Asm. Lou Greenwald

Maddy summaryThis bill changes New Jersey's school election rules by requiring both school boards and municipal governing bodies to approve moving elections from November back to April (previously, either could do it alone). If a district moves elections to April, it shortens the terms of school board members whose terms were set to expire in January, so their terms end on the day after the April election. The bill also clarifies that Type II school districts (with boards of school estimate) can move election dates. These changes create more consistent procedures for election scheduling across school districts. The bill does not alter the process for moving elections from April to November, which still requires only one body's approval.

Maddy summaryNew Jersey's Fairness in Bidding Act (A2764) requires public entities to include certified cost estimate ranges for construction projects over $500,000 in their bid advertisements, with the range limited to no more than 5% between the highest and lowest estimate. The bill increases the required bid guaranty from 10% to 50% of the bid amount (capped at $100,000) to ensure bidders will enter into contracts if awarded. It also specifies that contracting units can only reject all bids for certain publicly stated reasons, such as when the lowest bid substantially exceeds published cost estimates or appropriations. This legislation applies to state, school, county college, and local government construction contracts.

Maddy summaryThis bill would require public agencies in New Jersey to redact (remove) and not disclose the home addresses of elected officials, candidates for public office, and their immediate family members from government records, except for specific circumstances. To implement this, the bill establishes an Office of Information Privacy within the Department of Community Affairs to process and approve requests for address redaction. Elected officials and candidates would need to submit a request through a secure portal to the Office of Information Privacy, and public agencies would be required to redact addresses from records within 30 days of approval. The home address would remain available to the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission for residency verification purposes, but would otherwise be kept confidential from public view.

Maddy summaryACR 89 proposes a temporary amendment to the New Jersey Constitution that would allow a constitutional convention focused on property tax reform to propose changes to state statutes (such as amending or repealing existing laws) for voter approval, in addition to constitutional amendments. Currently, such a convention could only propose constitutional changes, but this amendment would enable it to suggest statutory adjustments needed to implement tax reforms. The amendment would become part of the Constitution if approved by voters and expire three years after approval. This directly affects the convention's scope and the voting process for statutory proposals related to property tax reform.

Maddy summaryThis bill (A2816) allows New Jersey's Government Records Council (GRC) to use annual state funds to hire staff attorneys exclusively for handling public records complaints. It directly affects the GRC, which adjudicates disputes when government agencies deny public access to records, and the public who file such complaints. The key provision authorizes the GRC to employ these attorneys to review, hear, and resolve complaints about denied record access, addressing a backlog noted in a state comptroller report. The bill also requires the GRC to consider resource needs when requesting its annual budget.

Maddy summaryThis bill (A2814) provides a supplemental $1.5 million appropriation from the General Fund to New Jersey's Election Law Enforcement Commission (ELEC) for enforcement and staffing activities. It directly affects ELEC, which administers state campaign finance laws, by funding its core operations to enforce the Campaign Contributions and Expenditures Reporting Act (C.19:44A-1 et seq.). The funds are specifically designated for staffing needs and enforcement efforts related to campaign finance compliance. The bill does not create new policy but allocates existing funds to support ELEC's existing duties.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey professional licensing boards to calculate the national average time other states take to approve initial credentials for each regulated profession or occupation. Boards must collect this data from other states (or national associations) within six months of the bill's effective date, then use the approved national average as their processing standard for new applications. If a board fails to meet the national average after one year, it must use licensing fees to hire a third-party expert to identify best practices for faster processing, which must be implemented immediately. The Division of Consumer Affairs reviews compliance annually to ensure boards meet the established timelines.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows counties, municipalities, and local economic development organizations to form joint regional partnerships to coordinate economic planning and development. These partnerships can include businesses, schools, nonprofits, and other regional entities working together to attract new businesses, support existing ones, redevelop areas, and share project costs. Partnerships may access loans or matching grants for marketing and business growth initiatives, and must register with the New Jersey Economic Development Authority. The bill also permits local governments to create alternative agreements for joint economic projects, subject to approval by the Local Finance Board.

Maddy summaryThis bill would establish a process for New Jersey voters to approve a constitutional convention specifically focused on reforming the state's property tax system. If voters approve the convention in November 2012, delegates would be elected in April 2013 to propose constitutional amendments and statutory changes aimed at creating a more equitable property tax system that reduces local government reliance on property taxes while maintaining revenue neutrality. The convention's proposals would be submitted to voters in November 2013 for approval as a single package, with specific prohibitions against changes to school funding obligations, affordable housing requirements, or collective bargaining rights. The bill appropriates $3.8 million for implementation and requires the convention to complete its work by August 2013.

Maddy summaryThis bill (A2763) requires contractors working on residential construction projects (like townhouses, single-family homes, or four-story apartments) to pay the federal prevailing wage rate if the project receives any financial assistance from a New Jersey public body (such as tax breaks, grants, or incentives) but isn't already subject to the state's prevailing wage law. It applies specifically when the project receives public financial assistance but wouldn't otherwise need to follow New Jersey's wage standards. The key mechanism mandates that contractors pay the federal Davis-Bacon Act wage rate as if the financial assistance were federal funding. This directly affects contractors building residential projects with public financial support in New Jersey.