Week in Review

• (Rob Asaro-Angelo) President Barack Obama appointed NJ State Democratic Committee Executive Director Rob Asaro-Angelo to serve as labor secretary representative of the Northeast region.
  

• (Acting NJDOE Commissioner) The Governor's Office announced that Rochelle Hendricks, Assistant Commissioner for the Division of School Effectiveness and Choice at the New Jersey Department of Education, will serve as Acting Commissioner of the department while a national search for a new commissioner commences. Gregg Edwards, Director of Policy in the Office of the Governor, was named Acting Chief of Staff for the Department of Education.

• (Funds for Cleaner Water) Governor Chris Christie signed legislation to appropriate $821 million in no-cost and low-cost loans for crucial water and sewer infrastructure projects across the state. The financing, administered through the New Jersey Environmental Infrastructure Financing Program, will make available approximately $549 million for clean water project loans and $272 million for drinking water project loans, with the federal government picking up at least half of the cost.

• (Hurricane Earl) Citing dangerous weekend surf activity resulting from Hurricane Danielle and forecasts that Hurricane Earl could bring potentially damaging winds to New Jersey shores by week's end, Senator Jeff Van Drew said it is more important than ever for the Legislature to move forward on a measure he sponsored to improve state emergency evacuation plans.  The Senator's legislation (S264) was developed from recommendations by a legislative task force that convened in the wake of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. The bill addresses a broad range of issues to better prepare the state for a hurricane or tropical storm, from ensuring that evacuation plans are consistent among counties, to giving the public information about how to respond in the event of an emergency evacuation.

• (Business Expansion Bills) At a State House press conference, Assembly Members Linda R. Greenstein and Wayne P. DeAngelo unveiled their seven-bill Business Expansion and Jobs Plan aimed at helping small businesses weather the current economic climate. The plan seeks to provide financial incentives for small businesses, improve local business districts, and increase accessibility of information for expanding small businesses.

Week Ahead

• The Assembly Appropriations Committee will meet on Tuesday, September 7, 2010 at 10:00.  The Committee has invited the testimony of individuals involved in the production and submission of the State's application for Phase 2 of federal Race to the Top funding.