216Th Legislative Session, 2014-2015
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TAXPAYER SCORECARD 216TH LEGISLATIVE SESSION, 2014-2015 @AFP_NEWJERSEY FACEBOOK.COM/AFPNJ AMERICANSFORPROSPERITY.ORG Dear Concerned Taxpayer, includes an array of bills, resolutions and amendments, as well as one Supreme Court appointment vote. In the Senate, Thank you for checking out our Taxpayers’ Scorecard, a labor of 33 total votes were recorded with the weighting of 8 votes love by the Americans for Prosperity staff to show you how your accounting for an overall tally of 41 for the majority of senators. legislators vote in key policy areas. Having worked for several mem- In the General Assembly, 30 total votes were recorded with the bers of the State Legislature, I understand the importance of citizen weighting of 6 votes accounting for an overall tally of 36 for the involvement in the process. I welcome you to learn more about the legislative process and our growing chapter here in New Jersey. majority of assembly members. Cheers, AMERICANS FOR PROSPERITY’S MISSION Americans for Prosperity exists to recruit, educate, and mobilize Erica L. Jedynak, New Jersey State Director citizens in support of the policies and goals of a free society at the local, state and federal level, helping every American live their dream – especially the least fortunate. ABOUT AMERICANS FOR PROSPERITY’S TAXPAYER SCORECARD TAXPAYER SCORECARD KEY ✔ – Voted with the Taxpayer AFP’s Taxpayer Scorecard is our good faith effort to inform ✘ – Voted against the Taxpayer citizens about the performance of their elected representatives NV – Not Voting or Abstained in Trenton. There is no better barometer by which to measure ✔ - Abstention/Not Voting on Bill AFP Opposed lawmakers’ allegiance to fiscal responsibility and economic freedom than to register and evaluate their votes on key fiscal ✘ - Abstention/Not Voting on Bill AFP Supported legislation. Simply put, their votes are their record. Legislators are given half-credit for not voting on amendments Of course, no legislative scorecard can take into consideration and Motions to Table legislation opposed by AFP. every bill affecting taxpayers. AFP’s Taxpayer Scorecard aims Legislators are given zero credit for not voting on amendments to include the bills and votes which will have the most dramatic and Motions to Table legislation supported by AFP. impact on the state’s economic condition and the tax burden of every New Jerseyan. Accordingly, we have weighted some votes more heavily than others, depending on the specific vote and how it relates to our mission and legislative priorities. TABLE OF CONTENTS New Jersey Legislator Ratings...................................................................2 OVERVIEW OF THE TAXPAYER SCORECARD FOR THE 216TH Legislative Vote Explanations.................................................................3-7 Legislative Votes – Members of the State Senate...........................8-9 LEGISLATIVE SESSION Legislative Votes – Members of the General Assembly.............10-14 Notes Regarding the 216th Legislative Session….......................BACK The Taxpayer Scorecard for the 216th Legislative Session 1 NEW JERSEY