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Lameduck session begins Monday

BY TOM HESTER SR.

NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM

State Sen. Loretta Weinberg (D-Bergen) is angry Thursday about what she sees as a broken promise by Senate Majority Leader Stephen Sweeney (D-Gloucester) to move legislation in the upper house during the lameduck session that would legalize same-sex marriage.

Sweeney told reporters that while gay marriage is an important issue, the Legislature should focus on the economy during the hearings and sessions it will hold before Gov. Jon Corzine leaves office in January. Sweeney is expected to be elected Senate president when the upper house's Democratic majority caucuses on Monday, replacing Sen. Richard Codey (D-Essex). Codey will remain president until Jan. 12.

Codey has said he would not post the bill for a vote unless he was assured there were 21 votes for passage.

Weinberg is the prime sponsor of the same-sex marriage bill.

"We have the ability in the Legislature to talk about this bill and address the economic crisis at the same time,'' she said. "I received commitments from the chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee (Sen. Paul Sarlo D-Bergen) as well as from Majority Leader Sweeney that they would allow this bill to move forward. It will be a disappointment to so many in the grassroots of our party as well as to me personally if this commitment is not honored.''

RELATED:

Rutger-Eagleton Poll: New Jersey supports gay marriage

The Rutgers-Eagleton poll found 46 percent of adult New Jerseyans support the action while 42 percent oppose it. The remaining 12 percent are undecided.

"While this tests opinion outside the intensity of a campaign to ban gay marriage, as occurred in California, there is more of a 'live and let live' attitude in New Jersey than in many other states that have dealt with this issue,'' said Prof. David Redlawsk, the poll's director.

The poll found that if legislators approve the gay marriage bill, 52 percent would accept the new law, while 40 percent would support a constitutional amendment banning it, an action Christie supports.

The lameduck session begin Monday with committee hearings.

The Assembly's Law and Public Safety Committee will hold a hearing on a four-bill package intended to combat recidivism in New Jersey.

The bills would establish the "Women and Families Strengthening Act," modify laws concerning inmate income and complaints; require certain correctional officer training; creates uniform identification cards for attorneys to enter state correctional facilities, and provide for programs and services for prisoners and former inmates; institute certain administrative and legislative procedures, and create a mental health court. The legislation would also provide for parole eligibility and supervision, prison visitation, and training and education standards for incarcerated persons.

The package is sponsored by Assembly Majority Leader Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-Mercer) and Assembly members Albert Coutinho (D-Essex), Elease Evans (D-Passaic), Mila M. Jasey (D-Essex), L. Grace Spencer (D-Essex) and Cleopatra Tucker (D-Essex).