Affordability

As the cost of living in New Jersey continues to rise, one of my top priorities in Trenton is working to make District 21 a more affordable place to live, work, and raise a family. We can take steps in the right direction by working across the aisle to pass:

• A977 - Indexes state income tax brackets for inflation to combat “bracket creep” and prevent your tax rate from rising simply due to inflation

• A1125 - Lowers property taxes for residents while maintaining strong school funding levels, favoring lasting structural reform over Trenton’s current “kick the can down the road” approach

• A4356 - Requires state officials to adopt common sense zero-based budgeting practices and procedures to bring fiscal restraint to Trenton and provide space for meaningful tax relief

• A299 - Incentivizes young people to stay in New Jersey by providing a $1,500 annual tax credit to high-achieving students who remain in-state for high school, college, and their first job

Disabilities

One of the most important jobs an elected official has is to be a voice for those who are too often forgotten in our society. In Trenton, I’m advocating for residents with disabilities by introducing legislation including:

• A294 - Establishes a “Commission on People with Disabilities” to ensure quality representation as we seek to build a more accessible state for all

• A300 - Ensures that hospital patients with developmental disabilities are always permitted to have a caregiver accompany them throughout their entire hospital stay

• A1128 - Closes loophole by requiring criminal background checks for ABA therapists and other professionals, protecting the safety of residents with autism … UPDATE: Signed into law!

• A2451 - Creates a permanent unit in the Office of Emergency Management to address access and functional needs of residents related to disasters and emergencies, so that residents with disabilities are never left behind during their time of need

Education

School districts across District 21 are widely renowned for the outstanding education they provide our K-12 students. As a member of the Assembly Education Committee, I’m working to maintain this high-quality education by supporting:

• A330 - Expands hiring pools for school districts by eliminating the requirement that staff live in-state, helping to address the teacher shortage

• A331 - Combats learning loss by establishing a matching grant program for school districts to implement high-impact tutoring services

• A513 - Waives tuition fee for apprenticeship courses for residents below median income, recognizing the importance of clear pathways to quality careers … UPDATE: Advanced from Committee!

• A3416 - Provides gross income tax deduction to reimburse educators for the expense of classroom supplies, too often paid for out-of-pocket by our teachers … UPDATE: Passed by Assembly!

Housing and Overdevelopment

Unelected judges currently have far too much control over our towns when it comes to high-density housing requirements. It’s time to ensure that the residents impacted by these standards have a say in the planning process once again. Here’s what I’m doing to level the playing field:

• ACR28 - Ensures that only the Legislature may determine affordable housing obligations, giving residents, through their elected representatives, a clear voice in this critical planning process

• A251 , A261 , and A3523 - Provide municipalities with the opportunity to grant preference to (respectively) seniors, veterans, and current residents when allocating affordable units

• A306 - Protects extensively flood-prone towns from builder’s remedy actions aimed at compelling additional housing construction

Mental Health

Over the past few years, a real light has been shone on the growing mental health needs of our communities. In order to provide quality support to residents of all ages, and particularly our struggling youth, our state should pass:

• A276 - Forms a Student Mental Health Task Force to prioritize the pressing mental health needs of our young people and facilitate sharing of best practices between school districts

• A1326 - Guarantees that all health insurance policies in the state of New Jersey include coverage for annual mental health screenings

• Last Session’s A5311 - Enters New Jersey into the interstate Counseling Compact to help recruit even more qualified mental health care providers to our state … UPDATE: Signed into law!

Military Veterans

Supporting those who have bravely served our nation in uniform has always been a top priority for me. Here are a few additional ways our state should help veterans:

• Last Session’s A2722 - Allows veterans to apply their military medical training as credit towards accreditation as licensed practical nurses, providing these veterans with a clearer on-ramp into the civilian workforce … UPDATE: Signed into law!

• A2745 - Combats the veteran homelessness crisis by prioritizing assistance and connecting these veterans with public and private sector resources and services

• A3193 - Creates a new state program to assist veterans living with PTSD and traumatic brain injuries in obtaining the high-quality medical care they deserve

• ACR58 - Increases the veterans’ property tax deduction to $2,500 per year, providing long-awaited relief to ensure that our heroes can continue to call LD-21 home

Transportation & Infrastructure

As the most over-taxed citizens in the nation, LD-21 residents have every right to expect dependable infrastructure and an efficient mass transit system that they can rely on. Recognizing that the time for action is long overdue, I’ve been working in Trenton to advocate for:

• A4096 - Requires the state to hire an independent firm to audit New Jersey Transit and provide recommendations on how to meet the current and long-term transportation needs of residents

• AR25 - Stands up for New Jersey by opposing New York’s congestion pricing plan and calling for NJ stakeholders to be included in the decision-making process

• Last Session’s A823 - Saves drivers money and avoids needless hassle by requiring highway authorities to check whether a vehicle owner has an existing E-Z Pass account before charging an administrative fee … UPDATE: Signed into law!

Women

All across our state, women are breaking barriers, being elected to office in record numbers, and helping to lead their communities toward a brighter future. Unfortunately, too many women are still subjected to harassment and serious acts of violence. I’m working to support these women by passing:

• A908 - Establishes a rape kit tracking system to empower survivors of sexual assault with critical transparency during the investigative process, helping them to obtain the answers they deserve much more swiftly and effectively … UPDATE: Signed into law!

• A272 - Eliminates the statute of limitations for prosecuting human trafficking offenses, recognizing that an arbitrary deadline should never stand in the way of obtaining justice for these heinous crimes

• A318 - Sets a minimum level of domestic violence training for judges and judicial personnel, ensuring that courts will be fully equipped to handle sensitive matters and treat victims with dignity

• AJR16 - Directs New Jersey’s courts to admit conversations with close confidants as evidence in civil cases involving sexual assault or workplace discrimination, providing survivors with a key tool in their efforts to hold offenders accountable