O’Scanlon forces Assembly vote on property tax cap effectiveness

Democrats punt on property tax reform

Trenton, NJ- Assemblyman Declan O’Scanlon, Jr. invoked a parliamentary rule on the floor of the Assembly on Thursday to force a vote on his bill that would remove the sunset provision on the arbitration cap of police and fireman salaries.

The arbitration cap was institution as part of the 2010 landmark property tax reform legislation that capped New Jersey property tax growth at 2% per year. The initial cap expired in 2014 and was renewed in 2014 with a sunset provision for the end of this year.  O’Scanlon’s bill, A-2123,would make the 2% arbitration cap permanent.

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Democrats in the 13th District: Vote for Joshua Leinsdorf for Senate in the Primary

By Art Gallagher

Over the Memorial Day weekend I noticed that Sean Byrnes, the establishment candidate for State Senate in the 13th District Democratic Primary, has put up lawn signs to get people to vote for him on Tuesday, June 6.   Byrnes is being challenged for the nomination to compete with Republican Declan O’Scanlon in November by Joshua Leinsdorf of Atlantic Highlands.   The winner of the LD 13 Senate election will replace Senator Joe Kyrillos in the Senate.

Given that Byrnes is taking the primary challenge from Leinsdorf seriously, I thought I should too.  I invited Mr. Leinsdorf to sit with me for an interview.  He surprised me. I thought Leinsdorf was an attention seeking gadfly perennial candidate.  I found him to be a sincere, smart and thoughtful man who has common sense ideas on how to solve New Jersey’s many fiscal problems.  Win or lose, he wants to influence public policy. He claims that even his losing campaigns have made a difference.

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NJ Fish and Wildlife: Union Beach Bear was behaving normally

O’Scanlon: Bears Hanging out in Monmouth County on Memorial Day Weekend is not “normal behavior”

Male bear killed in Union Beach on Saturday night. photo by Councilman Charlie Cocuzza

In response to our report this morning that NJ DEP’s Fish and Wildlife Division told Union Beach Police officials that “We don’t come out on weekends” and “that is not our protocol,” when the UBPD asked for their assistance in tranquilizing and relocating the bear that was shot and killed last night, DEP spokesman Bob Considine said, “the notion that F&W biologist don’t work weekends is ridiculous and offensive.”

Considine said that had the Union Beach situation been Category 1, i.e., the bear was a threat to public safety or property, that Fish and Wildlife biologists would have been on the scene. He said that the situation in Union Beach last night was a Category 3…a bear exhibiting normal behavior and not a nuisance or threat to public safety.

Considine said that F&W advised UBPD that they would not be disposing of the carcass over the weekend.  The bear’s body is now stored in a locked dumpster on Union Beach Borough property.  “Perhaps something got lost in translation,” he said.

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O’Scanlon Testifies Against “Use Our Kids as Pawns to Enrich Corrupt Companies” Legislation

Assemblyman Declan O’Scanlon (R-Monmouth) testified before the Assembly Education Committee and the Assembly Transportation Committee this morning, imploring his colleagues on the committees to kill legislation that, if passed, would rip off motorists for the benefit of corrupt companies and greedy municipal official.

At the Education Committee, O’Scanlon, the Republican nominee to replace Senator Joe Kyrillos in the Senate next year, testified against bill A3798, a bill that would let the same companies that ran New Jersey’s now defunct Red Light Camera Program monitor school bus cameras and share the revenue generated by tickets with the municipalites.  O’Scanlon said the bill would allow for-profit traffic enforcement at the expense of innocent drivers.

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O’Scanlon’s Bill Allowing Minors To Register As Organ Donors Passes In Assembly

Assemblyman Declan O’Scanlon

A bill sponsored by Assemblyman Declan O’Scanlon that would allow minors as young as 14 years old register as organ donors was passed overwhelmingly, 74-0, in the Assembly on Thursday.  Currently, the youngest a person can register as a organ donor in New Jersey is 18.  The legislation gives parents of minor organ donors the ability to overrule the registration.

