Stephen M. Sweeney

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Sweeney attended Pennsauken High School.

enate career

Sweeney serves in the Senate on the Joint Budget Oversight Committee and the Budget and Appropriations Committee. He is the Senate's Democratic Majority Leader and Conference Chair. [http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/members/BIO.asp?Leg=216 Senator Sweeney's legislative web page] , New Jersey Legislature. Accessed March 14, 2008.]

In 2001, Senator Sweeney defeated eight-term incumbent State Senator Raymond Zane, a former Democrat turned Republican. The race was the most expensive legislative race in New Jersey history at the time, totaling $2.4 million dollars, with Sweeney's $1.8 million tripling up Zane's $600,000. [Smith, Joseph P. [http://www.app.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20030924/NEWS/70821044 "Zane paid a price for defying the party"] , "Asbury Park Press", September 24, 2003. Accessed May 23, 2008. "The Zane-Sweeney race in the 3rd District cost $2.4 million, making it the most expensive legislative race in state history. Sweeney spent $1.8 million; Zane, $624,000, state election records show."] The record stood until 2003, when $4 million was spent in Fred H. Madden's successful race to unseat George Geist.

Accomplishments

Senator Sweeney sponsored the new law allowing municipalities and other public entities to enter into project labor agreements (PLAs) when beginning a construction project. PLAs are agreements that have been adopted by private industry which allow the contractor and the employer to enter into a contract prior to the beginning of construction which establishes the terms and conditions of employment and prohibits the use of strikes and lockouts. PLAs save money in the long run because they lessen the chance of cost overruns and work stoppages, and contribute to decreased labor unrest, which can sometimes cause shoddy workmanship on a project.

Senator Sweeney also sponsored a law authorizing the Delaware River and Bay Authority to establish an ethanol plant in Southern New Jersey, the first of its kind in any of the Mid-Atlantic States. Ethanol, a gasoline additive, is the product of the distillation of corn and other plant material. The plant is expected to generate jobs for South Jersey and supply a new market for farmers in the region.

In response to heightened security warnings around potential targets such as nuclear plants since the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks that destroyed the World Trade Center, Senator Sweeney pushed to allow security guards at these plants to carry assault weapons and high-powered ammunition to better protect the security of New Jersey residents. The bill, which was signed into law in September 2003, also requires guards to undergo mandated training in the use of the firearms before getting access to the weapons.

The Senator has worked to make sure that family members of police, firefighters and emergency response workers killed in the line of duty are fairly compensated for their loss. He sponsored the law which provides state pensions to surviving family members of volunteer firefighters and emergency services workers who die in the line of duty, as well as the law that removes the remarriage prohibition to receive death benefits for spouses of police officers and firefighters killed while serving the public good. Senator Sweeney also sponsored the law providing health benefits to New Jersey National Guard members who serve for 30 days or more on state active duty.

Senator Sweeney received national attention for his sponsorship of "Maggie's Law," which establishes driving while seriously fatigued as a form of driver recklessness. [ [http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/2002/Bills/S2000/1644_I1.HTM Senate, Bill No. 1644, State of New Jersey, 210th Legislature] , introduced June 13, 2002.] The first law of its kind in the United States, "Maggie's Law" was signed by Governor of New Jersey Jim McGreevey in August of 2003. It requires sleep-deprived drivers, who have been up for 24 hours or more, face up to 20 years in jail and fines up to $150,000 if they get into fatal car accidents caused by their lack of sleep. Senator Sweeney first pursued the legislation when he was contacted by the mother of Maggie McDonnell, a Washington Township resident who was killed in a car accident by a driver who had been up for over 30 hours without sleeping. [ [http://www.njsendems.com/Releases/03/August/Sweeney%20Maggie's%20Law%20Becomes%20Official,%208-5-03.htm Maggie's Law Becomes Official] , press release dated August 5, 2003.]

Controversies

On June 1, 2006, Senator Sweeney and two Assembly Democrats, Paul Moriarty (D, 4th legislative district) and Jerry Green (D, 22nd legislative district), held a press conference to announce their support for significant cuts (on the order of 15%) to New Jersey state worker salaries and benefits. This effort appears to have been put forth to avoid a one-point increase in the state's sales tax, which had been proposed by Governor of New Jersey Jon Corzine to fill in a multi-billion dollar budget gap. Significant negative reaction from the state's labor unions resulted primarily because of Sweeney's position as an Ironworkers business agent and treasurer from Gloucester County for Ironworker's Local 399, and also due to his position as the chairman of the Senate Labor committee, which controls most labor-related bills. [ [http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/news/local/14722165.htm Sweeney to N.J. workers: Cut pay: The senator, a labor leader, said he was angered by union support for an N.J. sales-tax increase. Reaction was swift.] , "The Philadelphia Inquirer", June 2, 2006.]

