Joan Voss

ASSEMBLY BILL TO BOOST PROPERTY TAX RELIEF FOR SENIOR CITIZENS AND DISABLED SIGNED INTO LAW

Measure Increases Income Limits for Property Tax Relief Program

(CLIFFSIDE PARK) – Gov. Jon S. Corzine today signed into law an Assembly bill to help more senior citizens and disabled residents receive property tax relief.

The bill (A-3460) raises the income eligibility limits for senior citizen and disabled homeowners to apply for the Senior Freeze property tax relief program, increasing household income limits from $55,000 to $80,000 over the next three years.

The law is sponsored by Assembly members Paul Moriarty (D-Gloucester), Joan Voss (D-Bergen), Linda Greenstein (D-Middlesex), Sandi Love (D-Camden/Gloucester), Nellie Pou (D-Passaic) and Patrick J. Diegnan (D-Middlesex).

“Making it easier for senior citizens and disabled homeowners to take advantage of this property tax relief will help ensure the global economic crisis doesn’t force residents on fixed incomes out of their homes,” Moriarty said.

GREENSTEIN/McKEON/VOSS LAW TO ENSURE NOTIFICATION OF PLANS TO CLEAN POLLUTED SITES TAKES EFFECT

(TRENTON) – A law sponsored by Assembly members Linda Greenstein, John McKeon and Joan Voss to ensure local officials and residents are properly notified when polluted buildings and properties are cleaned up has taken effect.

McHOSE/GREENWALD/VOSS BILL ALLOWING PARENTS
OF TWINS TO DETERMINE CLASS PLACEMENT NOW LAW

(TRENTON) - Bipartisan legislation Assembly members Alison McHose,  Louis Greenwald, and Joan Voss sponsored to give the parents of twins or other multiple-birth children the authority to decide whether their kids learn in the same classroom was signed into law today by Governor Jon S. Corzine.

A four-hour impasse over public employee benefits reform legislation Monday night in the General Assembly left a number of top Assembly Democrats fuming after several Hudson Democrats held out their votes on the measure causing the delay.  The boycott -- apparently orchestrated by State Senator Nicholas Sacco, who holds three public jobs in addition to his wife's employment with the Hudson County School of Technology, forced Democrats to rely on Republicans to pass the measure, a common occurrence in the Senate but a rarity in the lower House which infuriated veteran Democrats. 

VOSS/GREENSTEIN BILL TO PROTECT ABILITY OF ABUSED
TO CALL FOR HELP CLEARS ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE

(TRENTON) - The Assembly Judiciary Committee today released legislation to ensure victims of domestic abuse are able to contact police, counselors, or family members for help.

ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE CLEARS BILL TO CREATE AN ADVOCATE FOR AUTISTIC NEW JERSEYANS

Part of Second Wave of Autism Support Measures Would Establish the Office of the Advocate for Persons with Autism

(TRENTON) - The Assembly Health and Senior Services Committee today released legislation Assembly members Joan Voss, Vincent Prieto and Assembly Speaker Joseph J. Roberts, Jr. sponsored to establish an Office of the Advocate for Persons with Autism (OAPA).

Some members of the New Jersey Education Association (NJEA), the state’s largest teacher union, decided a good way to send a message to Assembly Speaker Joseph Roberts was to defeat him in Round 1 of the PolitickeNJ.com Smartest Legislator Tournament.  There was an organized effort by the teachers to vote for Joan Voss, the Assembly Education Committee Vice Chairwoman and a retired public school teacher.

After the second day of voting, Roberts led Voss in the voting.  But by Monday morning, Voss had a huge lead, and it looked like the #1 seed Roberts might be facing an upset.  But some readers, according to e-mails sent to this website, became upset that NJEA members were trying to use an online tournament to embarrass Roberts, and suddenly the Speaker’s vote totals began to surge.  Still, Voss continued to receive votes -- presumably from teachers – and maintained her lead.

Bergen County Democrats knew this day would come sooner or later, and today they responded to the indictment of former state Sen. Joe Coniglio not with an outright defense, but with pleas withhold judgment.

Republicans, on the other hand, pointed to the indictment as another sign of what they see as endemic corruption in the Democratic Party.

“Senator Coniglio accomplished a great deal for the working families of the 38th District during his career,” said Bergen County Democratic Organization Chairman Joe Ferriero. “Our legal system is founded upon the presumption of innocence and it is my sincere hope that Joe's upcoming trial is an opportunity for him to reclaim the good reputation that he built through his years of public service.”

State Sen. Bob Gordon spent two terms in the Assembly beneath Coniglio, ascending to the Senate after Coniglio decided not to run again after being pressured by Democratic Party leaders. During the investigation, Gordon saw his own office’s records subpoenaed, although he was not a target of the investigation.

ASSEMBLY PASSES MEASURE TO ENSURE EFFICIENT HANDLING OF MISSING PERSONS CASES
'Patricia's Law' Could Be National Model for Law Enforcement

(TRENTON) - Legislation Assembly members Valerie Vainieri Huttle, Gordon Johnson, Joan Voss, and Linda Greenstein sponsored to enhance the ability of law enforcement officials to efficiently locate missing persons and reunite them with their families passed today in the General Assembly.

STANLEY/GREENSTEIN/VOSS BILL EMPOWERING SCHOOLS TO INVESTIGATE ABSENTEEISM SIGNED BY GOVERNOR
New Law Requires Schools to Look into Inexcusable Absences,
Follow-Up on Reenrollments to Help DYFS Combat Abuse, Neglect

(TRENTON) - A bill Assemblyman Craig Stanley and Assemblywomen Linda Greenstein and Joan Voss sponsored to empower school districts to help combat child abuse by aggressively investigating unexcused absences by students and scrutinizing student transfers to new school districts was signed into law today by Governor Jon S. Corzine.