Today in Trenton 3/2/11

ASSEMBLY & SENATE TO MOVE TO OVERRIDE CHRISTIE JOB-KILLING VETOES & CONSIDER NEW DEMOCRATIC TAX CUT MEASURES

(TRENTON) - The Assembly and Senate on Thursday will meet to advance new job-creating Democratic business tax cuts and overturn Gov. Chris Christie's job-killing vetoes.

Both sessions are scheduled for 11 a.m. Thursday and will streamed live at http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/media/live_audio.asp.

Both houses will move to override Feb. 18 vetoes by the governor on job creation and economic development bills approved by the Legislature as part of its Back to Work NJ package. They will also advance new corporate tax reform legislation similar to the bills recently vetoed by the governor, only to be included in his proposed budget just four days later.

Both houses will consider the following new legislation:
· A bill (A-3869/S-2753) to streamline corporate tax laws and encourage more businesses to locate in New Jersey by modifying the formula used to determine the corporate income subject to tax by the state from a three-factor formula to a single-sales factor formula. This is a slightly revised version of a bill (A-1637/S-1646) approved by the Legislature in January, only to be vetoed by the governor, then included in his budget four days later.
· A bill (A-3870/S-2754) to provide a vital tax break to the small businesses that employ many New Jerseyans by giving small business owners the same ability to recoup losses over 20 years that large corporations currently enjoy. This is a slightly revised version of a bill (A-3535/S-1540) approved by the Legislature in January, only to be vetoed by the governor, then included in his budget four days later.
The Assembly will move to override the following vetoes:
· A-2215, to allow developers to receive low-interest New Jersey Economic Development Authority loans when building environmentally friendly buildings.
· A-3353, to establish a fund to attract economic development projects to New Jersey.
· A-3513, to establish a loan redemption program for students who enter fields suffering from labor shortages.
· A-3584, to create the "Back to Work NJ" job creation program to provide on-the-job training for out-of-work New Jerseyans.

The Senate will move to override the following vetoes:
· S-690, to expand the state's existing film and digital media production tax credit programs.
· S-1216, to permits small, women or minority owned businesses located in designated regional centers to qualify for loans from EDA as if located in designated urban center.
· S-2345, to expand the gross income tax exclusion for pensions, annuities and other retirement income for senior citizens.
· S-2398, to direct the New Jersey Economic Development Authority and Commission on Higher Education to promote the establishment of higher education and business partnerships.
· S-2454, to provide tax credits for investing in New Jersey emerging technology businesses.

Both houses will be prepared to immediately consider override measures that pass the other house.

O'DONNELL INTRODUCES PVSC REFORM BILL REQUIRING MORE ACCOUNTABILITY AND ACCESS

Publicly Funded Entity Must be Held Accountable
(TRENTON) - Assemblyman Jason O'Donnell has introduced legislation aimed at restoring public confidence in the Passaic Valley Sewerage Commission (PVSC). As an Assemblyman for two communities served by the PVSC, O'Donnell believes his legislation will establish both transparency and accountability.

"The events and practices at PVSC that have come to light within the past few months have been unacceptable. As a public entity, PVSC needs to be held to a higher standard of accountability to the people it serves," said Assemblyman O'Donnell, (D-31). "This legislation will revise the law governing the Passaic Valley Sewerage Commissioners and ensure that their business is conducted in full view of the public."

Bill A-3820 will establish the following:
· Commissioners must come from member communities and must be an equal number from each county served;
· Commissioners can serve for only a single five-year term and may not be reappointed;
· Authority budget and annual capital plan must be submitted to governing bodies of member communities for review and approval;
· Budget must contain a list of all employees who earn over $75,000 per year and a description of their duties;
· No pay or benefits will be provided for commissioners;
· Commissioners may not be employed by the authority they serve for five years after their term expires;
· Meetings must be taped and a video of the authority's proceedings must be made available within 48 hours for broadcast in member communities; and,
· Annual budget, audit, agendas and meeting minutes must be made available on the agencies website.

O'Donnell stated that by having Commissioners from the communities that pay the PVSC bills, there is more likely to be a sense of responsibility for the actions of the Commissioners.

"I think that these measures go a long way towards eliminating any future possibility of an entrenched, faceless bureaucracy that operates without public scrutiny," said O'Donnell. "Our citizens and businesses who pay the PVSC's charges should be able to have confidence that their money is being well spent."

GREENWALD RELEASES ASSEMBLY BUDGET PANEL PUBLIC HEARING SCHEDULE

(TRENTON) - Assembly Budget Committee Chairman Lou Greenwald on Wednesday announced residents will have three opportunities in the coming weeks to address the Assembly Budget Committee on Gov. Chris Christie's proposed state budget for next fiscal year.
"I firmly believe that these public hearings are among the most important sessions this committee holds each year," said Greenwald (D-Camden). "It's a chance for lively public discussion with citizens directly impacted by the governor's proposal. We stay all day long and into the night and listen to every idea and opinion. It's an invaluable opportunity to hear from constituents and try to match the needs of the communities with fiscal realities."

