Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Statement urges the General Assembly to override governor's veto of measure allowing treatment rather than punishment for drug overdose victims and those who help them.
By unanimous vote, the Parsippany-Troy Hills Township Council approved a resolution at its Tuesday night business meeting at Town Hall urging the New Jersey legislature to once again take up the Good Samaritan Emergency Response Act. The measure would offer limited immunity from prosecution to those who suffer a drug overdose and to those who call 911 while trying to assist someone experiencing a drug overdose. The legislation, with bipartisan support, was passed by both the General Assembly and the state Senate last year. But in October, Gov. Christie vetoed the bill and instead called for an 18-month period to research the issue further. The council's act makes Parsippany the 11th New Jersey town officially to pass a resolution asking …
Monday, January 7, 2013
Parsippany may join a growing number of New Jersey municipalities defending law that, if passed, would make saving lives a higher priority than punishing people.
In response to the issue of drug abuse in Parsippany-Troy Hills, the township may join other New Jersey towns in urging state lawmakers to override Gov. Christie's October veto of the Good Samaritan Emergency Response Act bill. After the Township Council's reorganization meeting at Town Hall Thursday night, the body took up the task of finalizing the agenda for its Jan. 15 regular business meeting. Among the items to be discussed is a proposed resolution that calls on the General Assembly and state Senate to take up again the Good Samaritan Act, which would offer limited immunity from prosecution to those who call 911 while trying to assist someone experiencing a drug overdose. The original bill was passed through both legislative …
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
"Please do not allow [kids] to go trick-or-treating—the consequences are not worth it," said Mayor James Barberio.
Effective immediately, Halloween is postponed in New Jersey. Gov. Chris Christie issued an executive order declaring that no New Jersey town can hold trick-or-treating on Wednesday. If towns had planned to do so, they must move trick-or-treating and any public celebrations to Monday. “I’ve taken this action to minimize additional risks to lives and the public safety as we begin the process of rebuilding and recovering from Hurricane Sandy,” Christie said in a statement. “In too many communities in our state, the damage and losses from this storm are still being sorted out, and dangerous conditions abound even as our emergency management and response officials continue their work. “As governor, it is my responsibility to use all available …
Monday, August 6, 2012
Law extends time it takes to be granted tenure, which will be tied to new evaluation system.
Gov. Chris Christie signed legislation into law Monday that transforms the existing teacher tenure system, tying it to a teacher’s performance in the classroom and not just on how long an educator has been in the profession. The Teacher Effectiveness and Accountability for the Children of New Jersey (TEACHNJ) Act goes into effective starting with the 2013-2014 school year, and was created with input from the New Jersey Education Association. The legislation enacts three new measures: “We are taking a huge leap forward in providing a quality education and real opportunity to every student in New Jersey,” Christie said in a statement. "Now is the time to build on this record of cooperation and results to put in place further reforms focused …
Friday, February 17, 2012
Christie vetoed the bill, as promised, the same day it arrived on his desk.
Governor Christie conditionally vetoed the gay marriage bill Friday afternoon, delivering on his promise of "swift action" against the measure, which passed in both houses of the Legislature this week. Christie's veto came a day after the state Assembly passed the bill legalizing same-sex marriages by a 42-33 vote. The governor, an opponent of gay marriage, had promised "very swift action" if the bill passed in both houses. The Senate approved the bill Monday in a 24-16 vote. In a prepared statement Friday, the governor said the best approach would be to strengthen the state's current civil union law and suggested appointing an ombudsman to handle discrimination complaints from gay couples. "I have been just as adamant that same-sex …
Kevin Guhl
10:14 am on Sunday, January 20, 2013
I think the idea here is to save lives, for a person who has overdosed or their loved ones to be able to call for help without much fear of reprisal. Even if the person who has overdosed has illegally used the drugs (as pointed out by Clyde Donovan), their life should take precedence. Not sure why Christie would veto this. more ›