Republican Assemblywomen Call for NFL Commissioner’s Resignation

Assemblywoman Caroline Casagrande

Republican Assemblywomen Caroline Casagrande, Nancy F. Muñoz, Mary Pat Angelini, Amy Handlin, Alison McHose, Holly Schepisi, DiAnne Gove, BettyLou DeCroce, Donna Simon and Maria Rodriguez-Gregg today called for the resignation of NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell over his handling on domestic violence issues on the part of NFL players.

The legislators jointly issued the following statement:

“When someone sucker punches an innocent woman or takes a switch to his son, something is terribly wrong. The league either delays disciplinary action or issues a slap on the wrist of the offender. The victims are vulnerable to the power of these men. Commissioner Goodell is unsuccessfully trying to appease the fans and advertisers that the league takes these actions seriously. If he were truly serious, he would apologize and submit his resignation over his failure to take immediate steps to prevent these kinds of assaults. The NFL should send a message to society that it will not tolerate these actions, and implement a no-tolerance policy with severe repercussions.”

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GWB letter raises credibility questions for Chris Christie, Port Authority official, politicians say

GWB letter raises credibility questions for Chris Christie, Port Authority official, politicians say (via NJ.com)

TRENTON — If true, the claims in former Port Authority official David Wildstein’s letter are explosive and potentially deadly to Gov. Chris Christie’s political future, New Jersey politicians agreed today. But they also conceded the letter raised…

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O’Scanlon Reiterates His Support Of Gay Marriage

Various 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.

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Clifton Says Bail Reform Needed

Assembly Republican Rob  Clifton, R-Monmouth, Burlington, Middlesex and Ocean, said he believes it is  appropriate for legislation approved by an Assembly committee last June that  would allow voters to decide if judges should have the authority to deny bail to  defendants deemed dangerous while awaiting trial, to be considered as part of  Thursday’s Assembly voting session.

The legislation, ACR-153,  was unanimously released by the Assembly Judiciary Committee, but has yet to  receive consideration by the General Assembly. Under the resolution, a court  must find that no amount of bail, pretrial release conditions, or combination of  bail and pretrial release conditions would assure the defendant’s appearance as  required or to protect the public safety.

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