A proposal to limit people to one handgun purchases a month -- well, technically it's one every 30 days, so somebody could buy 13 in a year -- stalled one vote shy of passage in the Senate Monday afternoon, the biggest surprise of the session. Bills need 21 votes to pass, but three of the 23 majority Democrats (Fred Madden, Steve Sweeney and Jeff Van Drew) voted no. Two of the 17 Republicans (Jennifer Beck and Phil Haines) didn't cast votes. The board was kept open a long time, but nobody budged. The bill was pulled back and no vote was recorded, so it technically wasn't defeated and could be called up for a vote again at a later date.
The Senate did vote to pass the high-profile proposal to allow doctors to prescribe, and people with prescriptions to grow, marijuana for medicinal purposes. The bill passed 22-16; it needs at least two approvals in the Assembly before it could get to Gov. Jon Corzine.
All but three of the bills on the day's initial agenda passed. Full details are below the jump.
As usual, the session started late, then began with ceremonial resolutions congratulating various groups for various accomplishments. Much less usual, it included Sen. Barbara Buono speaking in French, as the Senate saluted Sen. Ray Lesniak for winning an international speech competition in France for his defense of an essay about New Jersey's recent abolition of the death penalty. Lesniak, in return, encouraged people who like traveling to visit Normandy.
Twelve of the 35 bills passed now head down the hall to Gov. Jon Corzine's desk. Among those are proposals to: extend indefinitely the oft-delayed deadline by which touch-screen voting machines must produce paper records of each person's vote, so that's available for recounts and to ensure ballots are recorded accurately; and give Corzine until March 12 to propose the FY2010 budget (he plans to do it March 10; the extra two days are in case of snow).
Other bills passed that still require one or more approvals in the Assembly would: implement some of the fund transfers and other money maneuvers Corzine plans to rejigger the current state budget to deal with the deficit; and spend $7 million to restore dams. The Senate also passed a resolution urging Congress to lift the ban on sports gambling beyond the places it's done legally now.
Please do click through for a full view of what the Senate was up to, including final vote tallies on the bills.
Bills are grouped together by their next destination.
- NEXT STOP: GOVERNOR'S DESK
- ο S621: Extends the term of office for members of NJ Collaborating Center for Nursing board and dedicates portion of nurse licensing fee to support center. PASSED 39-0.
- ο S1644: Revises jurisdiction of Historic New Bridge Landing Park Commission, and transfers administration of Historic New Bridge Landing State Park from DEP to Historic New Bridge Landing Park Commission. PASSED 39-0.
- ο S1880: Establishes Criminal Sentencing Commission to study and review the criminal law and recommend revisions; repeals existing commissions. PASSED 33-4. Smith release.
- ο A462/S208: Modifies reference from "substance awareness coordinator" to "student assistance coordinator" in substance abuse programs in public schools. PASSED 39-0. Singer news release.
- ο A1239/S2202: Provides that assisted living resident's security deposit is refundable if resident leaves facility. PASSED 40-0.
- ο A2901/S1984: Revises membership of New Jersey Task Force on Child Abuse and Neglect. PASSED 40-0.
- ο A2948/S2203: Adds Chairman of State Parole Board to Police Training Commission. PASSED 38-1.
- ο A3075/S2059: Concerns safety measures at health club swimming pools. PASSED 39-0.
- ο A3481/S1336: Provides certain law enforcement officers and firefighters regain pay status when appeals of termination are not resolved within 180 days. PASSED 32-0.
- ο A3648/S2547: Delays requirement that voting machines produce individual permanent paper record for each vote cast due to the State's critical economic situation and lack of appropriate technology. PASSED 29-7.
- ο A3649/S2506: Extends transmittal date of fiscal year 2009-2010 gubernatorial budget message to Legislature to March 12, 2009. PASSED 27-11.
- ο AJR92/SJR56: Designates May of each year as "Brain Tumor Awareness Month." PASSED 38-0.
- NEXT STOP: BACK TO ASSEMBLY FLOOR, TO CONCUR WITH CHANGES TO A BILL EARLIER APPROVED
- ο A1408/S1311: Revises statutes regarding acupuncturists; criminalizes unauthorized practice of acupuncture. PASSED 39-0.
