newjerseynewsroom.com

Assemblyman Domenick DiCicco (R-Gloucester) Tuesday announced he will introduce legislation on Thursday that would require all municipal and county governments to extend hiring preferences to veterans, regardless of whether they follow the state Civil Service pertaining to it.

"I believe that it is perfectly reasonable that if a veteran is equally qualified for a position with other candidates for a public sector job they deserve preference, regardless of whether the authority has adopted the pertinent civil service rules for hiring," DiCicco said. "The least we can do as a society is afford those who served our country and helped defend it the opportunity for employment, providing they meet the qualifications for the job.''

The bill (A-2716) comes as Gov. Chris Christie seeks to allow local governments to drop Civil Service standards. The governor also wants to eliminate what he sees as unnecessary state mandates on local governments.

"This legislation would codify that fully qualified veterans are not excluded by those localities that may opt out of civil service," DiCicco said. "My objective is to eliminate any doubt that first choice for hiring is given to someone who served in the military. I don't want to hope that non-civil service towns or counties will still respect the provision in the Civil Service Statute. I want to make it law."

— TOM HESTER SR., NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM