Share this
Twitter
Myspace
Digg
Del.icio.us
Reddit
Slashdot
Furl
Yahoo
Technorati
Newsvine
Facebook
Export PDF
Print
E-mail
Tags
BY TOM HESTER SR.
NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM
UPDATED
Sen. Stephen Sweeney (D-Gloucester), a former ironworker and graduate of the school of hard knocks, became the third most powerful elected official in New Jersey Tuesday when he was sworn in as Senate president during a ceremony in Trenton.
Minutes later, Sen. Barbara Buono (D-Middlesex) became the first woman to hold the position of Senate Democratic majority leader.
With the swearing in earlier in the day of Assemblywoman Sheila Oliver (D-Essex) as lower house speaker, and Lt. Gov.-elect Kim Guadagno about to take office next Tuesday, women will hold three of the seven most powerful positions in the state government.
Sweeney, 51, of West Deptford and a senator for eight years, obtained the Senate presidency in a Democratic Party coupe that bumped Sen. Richard Codey (D-Essex) from the post, which he held for seven years. His official election as president Tuesday touched off 70 seconds of applause, cheers and whistles, especially from Democratic senators and supporters in the gallery.Promising to work with the upper house‘s Republican minority in a bipartisan fashion, Sweeney said, "I am truly honored that you have selected me to be the next Senate president,‘' Sweeney said. "I accept with great humility and I am firmly convinced that New Jersey's best days are ahead.''
With Gov.-elect Chris Christie and Guadagno looking on, Sweeney thanked Gov. Jon Corzine for his dedication to his position.
Sweeney said that among his goals he wants to attempt to help encourage shared public services among local governments as a way to reduce spending, try to restore New Jersey's economy, cut the size of state government, retool the state pension system, improve education, and make the state business friendly.
"We can no longer ignore the amount of money we can save by consolidating government services,'' Sweeney said. "As a state we have not even scratched the surface of that idea.''
Promising an effort at bipartisanship, Sweeney said "There will be disagreements along the way no doubt but those difference will shape ideas not gut them.''"We are starting to see signs of economic recovery,'' Sweeney said. "We must be prepared to guide the state into a new era.''
Senate Minority Leader Tom Kean (R-Union) also called for bipartisanship.
"Naysayers say we in this chamber lack the courage to tackle problems,‘' he said. "Change will not be easy and it will not be immediate but we cannot afford to wait any longer.‘'
Kean described the Republican minority as "a group of thoughtful and committed individuals.''
Buono, a legislator for 15 years, pointed out that women hold two of the four most powerful positions in the Legislature. "Time will but we have the potential to be the catalyst for change,'' she said.
Buono will also continue as chairwoman of the powerful Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee.
She said she wants to bring about property tax reform and would use the recommendations handed down during a special session of the Legislature on property taxes held several years ago.
"Every one of us has a corps set of values that sets our vision for the future,'' Buono said. She added, "We can and we will rise above parochial self interests. We must persuade people they have a reason to believe that government can be reinvented so everyone of us can achieve a full life right here at home in New Jersey.''
After the Senate reorganized, Codey said,"I commend all of the new leaders for pledging to work cooperatively in a bipartisan fashion to address the pressing problems facing our state. Today is also an historic day for the Legislature with the election of the first African-American female speaker of the Assembly and the first female Senate majority leader. This is a tribute to the diversity of our state story ... and the strength of our character.''
