- John Girgenti
.
Senator Girgenti is currently the
Majority Whip , a post he has held since 2004. He serves in the Senate on the Law and Public Safety and Veterans' Affairs Committee (as Chair), the Judiciary Committee (as Vice-Chair) and the Wagering, Tourism & Historic Preservation Committee.Senator Girgenti has sponsored many important pieces of legislation that have become law, including a measure that requires a life sentence of community supervision for certain convicted sexual offenders who have completed their prison terms, and legislation that mandates and provides funding for sprinkler installation in New Jersey college dorms, following the
Seton Hall University dormitory fire in 2000. He has also championed the law criminalizing the desecration of human remains, helping families preserve the dignity and respect of their deceased loved ones and has worked to keep criminals from profiting off of the sales of 'murderabilia.' He has also been opposed to the sale of realistic or replica toy guns to children and was a prime sponsor of the law mandating child-proof firearms or 'Smart Gun s' be sold in the State.Senator Girgenti was one of the first Senators to call for enhanced fingerprinting requirements for state employees involved with domestic security, following the
September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks and has fought hard to update and modernize New Jersey's background check laws so that towns and communities can identify potential threats and prevent them from obtaining jobs where they could harm residents.The Senator has also fought to create the State Public Safety Interoperable Communications Coordinating Council, which would allow first responders — police, firefighters and emergency workers — to communicate between agencies on a single assigned radio frequency. Girgenti has also pushed for increased aid to the
New Jersey National Guard , helping to enact legislation which increases the base pay of Guard members when on active duty in the State.Before entering the Senate, Girgenti served in the
New Jersey General Assembly , thelower house of theNew Jersey Legislature , from 1978 to 1990. While in the Assembly, the Senator served as DeputyMajority Leader in 1990, and AssistantMinority Leader from 1986 to 1989. In March 1990, he was chosen by district Democrats to fill the Senate seat left vacant by the death ofFrank X. Graves, Jr. , and was sworn into the Senate onApril 5 ,1990 . [ [http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P1-22669791.html #5th District] , "The Record (Bergen County) ",June 5 ,1993 . AccessedMay 25 ,2008 .]Girgenti served on the Hawthorne
Board of Education from 1972-1976, serving as its Vice President from 1972-1973. The Senator is a former director of the Passaic County Mental Health Department. He was appointed to the County Mental Health Board in 1976 and became board president four months later.Girgenti received a B.A. in 1969 from
Seton Hall University in Political Science and an M.A. in 1972 from St. John's University in Government and Public Administration. [http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/members/BIO.asp?Leg=107 Senator Girgenti's legislative web page] ,New Jersey Legislature . AccessedApril 7 ,2008 .] He was born inPaterson, New Jersey , and currently resides in Hawthorne. [http://votesmart.org/bio.php?can_id=4457 Senator John A. Girgenti] ,Project Vote Smart . AccessedNovember 22 ,2007 .]District 35
Each of the forty districts in the New Jersey Legislature has one representative in the
New Jersey Senate and two members in theNew Jersey General Assembly . The other representatives from the 35th District for the 2008-2009 Legislative Session are:
*AssemblywomanElease Evans , and
*AssemblywomanNellie Pou References
External links
* [http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/members/BIO.asp?Leg=107 Senator Girgenti's legislative web page] ,
New Jersey Legislature
*"New Jersey Legislature financial disclosure forms"
** [http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/ethics/FinancialDisclosure/GirgentiJ2007.pdf 2007] [http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/ethics/FinancialDisclosure/GirgentiJ2006.pdf 2006] [http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/ethics/FinancialDisclosure/GirgentiJ2005.pdf 2005] [http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/ethics/FinancialDisclosure/GirgentiJ2004.pdf 2004]
* [http://www.njsendems.com/Bios/Girgenti.htm New Jersey Senate Democrats Website Biography]
* [http://votesmart.org/bio.php?can_id=4457 Senator John A. Girgenti] ,Project Vote Smart
* [http://www.njvoterinfo.org/cb/girgenti.html New Jersey Voter Information Website 2003]
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