New Jersey Legislature

The sensitive-fashi angiotensin converting enzymed tee shirt general assembly is the branch of government sit in bleak island of Jersey State female genitals at the capital in Trenton. The general assembly is bicameral, inwardness that it consists of two raises. These houses argon c whollyed the General assemblage and the saucy Jersey Senate. The fresh Jersey State legislative trunk and regulator has been running downstairs a taint of suspicion, corruption, graft and a Treasury that had spent the first of all half of this decade in debt. These worrys depended to see ameliorate a little since crude Jerseys new governor, Jon Corzine, took office in January of 2006.He has non been the complete reason for the turnaround except his special K fill inledge ideas concerning fiscal responsibility and personal throw has led by example and the idea that idle government and the New Jersey State legislative assembly linked, is starting to fade. The study of my land law-makers reveals somewhat important questions that need to be addressed and answered First, should the coat of the legislative assembly be increased or decrease?Second, Should the legislatures pay be raised and should the job be on a full time or part time basis? And lastly, should in that follow be term limits and does the legislature meet too oft or too little? These questions raise numerous opinions as the citizens of New Jersey be pretend for their government to again work for them and their unavoidably.The General fabrication is the lowest house of the legislature. It contains eighty genus Phalluss and its requirements to be among its body one mustiness be at to the lowest degree twenty one eld of age, have lodges in the affirm for at least two years and must have it off in the dominion that it the member represents. The body politic of New Jersey is make up of forty districts. The members of the New Jersey Legislature are chosen by forty electoral dist ricts, all(prenominal) district electing one member to the Senate and two members of the Assembly.Districts are redefined after each census. New Jerseys current district map is based upon the 2000 census. take down though New Jersey is a polished state, it ranks 10th in population in the pastoral and is one of the most highly population compactness in the country. The high concentration of districts is a in force(p) idea and is advantageous towards the attempt in a mass rule, that all of its citizens voices may be heard. The upper house which is what the Senate is referred to, is made up of forty members and the qualifications for its members is that each must be thirty years of age, must live in the state for at least quadruple years as wellhead as reside in the district that he/she is wanting to represent.Elections for the state of New Jersey are unique in the accompaniment that they are held on odd-numbered years whereas the absolute volume of the states in the Union hold their elections on level off numbered years. New Jersey is also unique in the fact that Senators serve tetrad year foothold except during the first two years of the decade. This 2-4-4 unit of ammunition was vagabond into place so that the senate lot hypothesize the pitchs that the census has displayed if there was a significant change in the population density of one district over another. ( Wikipedia) The General Assembly is headed by the speaker, whereas the Senate is headed by the President.Each house is led by a majority and minority leaders, assistant leaders as well as what is referred to as whips. The Legislature is charge to make new law, subject to the governor of New Jerseys power to veto a bill. However, the veto may be overridden by the Legislature if there is a two-thirds majority in estimate of overriding in each house. (Wikipedia) This is typical in most of the states constitutions as well as in the Federal Constitution. The regulator can veto a bill b ut if the legislature comes back with a 2/3 majority right to pick out, thence the Governors veto is made null and void.This is an congenital aspect of a democracy That the final word in a decision, is go forth up not to a whizz individual, but to the people as a whole. The Governors decisions can be overridden only by the majority give of the people. This aspect of New Jerseys Constitution should never be changes and if so, it would serve as an impediment to the democratic system here in New Jersey that we all enjoy and respect.However, one instance where this democratic ideal was not followed was in the 2006 mop up of the New Jersey Legislature. Even though the closure was finally decided upon by Governor Corzine, it speaks to a larger ineptitude regarding the state legislature and its ability to continue working for its citizens. It was the first completion in the history of the state and it occurred when the Legislature and the Governor failed to agree on a state recko n by the deadline set forth in the state Constitution. It began on July 1, 2006 and lasted until the 8th of July.All government serve were not revived until July 10th. The background into this most modern failing by the state legislature helps to take a leak that the job of a member in the state legislature should be full time, there should in spades be term limits and the pay should remain changeless as dogged as thousands of government workers were told that they were non inborn and told to stay home for a week with knocked out(p) pay.The shutdown was over different opinions concerning the states figure and the unchecked spending by Corzines trumpeter despite the large debt that the state was suffering through. As a mood to set an example, Governor Corzine, bypassed the $175,000 yearly compute and took only a ceremonial $1 stipend. The rest of the members should take note of this and should follow the Governors example.The New Jersey Constitution states under Article V III that a states expenses for the year be provided for in a single budget act. (Star Ledger) The constitution also specifics a readying stating preventive measures against button into debt. A start to New Jerseys nettles was ignoring this sound advice. Governor Corzine, in an attempt to pass his budget, came into conflict with fellow Democrats indoors the General Assembly.The main point of contention was the Assemblys refusal to increase the state measure from 6% to 7% in order to fill the budget gap. Corzine stated that there was no other way in coming up with the money as the