As reported by nj.com, local governments could save more than $100 million annually by opting for the state health benefit plan instead of costlier alternatives, according to a State Comptroller’s Office report released Tuesday. The audit looked at four local governments of varying locations and sizes, Essex County, Brick Township, East Brunswick, and Haddon
Donald C. Barbati
Bill Offers NJ Towns Choice: Share Services Or Lose Equivalent State Aid
By Donald C. Barbati on
Posted in Uncategorized
As reported by nj.com, a Senate panel today approved a bill to give voters in New Jersey towns a stark option: either share the services the state has recommended for you and your neighbor, or lose state aid equivalent to what you would have saved.
It was an idea born out of Senate President …
Mercer County Sheriff’s Officer Awarded Nearly $6 Million In Damages
By Donald C. Barbati on
Posted in Uncategorized
As reported bynj.com, a judge ordered Billy Heisler to pay nearly $6 million to Joshua Hahn, the Mercer County Sheriff’s Officer he shot during an off-duty encounter outside a Hamilton pizzeria in 2007. The civil judgment was awarded after Hahn took the witness stand and described how his attempts to intervene in a …
Bill To End Sick Leave Payouts For Public Employees Proposed By Sweeney
By Donald C. Barbati on
Posted in Uncategorized
As reported by nj.com, for 14 months, Governor Chris Christie and Democratic lawmakers have been at an impasse over payouts to public workers for unused sick time when they retire, further straining the budgets of municipalities. On Tuesday, however, Senate President Stephen Sweeney introduced a measure that would end the practice for new employees …
Trenton Violence Prompts Meeting With AG Officials About NJSP Intervention
By Donald C. Barbati on
Posted in Uncategorized
As reported by nj.com, amid a rising tide of violence in Trenton, including a murder in the shadow of the Statehouse on Route 29, the State Attorney General sent officials yesterday to discuss helping Trenton’s layoff-depleted police department, Mercer County Prosecutor Joe Bocchini said today. The meeting between Bocchini, Trenton acting Police Director …
State’s Failure To Make Full Pension Payments Hinders Fund
By Donald C. Barbati on
Posted in Uncategorized
As reported by nj.com, public pension funds may have gotten a much-needed boost from Governor Chris Christie’s landmark overhaul last year, but reports released show the funds continue to be hampered by the State’s failure to make full payments into the plans.
Christie and Democratic leaders joined together last year and shifted …
Democrats Advance Bills Lifting Parole Requirements, Job Restrictions For Convicted Felons
By Donald C. Barbati on
Posted in Uncategorized
As reported by nj.com, parole requirements would be eased for some prisoners and job restrictions lifted for convicted felons under a package of bills that Democratic sponsors said Monday would redirect State funds from incarceration to rehabilitation.
The measures, introduced last week amid the start of the new legislative session and an address …
Complaints Against NJ State Police Declined In 2010
By Donald C. Barbati on
Posted in Uncategorized
As reported by nj.com, complaints against New Jersey State Police troopers for everything from excessive force to minor paperwork violations fell for the fourth year in a row in 2010, but more troopers faced the most serious allegations of misconduct, a new report shows. The public and other officers filed 848 complaints against troopers …
ACLU Pokes Hole In Attorney General’s Internal Affairs Complaint Forms For Police
By Donald C. Barbati on
Posted in Internal Affairs
As reported by nj.com, after rolling out tougher rules in May for police departments’ internal affairs units, State Attorney General Paula Dow has released new reporting forms that omit a crucial question: How many complaints about police officers are being investigated at the end of each year? The new forms published Tuesday don’t require police …
Court Rules North Hudson Regional Fire and Rescue Residency Policy Is Discriminatory
By Donald C. Barbati on
Posted in Uncategorized
As reported by nj.com, North Hudson Regional Fire and Rescue’s residents-only hiring policy discriminates against blacks applying to be on the force, a federal appeals court ruled Monday. In issuing its decision, the Third Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in favor of the Newark branch of the NAACP, which brought the initial lawsuit in …