LEGISLATOR RATINGS *Denotes legislators seated mid-session “TAXPAYER ZEROES” Russo, David C. (LD-40) 92% Spencer, L. Grace (LD-29) 25% “LD” denotes Carroll, Michael Patrick (LD-25) 90% Oliver, Sheila Y. (LD-34) 24% (“F”-rated Legislators: Taxpayer Mazzeo, Vincent (LD-02) 24% Score of 0-29%) SENATE Caputo, Ralph R. (LD-28) 21% Van Drew, Jeff (LD-01) 26% “DEFENDERS OF THE TAXPAYER” Moriarty, Paul D. (LD-04) 21% Rice, Ronald L. (LD-28) 9% (“B”-rated Legislators: Taxpayer Egan, Joseph V. (LD-17) 19% “TAXPAYER HEROES” Sarlo, Paul A. (LD-36) 9% Score of 80-89%) Pintor Marin, Eliana (LD-29) 18% (“A”-rated Legislators: Taxpayer Codey, Richard J. (LD-27) 9% Bramnick, Jon M. (LD-21) 89% Caride, Marlene (LD-36) 18% Score of 90-100%) Ruiz, M. Teresa (LD-29) 9% Bucco, Anthony M. (LD-25) 89% Singleton, Troy (LD-07) 18% Beach, James (LD-06) 9% Doherty, Michael (LD-23) 94% Rumana, Scott T. (LD-40) 89% Stender, Linda (LD-22) 18% Vitale, Joseph F. (LD-19) 8% Thompson, Samuel D. (LD-12) 92% Angelini, Mary Pat (LD-11) 89% Vainieri Huttle, Valerie (LD-37) 18% Stack, Brian P. (LD-33) 8% O’Scanlon, Declan J. (LD-13) 89% Lagana, Joseph A. (LD-38) 17% Gill, Nia H. (LD-34) 8% Rible, David P. (LD-30) 88% *Holley, Jamel C. (LD-20) 16% “DEFENDERS OF THE TAXPAYER” Gordon, Robert M. (LD-38) 7% Schepisi, Holly (LD-39) 88% Tucker, Cleopatra G. (LD-28) 15% (“B”-rated Legislators: Taxpayer Pou, Nellie (LD-35) 7% Munoz, Nancy (LD-21) 86% Schaer, Gary S. (LD-36) 15% Score of 80-89%) Weinberg, Loretta (LD-37) 7% Casagrande, Caroline (LD-11) 86% Jasey, Mila M. (LD-27) 15% Smith, Bob (LD-17) 5% Mainor, Charles (LD-31) 15% Addiego, Dawn Marie (LD-8) 85% Auth, Bob (LD-39) 86% Barnes, Peter J. (LD-18) 4% Garcia, Carmelo G. (LD-33) 15% Pennacchio, Joseph (LD-26) 82% Gove, DiAnne C. (LD-09) 86% Turner, Shirley K. (LD-15) 4% O’Donnell, Jason (LD-31) 15% Kyrillos, Joseph M. (LD-13) 81% McGuckin, Gregory P. (LD-10) 86% Madden, Jr., Fred H. (LD-04) 3% McKeon, John F. (LD-27) 14% Oroho, Steven V. (LD-24) 80% Fiocchi, Samuel L. (LD-01) 85% Lesniak, Raymond J. (LD-20) 3% Clifton, Robert D. (LD-12) 83% Wimberly, Benjie E. (LD-35) 13% Cunningham, Sandra B. (LD-31) 2% Wolfe, David W. (LD-10) 83% Johnson, Gordon M. (LD-37) 13% “TAXPAYER NEUTRAL” Sacco, Nicholas J. (LD-32) 2% Rumpf, Brian E. (LD-09) 83% Sumter, Shavonda E. (LD-35) 13% Scutari, Nicholas P. (LD-22) 2% Coughlin, Craig J. (LD-19) 13% (“C”-rated Legislators: Taxpayer Dancer, Ronald S. (LD-12) 82% Whelan, Jim (LD-02) 2% Eustace, Timothy J. (LD-38) 13% Score of 60-79%) Handlin, Amy H. (LD-13) 81% Sweeney, Stephen M. (LD-03) 2% Wisniewski, John S. (LD-19) 11% Connors, Christopher J. (LD-09) 78% Greenstein, Linda R. (LD-14) 1% Burzichelli, John J. (LD-03) 10% Cardinale, Gerald (LD-39) 76% Cruz-Perez, Nilsa (LD-05) 0% “TAXPAYER NEUTRAL” Gusciora, Reed (LD-15) 10% Beck, Jennifer (LD-11) 76% (“C”-rated Legislators: Taxpayer DeAngelo, Wayne P. (LD-14) 10% Holzapfel, James W. (LD-10) 76% ASSEMBLY Score of 60-79%) Benson, Daniel (LD-14) 10% O’Toole, Kevin J. (LD-40) 73% Conaway, Herb (LD-07) 10% Kean, Sean T. (LD-30) 79% Bucco, Anthony R. (LD-25) 72% Mukherji, Raj (LD-33) 10% Kean, Thomas H. (LD-21) 71% “TAXPAYER HEROES” Diegnan, Patrick J. (LD-18) 8% Allen, Diane B. (LD-07) 