Republican Budget Members Call for Subpoena Power to Compel Treasury Docs & Testimony on Health Benefit Rate Increases
The Republican members of the Senate Budget & Appropriations Committee have called for the committee to be given the authority to issue subpoenas to compel the Treasurer to provide documents and testimony under oath related to massive increases in State health benefit premiums.
The Republican members of the Senate Budget & Appropriations Committee have called for the committee to be given the authority to issue subpoenas to compel the Treasurer to provide documents and testimony under oath related to massive increases in State health benefit premiums. (©iStock.com)
The request was made in a letter sent by Senate Republican Leader Steven Oroho, Republican Budget Officer Declan O’Scanlon, Senator Sam Thompson, and Senator Michael Testa to Senate President Nicholas Scutari, Majority Leader Teresa Ruiz, and Budget Committee Chairman Paul Sarlo.
The Republican senators said subpoenas were necessary since the Murphy administration has refused to answer important questions or provide documents that could help the Legislature, impacted employees and retirees, and the public to understand the recent 22% rate increase.
Republican Budget Members Call on Treasurer to Reveal Information Critical to Health Care Premium Increases
Republican members of the Senate Budget & Appropriations Committee called on State Treasurer Elizabeth Maher Muoio to come clean with long-overdue responses to the nonpartisan Office of Legislative Services (OLS) requests for data related to the steep increases in the cost of health care benefits.
Republican members of the Senate Budget & Appropriations Committee called on State Treasurer Elizabeth Maher Muoio to come clean with long-overdue responses to OLS requests for data related to the steep increases in the cost of health care benefits. (SenateNJ.com)
The Treasurer has indicated her Department has not withheld information. OLS has no record of receiving a response.
In their letter (click here for PDF), the Republican Senators wrote: “Unless we are mistaken in our understanding that your department failed to answer the attached questions posed by OLS during the budget process, or unless you have simply been unaware of that reality, your position is disingenuous at best. All parties involved deserve the level of transparency that you’ve indicated has already occurred.”
Oroho/O’Scanlon Renew Call for Immediate Action on Public Workers Health Coverage Crisis
Senate Republican Leader Steven Oroho and Republican Budget Officer Declan O’Scanlon today urged Senate Majority leaders to convene a special committee to address skyrocketing public health care premiums.
Senate Republican Leader Steven Oroho and Republican Budget Officer Declan O’Scanlon today urged Senate Majority leaders to convene a special committee to address skyrocketing public health care premiums. (©iStock.com)
The full text of the letter (click here for PDF) is below:
October 13, 2022
Honorable Nicholas P. Scutari
Senate President
Honorable M. Teresa Ruiz
Senate Majority Leader
Honorable Paul A. Sarlo
Chair, Senate Budget Committee
Dear Senators Scutari, Ruiz and Sarlo:
We are writing to respectfully request that if you will not convene a special committee to review and address skyrocketing public health care premium increases — as Republican Senators have unanimously supported — that the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee be charged with a similar mission on an immediate basis.
Republican Budget Committee Members Call for Required Oversight of Pandemic Relief & Debt Funds
The Republican members of the Senate Budget & Appropriations Committee called on Democrats to hold required oversight hearings to review proposed uses of federal pandemic relief funds and a state fund intended to pay down and prevent new debt.
Senate Republicans called on Democrats to hold required oversight hearings to review proposed uses of federal pandemic relief funds and a state fund intended to pay down and prevent new debt. (©iStock)
The request was made in a letter from Senate Republican Leader Steven Oroho (R-24), Republican Budget Office Declan O’Scanlon (R-13), Senator Sam Thompson (R-12), and Senator Michael Testa (R-1) to Senate President Nicholas Scutari (D-22), Majority Leader Teresa Ruiz (D-29), and Budget Chair Paul Sarlo (D-36).
O’Scanlon: NFL’s Tyreek Hill Demonstrates How NJ’s High Taxes Impact Behavior
Senator Declan O’Scanlon said NFL star wide receiver Tyreek Hill perfectly demonstrated New Jersey’s tax problem when he explained why he chose to be traded to the Miami Dolphins instead of the New York Jets: “It was very close to happening, but it was just those state taxes, man.”
Sen. Declan O’Scanlon said NFL star wide receiver Tyreek Hill perfectly demonstrated New Jersey’s tax problem when he explained why he chose to be traded to the Miami Dolphins instead of the New York Jets. (Instagram/Sports Illustrated)
“If a professional athlete like Tyreek Hill is making a major career decision to avoid New Jersey’s ludicrously high taxes, you can be sure that financial professionals, entrepreneurs, and other high earners are doing so as well,” said O’Scanlon (R-Monmouth), who serves as the Senate Republican Budget Officer. “It’s undeniable that our high taxes impact behavior, which costs the New Jersey economy billions in income, countless jobs, lost productivity, and unrealized revenue. For teams like the Jets and Giants and their fans, New Jersey’s uncompetitive tax rates limit their access to the best talent who could save millions by playing almost anywhere else.”
O’Scanlon Blasts Dimwitted NY Politician for Threatening NJ Drivers with Extra $50 Fee for Entering NYC
NY Assemblyman Dinowitz Outraged NJ Might Refuse to Help Enforce City’s Scam Red Light & Speed Camera Tix
Senator Declan O’Scanlon blasted a dimwitted proposal by a New York lawmaker that would charge every New Jersey driver entering New York City a $50 fee as punishment for pending legislation that would prohibit the NJMVC from helping other states enforce automated camera tickets on Garden State motorists.
