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Port Authority Investigation, Combating Gender Wage Inequity, Boosting Legal Services of NJ, Sick Leave Reform & Enticing Businesses to Hire Long-Term Unemployed Top Assembly Agendas

(TRENTON) – Assembly panels on Thursday will consider legislation to grant subpoena power to investigate Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, along with bills to tackle gender wage inequity, put an end to outrageous sick leave cash payments for public workers, reward businesses who hire employees who have been unemployed for more than 13 weeks and to help fund Legal Services of New Jersey.
Bills to upgrade assault by auto penalties for situations involving road rage, increase for the first time in decades the allowance paid to veterans with wartime service-connected disabilities, facilitate the teacher certification of veterans and establish a program to address the state’s shortage of mathematics and science teachers will also be heard.
Hearings are slated to start at 10 a.m. Audio of the hearings will be streamed live at:
http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/media/live_audio.asp.
Complete agendas are attached, but highlights include:
· A bill (AR-61) to constitute the Assembly transportation panel as a special committee with subpoena power to investigate spending by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. It’s sponsored by John Wisniewski (D-Middlesex), Valerie Vainieri Huttle (D-Bergen), Linda Stender (D-Union/Middlesex/Somerset) and Ruben J. Ramos Jr. (D-Hudson).
· A four bill package (A-2647-2648-2649-2650) sponsored by Pamela Lampitt (D-Camden) to tackle gender wage inequity in New Jersey. It’s to be heard at 10 a.m. by the Assembly Women and Children Committee.
· Legislation Pamela R. Lampitt (D-Camden), Paul Moriarty (D-Gloucester/Camden) and Albert Coutinho (D-Essex) sponsored to put an end to outrageous sick leave cash payments for public workers and eliminate any post-retirement sick leave benefit for non-unionized public workers going forward. It’s to be heard at 2 p.m. by the Assembly State Government Committee.
· A bill (A-2402) to provide bonus awards to businesses who hire employees who have been unemployed for more than 13 weeks. It’s sponsored by Nelson Albano and Matthew Milam (both D-Atlantic/Cape May/Cumberland), Troy Singleton (D-Burlington), Marlene Caride (D-Passaic/Bergen) and Shavonda Sumter (D-Bergen/Passaic) and will be heard at 10 a.m. by the Assembly Labor Committee.
· Legislation (A-763) sponsored by Peter Barnes (D-Middlesex) to help fund Legal Services of New Jersey, which has lost funding under Gov. Chris Christie. It will be heard at 10 a.m. by the Assembly Judiciary Committee.
· Legislation (A-2139) named after injured Mercer County teen-ager Jessica Rogers that would upgrade assault by auto penalties for situations involving road rage. It’s sponsored by Wayne DeAngelo and Daniel R. Benson (both D-Mercer/Middlesex). It will be heard at 10 a.m. by the Assembly Judiciary Committee.
· A bill (A-2184) to increase for the first time in decades the allowance paid to veterans with wartime service-connected disabilities. It’s sponsored by Herb Conaway M.D. (D-Burlington), Daniel R. Benson (D-Mercer/Middlesex), Cleopatra Tucker (D-Essex) and Troy Singleton (D-Burlington).
· Legislation (A-1294) to facilitate the teacher certification of veterans. It’s sponsored by Mila Jasey (D-Essex), Wayne DeAngelo (D-Mercer/Middlesex), Cleopatra Tucker (D-Essex) and Daniel R. Benson (D-Mercer/Middlesex) and is to be heard at 2 p.m. by the Assembly Education Committee.
· A bill (A-2311) sponsored by Mila Jasey (D-Essex) to establish a program to address the state’s shortage of mathematics and science teachers. The bill is to be heard at 2 p.m. by the Assembly Education Committee.
· A measure (A-2395) sponsored by Craig J. Coughlin (D-Middlesex) to authorize no-interest loans to local governments for environmental clean ups. It’s to be heard at 2 p.m. by the Assembly Environment and Solid Waste Committee.