67% (“A”-rated Legislators: Taxpayer Quijano, Annette (LD-20) 7% Singer, Robert W. (LD-30) 65% “TAXPAYER FOES” Score of 90-100%) (“D”-rated Legislators: Taxpayer Greenwald, Louis D. (LD-06) 7% Webber, Jay (LD-26) 100% Score of 30-59%) Lampitt, Pamela R. (LD-06) 7% Pinkin, Nancy (LD-18) 7% “TAXPAYER FOES” Space, Parker (LD-24) 97% Brown, Chris A. (LD-02) 57% Simon, Donna (LD-16) 97% Fuentes, Angel (LD-05) 7% (“D”-rated Legislators: Taxpayer Giblin, Thomas P. (LD-34) 35% Green, Jerry (LD-22) 7% Score of 30-59%)’ McHose, Alison Littell (LD-24) 96% Andrzejczak, Robert** (LD-01) 33% Rodriguez-Gregg, Maria (LD-08) 94% Mosquera, Gabriela M. (LD-04) 7% Bateman, Christopher (LD-16) 44% Ciattarelli, Jack (LD-16) 92% Jimenez, Angelica M. (LD-32) 7% DiMaio, John (LD-23) 92% “TAXPAYER ZEROES” Prieto, Vincent (LD-32) 7% Peterson, Erik (LD-23) 92% *Muoio, Elizabeth Maher (LD-15) 5% (“F”-rated Legislators: Taxpayer *Taliaferro, Adam J. (LD-03) 5% Brown, Christopher J, (LD-08) 92% Score of 0-29%) DeCroce, BettyLou (LD-26) 92% *Danielsen, Joseph (LD-17) 5% Wilson, Gilbert (LD-05) 4% 2 LEGISLATIVE VOTE EXPLANATIONS **Indicates weighted votes SPENDING AND APPROPRIATIONS MEASURES A3280/S2045 — Requires Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission to use certain products manufactured in U.S. (.25 points) A3281/S2048 — Requires Delaware River and Bay Authority to use VOTE 1**FY 2015 Budget | AFP Position: NO | Result: Enacted with line certain products manufactured in U.S. (.25 points) item vetoes | A3482/S2015 A3221/S2061 — Requires Port Authority of New York and New Jersey FY 2015 $34.1B budget appropriation reduced to $32.5B subsequent to to use certain products manufactured in US. (.25 points) line item vetoes. While the final FY 2015 budget appropriation wound A3279/S2062 — Requires Delaware River Port Authority to use certain up $500M less than the prior fiscal year, this was due to revenues products manufactured in U.S. (.25 points) coming in $1.9B lower than Gov. Christie’s original $34.4B budget This package of five bills amounts to protectionism which will drive up proposal rather than fiscal restraint. costs significantly for taxpayers by inhibiting competition and access to necessary materials and products at more affordable prices. VOTE 2**FY 2016 Budget | AFP Position: NO | Result: Enacted with Line-item vetoes A4600/S2016 VOTE 7 Concerns Supplemental State Aid | AFP Position: NO | Result: FY 2016 $35.3B budget appropriation reduced to $33.8B subsequent Enacted | A3983/S2574 to line item vetoes. The FY 2016 budget represents a roughly $1.3B AFP opposes the idea of this potentially permanent carve-out of State increase over FY 2015. aid intended for Atlantic City. VOTE 3 Transparency in Government Act | AFP Position: YES | Result: VOTE 8 State Debt Affordability Analysis - Override Vote | AFP Passed Assembly | A103 Position: YES | Result: Override Failed | A961/S1739 AFP is supportive of the idea to create a searchable Internet database A vote to override Gov. Christie’s veto of legislation requiring an annual which will allow the public access to critical information on the State’s State debt affordability analysis be included in the State Debt Report. finances.