Sen. Declan O’Scanlon blasted a dimwitted proposal by a New York lawmaker that would charge every New Jersey driver entering New York City a $50 fee as punishment for pending legislation that would prohibit the NJMVC from helping other states enforce automated camera tickets on Garden State motorists. (SenateNJ.com)
“New Jersey got rid of our red light camera program because we learned it was a scam that enriched corrupt tech companies at the expense of drivers without improving public safety,” said O’Scanlon (R-Monmouth). “Automated red light and speed camera systems are engineered to entrap drivers by shady operators that have been caught bribing politicians all over the country. The only way these systems make money is if proper yellow light and speed setting engineering criteria are ignored. Every competent, unbiased study of these systems demonstrates they have no overall safety benefit — and that’s the only measure that counts. Automated camera enforcement is a policing for profit racket that New Jersey rightfully banned. These camera systems have nothing to do with making roads safer and everything to do with making money. New Jersey doesn’t inflict these scams on our drivers or anyone else’s, and we should not be complicit in helping other states to perpetuate their automated injustice on New Jerseyans. The sooner all of these abusive programs end everywhere, the better.”
O’Scanlon/Corrado Bill that Raises Awareness of Menstrual Toxic Shock Syndrome Clears Committee
Legislation sponsored by Senators Declan O’Scanlon and Kristin Corrado requiring school districts to incorporate age-appropriate instruction on menstrual toxic shock syndrome (mTSS) was approved today by the Senate Education Committee.
Legislation sponsored by Sens. Declan O’Scanlon and Kristin Corrado requiring school districts to incorporate age-appropriate instruction on mTSS was approved today by the Senate Education Committee. (Pixabay)
“Toxic shock syndrome is a serious, potentially fatal, infection that can spread rapidly. This legislation was inspired by one of my residents, Madalyn Massabni, who we lost far too young due to mTSS. The bill will raise awareness for this rarely talked about, but nonetheless, serious condition by incorporating basic knowledge of mTSS into our school curriculum,” said Senator O’Scanlon (R-13). “By doing this, students can learn about ways to prevent toxic shock and how to spot the signs and symptoms if the infection has already started.”
O’Scanlon Attacks Example of Trenton’s “Outrageous, Arrogant, Anti-Science Overreach”
Introduces Bill Eliminating Certain COVID Sanitization Guidelines for Hotels
Following the implementation of a 2020 law that establishes sanitization guidelines for hotels in New Jersey, forcing them to do things such as change sheets in rooms every day, Senator Declan O’Scanlon introduced legislation that would revise certain sanitization protocols for all hotels.
Following the implementation of a 2020 law establishing sanitization guidelines for hotels, forcing them to do things such as change sheets in rooms every day, Sen. Declan O’Scanlon introduced legislation that would revise certain sanitization protocols for all hotels. (Pixabay)
“The current law requiring daily sanitization of every hotel room is so completely ludicrous and unnecessary, one has to wonder if anyone actually read the bill before they came out in support of it,” said Senator O’Scanlon (R-13). “No one will catch COVID from their own, used pillowcases or sheets. Sanitizing a room during your own, continued use of it will accomplish nothing…except to INCREASE your, and hotel staff, exposure to more potentially COVID positive people. And, what about the environmental impact? The countless gallons of water that will be needed to wash millions of sheets, pillowcases, etc. across the state every day, combined with the electricity and gas needed to dry them. My bill will undo this costly and wasteful legislation that should have never been implemented in the first place.”
Oroho & O’Scanlon Blast Secretive Health Benefits Deal
Senate Republican Leader Steven Oroho and Senate Republican Budget Officer Declan O’Scanlon released the following statement chiding the Murphy Administration for its handling of the sizeable increase in public employee health benefits costs:
Senators Steven Oroho and Declan O’Scanlon criticized the Murphy Administration’s backroom deal to spare some state workers from costly health benefits increases, but ignored the impact on towns, counties and their employees who will see costs skyrocket. (SenateNJ.com)
“We find the Murphy Administration’s complete lack of transparency regarding higher health care premiums that will result in massive property tax increases to be disconcerting, though it has been a pattern and comes as no surprise.
O’Scanlon Slams Law Establishing COVID Sanitization Guidelines for Hotels as “Nonsensical Insanity”
Following the proposed implementation of a 2020 law that would establish sanitization guidelines for hotels in New Jersey, forcing them to do things such as change sheets in hotel rooms every day, Senator Declan O’Scanlon called the measure an overreaction to COVID and the clearest example yet of democrats’ proclivity for micromanagement.
Following the proposed implementation of a 2020 law that would establish sanitization guidelines for hotels in New Jersey, forcing them to do things such as change sheets in hotel rooms every day, Sen. Declan O’Scanlon called the measure the clearest example yet of democrats’ proclivity for micromanagement. (Pixabay)
“This law is a ridiculous overreaction to COVID. It is in fact counter-productive, more regularly exposing more people to more people—both workers and residents. Throw in that it’s a bizarre, blatant example of government overreach that will needlessly increase costs while negatively impacting the environment and you get a hat-trick of incompetent, nonsensical insanity! Oh, and those increased costs? They’ll be passed on to YOU dear weary and beleaguered consumers! This cost will come at a time when people are still hurting financially because of other absurd pandemic policies pushed by the democrats in Trenton—combined with record-high levels of inflation caused by democrats in Washington,” said O’Scanlon (R-13). “Democrats in general seem to have a habit of advancing legislation designed to micromanage people’s lives. This law is the latest example of that.”