This year's public hearings will be held:
· Tuesday, March 8 at 9:30 a.m. at the State House Annex, Fourth Floor, Committee Room 11 in Trenton. Topics - Health, Human Services, Senior, Family and Children's Issues.
· Wednesday, March 16 at 9:30 a.m. at the University Hall Conference Center, Montclair State University, 1 Normal Ave. in Montclair. Topics - Education, Higher Education and Local Government Issues.
· Wednesday, March 23 at 9:30 a.m. at Camden County College, Blackwood Campus, 311 College Drive in Blackwood. Topics - Public Safety, Economic Development, Transportation, Environment, Arts, History and Cultural Issues and all other subjects not listed above.

"The governor's budget proposal is the same-old-same-old, again putting the heaviest property tax burden on working class New Jerseyans and continuing his assault on women's health care," Greenwald said. "That's why it's more important than ever for everyone to provide potential solutions that ensure true shared sacrifice, create jobs and protect our most vulnerable."

Persons wishing to testify can register online by visiting www.njleg.state.nj.us and clicking on "online registration" under the "Budget Public Hearings" heading. Those wishing to testify can also call the Legislative Budget and Finance Office at (609) 292-1170 to register by phone. Those presenting written testimony are asked to provide 20 copies on the day of the hearing.

For questions or other inquiries call (609) 292-8030.

GREENWALD ASKS FOR PROMPT DETAILING OF STATE PLANS TO PAY FOR SNOW REMOVAL

(TRENTON) - Assembly Budget Chairman Lou Greenwald sent a letter to the state transportation commissioner Wednesday requesting a prompt detailing of how the department plans to pay for this season's snow removal.
The letter comes after a story in The Star-Ledger indicated that snow removal costs for this fiscal year have reached $44.4 million, more than double the amount originally appropriated.

The article also indicated that the DOT will wait until the end of the snow season to come to the Legislature to request the additional appropriations authority and in the interim will transfer funds from other accounts to cover costs.

"While understanding the importance of the snow removal operation and the need to respond to every snow event, we are now fully engaged in the budget process and need to be informed promptly of significant expenditures in excess of the budgeted amounts," Greenwald wrote. "We need to review the most up-to-date data available while recognizing that there is more than a month left in snow season and final revisions may need to be submitted later."

Greenwald asked for the following information:
· From which DOT accounts and at what level of funding will the state be transferring funds to pay for snow removal?
· What is the impact of these transfers on the Dest accounts?
· Will any of these transfers require Joint Budget Oversight Committee approval?
· How much does the state expect to be reimbursed from the federal government for our request for federal disaster reimbursement to cover damages and costs related to the severe snow storms that impacted 13 New Jersey counties on December 26-27, 2010?
· How much of this funding would go to the state and how much to the municipalities and counties?


ASSEMBLY OKAYS JOHNSON & VAINIERI HUTTLE BILL TO PROMOTE ONLINE GIVING AS DONATIONS DECLINE NATIONWIDE

Legislation Assemblyman Gordon M. Johnson and Assemblywoman Valerie Vainieri Huttle sponsored to encourage more online donations to many of the beneficial programs intrinsically linked to New Jersey has cleared the full Assembly.

The bill (A-2727), approved by a vote of 77 - 0, would provide easy, online access to make donations to the special funds listed on New Jersey's gross income tax return forms.

"In this day and age, it's just common sense to let people donate online and not just on their tax returns," said Johnson (D-Bergen). "If we can provide residents with the knowledge and access to lend a helping hand, I have no doubt that we can increase support for many of New Jersey's worthwhile programs."

"We know that New Jerseyans have big hearts and, if given the opportunity, they always rise to the occasion," said Vainieri Huttle (D-Bergen). "With more and more people filing their taxes online, it's important that we take advantage of these tools to promote the worthwhile programs near and dear to our state, which are in need of support."

Currently, only the New Jersey Children's Trust Fund to Prevent Child Abuse, one of a handful of specific tax check-off items listed on New Jersey's gross income tax return, allows for online donations.

This bill would require the state Division of Taxation to create a separate online donation form for any of the special funds designated under current law, including the NJ Endangered Wildlife Fund, the NJ Vietnam Veterans' Memorial Fund, the NJ Breast Cancer Research Fund, the state's Low-Cost Spay/Neuter Program, and the U.S.S. New Jersey Educational Museum Fund.

According to a June report from the Giving U SA Foundation and the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University, total charitable contributions nationwide declined for the first time since 1987, down 3.6 percent in 2009. It was also just the second decline in contributions since the foundation began publishing annual reports in 1956.

Roughly 50 to 60 percent of organizations that provided data to the Giving USA Foundation reported lower gift receipts in 2009 than in 2008. Hit particularly hard were charities that promote education and the arts, which suffered two consecutive years of decline. They lost 8.8 percent and 8.7 percent of donations, respectively, between 2007 and 2009.