- ο A1558/S2265: Requires developers to offer solar energy systems in certain new home construction. PASSED 39-0. Smith release.
- ο A2438/S717: Increases cap for underground storage tank remediation grants to independent colleges. PASSED 35-4.
- ο A2507/S1932: Authorizes BPU to use Retail Margin Fund monies to provide grants for combined heat and power production, energy efficiency projects and programs promoting renewable energy and energy efficiency; makes an appropriation. PASSED 31-6. Ruiz release.
- ο A2550/S1299: Permits location of certain wind and solar facilities in industrial zones. PASSED 36-3. Smith release.
- NEXT STOP: ASSEMBLY FLOOR
- ο S15: Amends the Fiscal Year 2009 appropriation act to implement certain components of the Executive's plan to offset shortfalls in State revenues. PASSED 21-17. Buono release.
- ο S221: Requires nursing homes and assisted living residences to provide informational sheet concerning Medicaid eligibility to certain residents. PASSED 40-0.
- ο S1927: Regulates solicitation of credit cards on college campuses. PASSED 37-2.
- ο S2146: Requires assisted living facilities to have defibrillator on site and employees trained to use defibrillator. PASSED 40-0. Madden release.
- ο S2188: Changes riparian land grant and lease process and amends various parts of statutory law. PASSED 40-0.
- ο S2231: Includes nurse midwives among medical professionals authorized to certify medical condition of individuals under "Temporary Disability Benefits Law" and "Work First New Jersey Act." PASSED 38-0.
- ο S2363: Permanently designates February "Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month" in New Jersey. PASSED 40-0.
- NEXT STOP: ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE
- ο S119: Establishes "New Jersey Compassionate Use Medical Marijuana Act." PASSED 22-16. Scutari/Whelan release.
- ο S1259/1022: Concerns contracts for credit card accounts with certain individuals under 21 years of age. PASSED 36-2.
- ο S1303: Defines "inherently beneficial use" for purposes of zoning use variance and specifically includes facilities that supply electrical energy produced from wind, solar or photovoltaic technologies. PASSED 36-1. Smith release.
- ο S1310: Appropriates $7 million in 1992 bond act monies for loans to fund dam restoration projects. PASSED 39-0.
- ο S2369: Designates DOT's Engineering and Operations Building as "Jack Friedenrich Engineering and Operations Building." PASSED 40-0.
- ο S2534: Revises New Jersey False Claims Act to comply with federal Deficit Reduction Act for purposes of entitling State to enhanced recovery in Medicaid fraud cases; establishes an annual reporting requirement for the Attorney General. PASSED 40-0.
- NEXT STOP: FILED WITH SECRETARY OF STATE
- ο SR12: Urges the United States Congress to lift the ban on sports wagering. VOICE VOTE. Lesniak/Van Drew release.
- ο SR20: Designates the first full week of February in 2010 as "Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Week" in New Jersey. VOICE VOTE. Codey release.
- ο SR77: Recognizes the accomplishments of the New Jersey Center for Tourette Syndrome and Associated Disorders. VOICE VOTE.
- ο SR85: Advocates saving Ellis Island by raising public awareness of its role in America's heritage and need for rehabilitation and adaptive reuse of its buildings. VOICE VOTE.
- ο SR89: Supports federal legislation to expand and improve health care services available to woman veterans. VOICE VOTE.
- BILLS THAT WERE ON THE AGENDA BUT WERE HELD
- ο A339/S1774: Prohibits individuals from purchasing more than one handgun in a calendar month. HELD. Vote was 20-18, one vote shy of passage. Democrats' release. Karrow news release.
- ο A2451/S1380: The Vote By Mail Law. HELD.
- ο S1288: Prohibits certain advertising on real property and related structures without prior permission of owner. AMENDED, no final vote held.
- ο S2471: Requires DHSS to report certain patient safety indicators on a hospital by hospital basis and prohibits hospitals and physicians from charging for certain medical errors. HELD.