Sen. Shirley Turner

Maddy summaryThis New Jersey Senate resolution (SR 74) urges the U.S. Congress to reinstate the Glass-Steagall Act, a 1933 law that separated commercial banking from investment banking. It argues that repealing Glass-Steagall in 1999 allowed banks to merge with investment firms, contributing to risky practices that triggered the 2008 financial crisis. The resolution states that the subsequent Dodd-Frank Act did not fully restore this separation and calls for reinstating Glass-Steagall to strengthen financial stability. As a non-binding resolution, it does not create new law but formally requests congressional action.

Maddy summaryThis bill clarifies that "school bus" in New Jersey's criminal drug laws includes any bus used for student transportation, whether owned and operated by a school district or by a private contractor. It specifically covers buses transporting students to and from school, field trips, athletic events, and other school-sanctioned activities. The clarification ensures that drug offenses committed on these buses trigger the same enhanced penalties as those on school property. This change directly affects law enforcement and courts when prosecuting drug crimes near schools, and it responds to an incident where a school bus driver was arrested for smoking marijuana while driving a contractor-operated bus on a field trip. The bill does not change the penalties but ensures consistent application to all school transportation vehicles.

Maddy summaryS 2708 would require New Jersey state agencies to follow strict procedures before contracting out public services that were previously provided by state employees. The bill mandates that agencies must prepare and publicly disclose a cost analysis showing substantial savings, provide displaced workers with first refusal for jobs under the contract, and ensure contractors provide benefits and pay rates at least equal to state employees. Agencies must also demonstrate that contracting out won't harm service quality or public interest, and contractors must meet labor and business standards including no recent debarments or criminal convictions. The State Auditor would review and audit all contracts over $250,000 to ensure compliance with these requirements.

Maddy summaryThis concurrent resolution (SCR 88) urges Congress and the President to enact federal legislation that would penalize U.S. companies outsourcing labor to foreign markets. It specifically proposes barring such companies from receiving federal contracts, tax breaks, grants, or loans, and creating an "outsourcing tax" on firms that eliminate domestic jobs for overseas hiring. The resolution states this would incentivize companies to hire American workers, citing that 6.3 million U.S. workers (including over 225,000 in New Jersey) are unemployed while U.S. multinational firms employed 13.8 million workers overseas in 2014. As a non-binding resolution, it does not create new laws but calls for federal action to address job losses in sectors like manufacturing, technology, and call centers.

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits private companies from owning, operating, or managing New Jersey jail facilities after its effective date, except for contracts already in place before the law passed. It prevents government agencies from entering new contracts, renewing, or extending existing contracts with private entities for housing people in jails. Existing contracts remain valid, but no new agreements for jail operations are allowed. The law takes effect immediately.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends New Jersey's assault law to increase penalties for assaults targeting elderly or disabled individuals. It defines "person with a disability" as someone with a pre-existing medically determinable physical or mental impairment that substantially limits their ability to resist, including those determined disabled by Social Security or similar programs. Under the bill, causing bodily injury to a person with a disability or a senior citizen (60+ years old) becomes a third-degree crime requiring a mandatory three-year prison term, with a second-degree crime if the victim suffers significant or serious injury. This legislation was prompted by specific incidents including the assault of a man with intellectual disability and attacks on elderly women.

Maddy summaryS 2781 makes permanent the requirement for New Jersey high school students to complete a financial aid application as a prerequisite for receiving a high school diploma. Previously, this applied only to the 2023-2024 school year and the following two years, but the bill extends it indefinitely for all public and charter school students. Students may be exempt through a waiver signed by a parent/guardian (or the student if 18+), or if under 18 and parental consent cannot be obtained, a school counselor may authorize the waiver under state regulations. The bill also mandates that the state provide resources like guides and webinars to help students and families complete the application, with schools required to annually notify families of this requirement.

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits New Jersey's public colleges and universities from raising tuition for in-state undergraduate students by more than 4% compared to the previous academic year. It directly affects public institutions of higher education and resident undergraduate students by capping annual tuition increases. The key provision requires institutions to maintain tuition rates within a 4% ceiling relative to the prior year's rates. The law would take effect immediately for the first full academic year after enactment.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey state agencies to notify employees who are likely to lose their jobs due to privatization at least 180 days before releasing requests for proposals (RFPs) or related documents for contracts involving services or assets valued at $100,000 or more. The notice must detail the specific service or asset at risk and inform employees they can submit a two-year business plan to take over the work, with support available from the New Jersey Economic Development Authority for financing. Agencies must review any submitted business plan within 60 days, either approving it (allowing one year to implement) or requiring revisions, and employees have 30 days to revise and resubmit if rejected. This directly affects state agency workers facing potential layoffs and the agencies managing privatization processes.

Maddy summaryThis bill (S 2710) changes how New Jersey car insurance companies assign policyholders to geographic rating territories. It prohibits insurers from placing an insurance exposure (policy) in a territory based solely on ZIP code when that ZIP code crosses municipal boundaries. Instead, the bill requires insurers to place the exposure in the territory corresponding to the town where the vehicle is garaged. This directly affects car insurance policyholders and insurers operating in New Jersey, aiming to prevent ZIP codes from artificially splitting neighborhoods for rate-setting purposes.