Tom Kean and Jennifer Beck: Corzine Ethics Package Seems to Merit Serious Consideration

Governor Corzine met with Senate Republican Leader Tom Kean and Senator Jennifer Beck, District 12, to discuss an ethics package the governor will make public today. The senators released this joint statement after the meeting:

"If the ethics package truly reflects what the governor described today, it should be given serious and expedited consideration by the Legislature," Senator Kean said. "The governor can expect strong Republican support if the enabling legislation lives up to its billing."

"The package sounds much like the ethics reforms Republicans have doggedly advocated for the last three years," Senator Beck said. "We look forward to working with the governor and our Democrat colleagues on substantive ethics reforms."

Governor Corzine will deserve credit if he follows through on his promise to put the full weight of his office behind these needed reforms, Kean and Beck said. "New Jersey voters have suffered far too long from pay-to-play politics that thwart the will of the people. We have been advocating for these changes for many years, and we are pleased the governor will finally be joining us in the effort," the two Senate colleagues said.

"New Jersey voters desperately need the ethics measures the governor has proposed," Kean said. "We will advocate for them as well on a bipartisan basis to win their approval."

"Today, we also recommended additional critical reforms to the governor, including a ban on legislators seeing appropriations or grants for their employers, a complete ban on dual-office holding, and a prohibition on public officials convicted of corruption from receiving taxpayer funded pensions, even if the illegal acts occurred before March of 2007. We are hopeful the governor will advocate with us on these needed measures as well," Beck said.