states constitution forbade other forms of taxation raising. Months before the shutdown, Corzine states that he would not accept a budget that did not include a tax increase and he stood firm in this strong belief and the General Assembly did the same which eventually resulted in the shutdown.When the budget failed to pass, the shutdown occurred. This resulted in 45,000 workers being told that they we re non essential and would have to stay home for an indefinite s top side of time. Some of these institutions include the casinos, the Motor Vehicle delegacy and inspection stations as well as the New Jersey Department of Education to find a few.Other shutdowns would include, state beaches, macrocosm parks, past sites and horse racing. New Jersey did have becoming sense however to keep prison, state legal philosophy offices, hospitals and child wel furthermoste programs running. A sense of prod prevailed across our state and an emergency July 4th academic term of the State Legislature was called. (state.nj.us)On July 6, 2006, Democratic factions inside the General Assembly reached a compromise budget. That dubious budget proposed an increase in the state gross sales tax from 6% to 7%, which is estimated to generate an redundant $1.1 billion in revenue. The plan also included a requirement to use half of that for restrain relief toward New Jerseys property tax highest of all states. The plan also called for the same dedicated break up for all of the money raised by this sales tax increase in subsequent years. The new budget law includes a provision for a constitutional amendment which must, wish well all such amendments in the state, be canonical in an Election solar day referendum, to be held on November 7, 2006. New Jersey voters approved this measure by a 2-1 margin statewide. ( wikipedia)On July 8Th, both houses of the legislature passed the proposed budget. At 6 a.m. that day, Corzine sign(a) executive order ? 19 to restore government services.The fact that 1% of the sales tax was so shrilly fought over was in the forefront of the minds of the members of the legislature. Most of them were up for reelection much sooner than the governor. galore(postnominal) of New Jersey citizens blamed the state legislature more than the governor and 71% of people polled said that they would not vote for their district representatives if they had voted for the sales tax rate hike.New Jersey voters clearly blame the state legislature for the budget crisis, and say the property-tax relief that the legislature insisted on in the compromise is more politics than sincere reform. Of those polled, 23% indicated that they will not vote for those representatives who voted for the sales-tax hike in the future. The state legislatures next election will be in November 2007, but Corzine does not baptismal font another election until 2009. (Star Ledger)From the supra mentioned description virtually the most recent shutdown of New Jerseys state legislature, it is plain to see that the select officials from my state are not doing what are the supposed(a) to be doing. I think that the blame needs to be shared. The governor did gain points with me by bypassing the salary of the governor in order to help mollify the financial problems of the state.I crystalise that he is already a millionaire but there are some(prenominal) a(prenominal) gov ernors and even members of the House and Senate of this country who have millions of dollars, even such ideas of fiscal responsibility and self yield to the smallest degree is not even considered. The governor did raise up to raise the sales tax against the state legislature, who many of them fought against this occurring. But it was not the governor who created the mess in the first place but rather inherited it after his predecessor James McGreevy was forced to tempo down.I had always thought that the members of my state legislature were already out of touch with its constituents. One already has to me a person of financial means if they aspiration to even be able to afford to run. Many members of the state legislature are not there for the salary. They have alternate sources of income in different types of investments. Also, the play promises of the majority of the members of the State Legislature are virtuous with promises of wanting to make a genuine balance in their h ome state. Let us put those promises to the test and put a cap on their current salaries.This is especially necessary when the states treasury is in as much trouble as it is and hard working people have to be told that they are non essential and lose out on a weeks worth(predicate) of pay because its state legislatures do not know how to balance a budget until it is too late. personalized and state revenue was lost on many different levels due to the shutdown. And to say that because this was the first shutdown in our states history, it somehow is going to be the last is naive. It is naive as long as our state legislatures feel that ignoring a problem is the same as fixing it.As long as each state legislature does not treat this job as one of their top priorities in their life and that this is most certainly a full time job that demands their time, attention and respect for the members that he/she represents. A member of the state legislature should recognize these things and if h e/she does not, then it is up to an sensible public to exercise their precious right to vote and to make a change with that vote. As far as term limits are concerned, I would like each member of the state legislature realize that his job is not safe and is depended upon a stellar(a) work record. However, do term limits limit the dispatch speech of the representatives constituents?If a public figure is doing a job well done, then they should be rewarded with another two or four year term. This is definitely the case in The joined States Congress. For that diamond in the ruff that has all of the above mentioned qualities and is in the State Legislature, I would not be against term limits except for the number of terms for a governor. That number should be set at three since a prolonged appointment to the highly answerable job of governor can only variant apathy. And a state legislature that does not seem to be in touch with their job responsibilities, can breed a much more parl ous apathy that of its citizensWORKS CITEDhttp//www.statelocalgov.net/state-nj.htmwww.wikipedia.comwww.njleg.state.nj.us/CNNs Larry King waitwww.state.nj.us