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Says the Loss of Life at Veterans’ and Nursing Homes Demands Inquiry The coronavirus pandemic began hitting New Jersey and Massachusetts at close to the same time, and it wasn’t long before both states were seeing a disturbing loss of life in veterans’ homes and nursing homes. A half year later, Massachusetts has completed an inquiry into the problems that led to tragedy, and a grand jury has indicted several top officials from a particularly hard-hit veterans facilities. “Massachusetts took the bull by the horns,” said Senator Joe Pennacchio, who has been calling for a Senate Select Committee to investigate the state’s handling of COVID in long-term care facilities since May. “I take no pleasure in hearing that anybody has been criminally indicted, but I am trying to get at the truth and I can’t understand why our Legislature is sitting on its hands. Continue Reading…

Oroho & Greenstein Measure Establishes Stockpile of Personal Protective Equipment Produced In-State The onset of the COVID pandemic exposed a severe shortage of masks, gloves, gowns, and other personal protective equipment in the state and across the nation. Bipartisan legislation sponsored by Senator Steve Oroho and Senator Linda Greenstein would prevent scarcities in the future and at the same time bolster the New Jersey manufacturing industry. The bill (S-2991) requires the New Jersey Office of Emergency Management to establish a process to evaluate and approve personal protective equipment (PPE) for use during public health emergencies. It also requires the state to develop a stockpile of equipment. “The virus strained the resources of the health care system and there wasn’t enough ready access to equipment needed to help prevent the spread of the virus. That can’t happen again,” said Oroho (R-24). “With this bill, we can help ensure a sufficient supply of protective gloves, masks, and gowns to defend against a viral outbreak and protect medical workers and patients, and we can put New Jersey factories to work making the gear.” Continue Reading…

Delegation Cites Small Victories Such as Restoration of Senior Freeze and Homestead Rebate Among Host of Middle-Class Tax Increases Imposed by Democrats Senator Christopher Connors, Assemblyman Brian Rumpf and Assemblywoman DiAnne Gove offered the following update to constituents following the passage of the FY2021 State Budget, which the 9th District delegation opposed and voted against: “Taxpayers in this state are growing increasingly apprehensive about the economic uncertainty created by the response to COVID-19. Yet with so much on the line for families and retirees, Trenton failed to pass a State Budget that addresses taxpayers’ immediate concerns about tax relief and jumpstarting the state’s economy. “Ramrodded through by the Majority Party Leadership and expected to be signed quickly by the Governor, the State Budget has more than $200 million in pork barrel spending that could, otherwise, be used for property tax relief. The budget relies on increasing taxes on employers and health insurance policies that, undoubtedly, will be passed down to consumers who will take yet another hit in terms of the already high cost of living in New Jersey. Continue Reading…

The Bipartisan Measure Addresses Limits in the Emergency Health and Powers Act that Interfere with Transparency Legislation sponsored by Senator Joe Pennacchio and Senator Michael Testa that would lift restrictions on access to public and government records during declared emergencies was approved today by the Senate. During the current pandemic, the Murphy Administration has repeatedly relied on sections of the Health Powers Act, enacted in 2005, to deny Open Public Records Act (OPRA) requests for information about preparations and decisions relating to the virus outbreak. “The Act was never intended to keep the public in the dark in times of crisis,” said Pennacchio (R-26), “but today it is being used to conceal data and information on decisions impacting public health and fiscal stability from public and legislative scrutiny.” Continue Reading…

Senate Republican Leader Tom Kean delivered the following remarks during today’s Senate session in opposition to the FY 2021 State Budget: I rise today in opposition to the budget as presented today. Sadly, this budget is a wasted opportunity to restructure our State’s finances in a way that will responsibly and safely rebuild our economy, an economy truly ravaged over the past several months by the ongoing pandemic. As you know, the Republican members of the Senate Budget Committee offered a number of suggestions that would have put us back on a thoughtful, reasonable fiscal course, including spending the CARES Act money earlier and more fully. There are billions still not spent months after it could have helped families and businesses across the state. Continue Reading…

A measure sponsored by Senate Republican Leader Tom Kean to encouraging the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to relax the rules of flexible spending accounts (FSAs) used to pay for medical and childcare expenses throughout the COVID crisis has unanimously passed the New Jersey Senate. “New Jersey parents need more support as they balance raising their children and running a household while working from home during these unprecedented times,” said Kean (R-21). “On the same note, many with postponed elective surgeries want to ensure they can use their funds for said procedures or be refunded at the end of the year rather than be held to the ‘use it or lose it’ rule. Making healthcare and childcare FSAs more flexible during this difficult time will lighten the load and better help New Jersey families survive this pandemic.” Continue Reading…

The Republican members of the Senate Budget & Appropriations Committee panned Governor Phil Murphy’s wasteful, tax-raising, bait and switch spending plan prior to a committee vote on the proposal: Senate Republican Budget Officer Steven Oroho (R-24): “During this unique crisis that has caused so much pain for our families and economy, New Jersey deserved for its leaders to work together in a transparent, collaborative, and bipartisan process that welcomed public input into how we could help the state recover through this budget,” said Oroho. “Instead, we had a superficial hearing process that didn’t even have an outline of a budget to review, the public was excluded, and the details were negotiated in a private, partisan manner that could not have been more opaque. It’s disappointing that backroom Trenton politics has won out once again.” Continue Reading…

Says State Department of Health Not Serving Governor Well An affordable COVID test that produces results in minutes is available, and according to a published report, nursing homes would like to use it to test people coming into the facilities. Administrators, however, say the state will not allow it. “It’s frustrating,” said Senator Joe Pennacchio, an out-spoken critic of the Murphy Administration’s nursing home policies that contributed to the loss of more than 7,000 senior residents of long-term care locations. “The state is concerned about the accuracy of these tests, but this could have implications for the entire state if it turns out to be reliable.” Continue Reading…

Special Investigative Committee Would Hold Those Responsible Accountable, Develop Effective Reforms, Keep Resident Safe Senate Republicans launched an online petition to enlist the public’s support to convince legislative leaders to allow a special bipartisan committee with subpoena power to investigate the massive loss of life in New Jersey’s nursing homes, veterans homes, and long-term care (LTC) facilities due to COVID-19. The online petition can be signed at https://www.senatenj.com/petitions/nursinghomes/. “Since May, Senate Republicans have called for a thorough, bipartisan, and transparent investigation into the massive loss of life at our long-term care facilities,” said Senate Republican Leader Tom Kean (R-21). “We believe the families and loved ones of victims deserve to hear the truth and to know that those responsible will be held accountable. Current residents deserve to know that the failures that led to thousands of deaths have been thoroughly investigated and understood, and that effective reforms have been developed and implemented to keep them safe. Unfortunately, our repeated calls for the Legislature to form a special committee with subpoena power to perform this legitimate oversight of the executive branch have been ignored. Our online petition will give the public the opportunity to send the message that the Legislature shouldn’t shirk its responsibility to protect New Jerseyans.” Continue Reading…