O’Scanlon worked on the bill with the NJ Sharing Network, the nonprofit organization that manages the state’s organ transplant system.

“Children in need of organ transplants usually require organs smaller than those an adult can provide,” said O’Scanlon (R-Monmouth). “Teens will be empowered to memorialize their wishes. The act is both selfless and admirable. The bill may also help to provide parents both guidance and comfort during a time of unimaginable loss.”

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GOP Leaders Weigh In On LD 13 Slate

Monmouth County and New Jersey Republican Leaders congratulated the GOP legislative team of Declan O’Scanlon, Amy Handlin and Serena DiMaso in the 13th district today.

Senator Joe Kyrillos, who created the game of dominoes that has that has had Republican office holders dancing on the district and county levesl when he announced his retirement in October, said, “Looks like things are working out very well for my friend Assemblyman Declan O’Scanlon to fill my seat next year and I’m proud of him. He’s been a great assemblyman, and together with Amy and Serena, will contribute to the long tradition of Monmouth county’s especially strong legislative delegations to the State House.”

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Former Middletown Township Committeeman To Challenge O’Scanlon in LD 13

InsiderNJ is reporting that former Middletown Township Committeeman Sean Byrnes will run for State Senate in the 13th legislative district.

Byrnes was one of two Democrats to break the Middletown GOP’s hold on the Township Committee in the wake of Operation Bid Rig.  He was elected in 2007 and served one term before being defeated by Kevin Settembrino in 2010.   Byrnes ran for Monmouth County Freeholder in 2009.  He was defeated by John Curley after Vin Gopal paid for a beach plane banner that misspelled ‘freeholder.’

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Scharfenberger withdraws from LD 13 Assembly race

photo via facebook

Monmouth County GOP Chairman Shaun Golden told MMM that Middletown Mayor Gerry Scharfenberger has withdrawn as a candidate for Assembly in the 13th legislative district.

“Mayor Scharfenberger called and told me that he will not be filing a Letter of Intent,” Golden said. “Gerry is a competitor.  I appreciate what it took for him to step down for the good of the Party.  Gerry is a great mayor of one of the best run towns in the State of New Jersey.  He has a great future ahead of him.”

Assemblyman Declan O’Scanlon, the presumptive GOP nominee for State Senate in the 13th legislative district, also said he talked to Scharfenberger.

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Hazlet Mayor Sue Kiley Endorses O’Scanlon, Handlin and DiMaso in LD 13

Assemblywoman Amy Handlin, Freeholder Serena DiMaso and Hazlet Mayor Sue Kiley

Hazlet Mayor Sue Kiley said she was supporting Assemblyman Declan O’Scanlon for State Senate and Assemblywoman Amy Handlin and Freeholder Serena DiMaso for Assembly in New Jersey’s 13th legislative district.

“I am so pleased that both Declan and Amy will continue to represent us in Trenton,” Kiley said. “They have both been great advocates for the people of Hazlet and available to help us in fighting the so called ‘Monmouth Reliability Project’.  They are both good friends and legislators.”

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Marchese drops out of LD 13 Assembly race, Endorses Handlin and DiMaso

Fair Haven Councilman Bob Marchese

Fair Haven Councilman Bob Marchese told MMM that he will not submit his Letter of Intent to run for Assembly in the 13th legislative district and that he is throwing his support behind incumbent Assemblywoman Amy Handlin and Freeholder Serena DiMaso.

“We are fortunate that Amy Handlin has chosen to continue her career in the Assembly,” Marchese said of Handlin who, until this morning was in a race to replace Senator Joe Kyrillos with her district mate, Assemblyman Declan O’Scanlon. “Declan was always my guy to replace Senator Kyrillos.  The notion of losing two accomplished incumbents in the district, Kyrillos and either O’Scanlon or Handlin, in one election cycle was not ideal.

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