He also advocated that those workers affected by the state shutdown in July 2006 should not be able to collect pay for the time they were furloughed. [ [http://www.bergen.com/page.php?qstr=eXJpcnk3ZjczN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXk2MDYmZmdiZWw3Zjd2cWVlRUV5eTY5NTk4OTAmeXJpcnk3ZjcxN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXky "Furloughed state workers to get all their back pay"] , "The Record (Bergen County)" July 11, 2006.] Gloucester County workers are paid in the event of an emergency that closes county services, and this is approved by Sweeney as the Freeholder Director.

State unions have pointed out that Sweeney's multiple public and private sector jobs add up to much more than the salaries of the vast majority of their members. Sweeney makes $123,000 at Local 399, according to its federal disclosure form, as well as $49,000 as a state senator. Sweeney told the Philadelphia Inquirer that he donates his $18,000 salary as Freeholder Director of Gloucester County to charity and would like to take only one public pension, but can't. All told, Sweeney's income from these multiple sources appears to place him at an almost 4 to 1 advantage over the typical state worker's compensation (amounting to about $50,000) which he seeks to cut.

In spite of Sweeney's vocal opposition to the one-cent increase in the state sales tax rate, an overall increase in the state budget and pay for furloughed state workers affected by the state shutdown, Sweeney ultimately voted to approve all three. After adoption of the fiscal 2007 budget by lawmakers, State Republicans listed several "pork" projects earmarked for funding in the new budget, including $200,000 for a diesel-powered electric generator in West Deptford, Sweeney's hometown. According to "The Gloucester County Times" on July 11, 2006, "State Sen. Stephen Sweeney admitted he was "shocked" to find his projects funded, since he refused to support the one-cent sales tax increase". [ [http://www.nj.com/news/gloucester/index.ssf?/base/news-1/1152591021161360.xml&coll=8 Local officials get "Christmas list' of state funds] , "The Gloucester County Times", July 11, 2006.] Sweeney could not be reached for comment by The Express Times, according to an article on July 8, 2006, concerning the Republican's aforementioned disclosure of the list of projects included in the new budget. [ [http://www.nj.com/news/expresstimes/nj/index.ssf?/base/news-2/115241894979630.xml&coll=2 State budget includes some last-ditch pork] , "The Express Times", July 8, 2006.]

District 3

Each of the forty districts in the New Jersey Legislature has one representative in the New Jersey Senate and two members in the New Jersey General Assembly. The other representatives from the 3rd Legislative District for the 2008-2009 Legislative Session are:
*Assemblyman John J. Burzichelli, and
*Assemblyman Douglas H. Fisher

References

External links

* [http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/members/BIO.asp?Leg=216 Senator Sweeney's legislative web page] , New Jersey Legislature
*"New Jersey Legislature financial disclosure forms"
** [http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/ethics/FinancialDisclosure/SweeneyS2007.pdf 2007] [http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/ethics/FinancialDisclosure/SweeneyS2006.pdf 2006] [http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/ethics/FinancialDisclosure/SweeneyS2005.pdf 2005] [http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/ethics/FinancialDisclosure/SweeneyS2004.pdf 2004]
* [http://www.njsendems.com/Bios/Sweeney.htm New Jersey Senate Democrats Website Biography]
* [http://www.njvoterinfo.org/cb/sweeney.html New Jersey Voter Information Website 2003]
* [http://www.co.gloucester.nj.us/Government/Freeholders/sweeney.htm Gloucester County Freeholder biography]
* [http://www.vote-smart.org/bio.php?can_id=WNJ88336 Vote Smart biography]
* [http://www.stopstevesweeney.com Anti-Sweeney Website]
* [http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/news/columnists/monica_yant_kinney/14748486.htm?template=contentModules/printstory.jsp Cushy state jobs? They should know - Monica Yant Kinney, Philadelphia Inquirer, June 6, 2006]