to raise a total of $12,200.  Additionally, Zipprich has $42,819 on hand  compared to Angelini and Casagrande’s combined $37,873–$23,966 on hand for  Angelini and 13,907 for Casagrande.”

“I am humbled by the amount of support I’ve received across the 11th district,” said Zipprich.  “It shows our campaign is building momentum  and that voters are starting to pay attention to the differences between myself and my opponents.  Whether it’s on raising the minimum wage,  ending special tax breaks for millionaires, or finally bringing marriage equality to New Jersey, the residents of the 11th  district know I will fight for them.”

MMM verified Zipprich’s numbers at the NJ Election Law Enforcement Commission’s website.

Read the rest of this entry »

Posted: July 2nd, 2013 | Author: | Filed under: 11th Legislative District, 2013 Election, Barbara Buono, Campaign Contributions, Campaign Finance, Caroline Casagrande, Ed Zipprich, ELEC, Elections, Mary Pat Angenlini, Monmouth Democrats, SEIU | Tags: , , , , , , | 18 Comments »

Sociological Strip Search Bill Passes Assembly, Scheduled For Senate Vote Today

New Jersey Public Schools are on the verge of becoming part of the government’s domestic spying apparatus.  If the NSA misses something while going through your phone calls and emails, they will have the questionnaires your children fill out in school to fall back on, if the Sociological Strip Search bill passes, as amended by the Assembly last week, and is signed into law by Governor Christie.

In case you’ve missed our previous coverage of this proposed law, it authorizes schools to conduct intrusive surveys into the lives of students without parental consent.   The bill, A/2421 in the Assembly and S/454 in the Senate, amends a current law passed in 2001 that requires written parental consent before school can question students about:

mental and psychological problems potentially embarrassing to the student or the student’s family;

 illegal, anti-social, self-incriminating and demeaning behavior;

critical appraisals of other individuals with whom a respondent has a close family relationship;

legally recognized privileged or analogous relationships, such as those of lawyers, physicians, and ministers;

income, other than that required by law to determine eligibility for participation in a program or for receiving financial assistance under a program;

The educational establishment uses the information mined from the surveys to apply for federal money.  Not enough parents are providing written consent, like they do for field trips and extracurricular programs, so the ‘educators’ and the companies and non-profits that sell drug abuse and anti-bullying programs to the schools, want to replace written parental consent for the children to be subject to the intrusion with simple parental notification.  They are counting on parents not taking the affirmative action of objecting to the surveys, thereby giving ‘negative consent.’

The bill passed the Assembly last week, largely along partisan lines.  Four Republicans, Mary Pat Angelini, Betty Lou DeCroce , John Amodeo and Chris A. Brown voted with the Democrats to pass the bill.  Today it goes back to the Senate for a second reading to concur with the amendments the Assembly made.  The bill originally passed the Senate 25-15 in February.

Contact your Senator and ask her/him to vote NO today.  Contact Governor Christie and ask him to veto the bill if/when it gets to his desk.

 

Posted: June 24th, 2013 | Author: | Filed under: Mary Pat Angenlini, New Jersey | Tags: , , , , | 5 Comments »