Lisa Annetta, center, Marilyn Piperno, left and Kim Eulner
The Monmouth County Republican Committee will run a slate of three women against Senator Vin Gopal and Assembly members Joann Downey and Eric Houghtaling in the 11th Legislative District, Chairman Shaun Golden announced this morning.
Lisa Annetta of Freehold Borough will seek to unseat freshman Senator Vin Gopal. Marilyn Piperno of Colts Neck and Kim Eulner of Shrewsbury will seek to deny Downey and Houghtaling fourth terms in the Assembly.
The 11th is the only district in Monmouth County with more registered Democrats than Republicans.
Asemblywoman Joann Downey, the Chairwoman of the Human Services Committee, has buried a bill in her committee that would require psychiatric health care facilities to provide 24 hour per day monitoring of children under their supervision, according to a report on NJHerald.
The bill is being championed by a Hunterdon County mother whose 7 year old foster son was sexually abused by another patient while under the care of Newark Beth Israel’s psychiatric facility in 2015. It has been buried in Downey’s pile for 18 months.
The Joint Legislative Committee on Ethical Standards dismissed a complaint by Assembly Members Eric Houghtaling and Joann Downey against Assemblywoman Serena DiMaso today, finding that there was no probable cause for the Democrats complaint against their Republican colleague, according to reports on NewJerseyGlobe and APP.
“While this matter never stopped me from doing my job for the people of the 13th district, I’m glad its behind me,” DiMaso said to MMM in phone interview.
Assembly members Eric Houghtaling and Joann Downey
The phones were ringing off the hook at Assembly members Eric Houghtaling and Joann Downey’s Ocean Township office after Assemblywoman Serena DiMaso’s July 5th robocall informing 11th legislative district voters of Houghtaling and Downey’s support for Governor Murphy’s massive tax increases and his cuts to school funding for local school districts.
Hougtaling and Downey’s spokeman denies hearing of Sweeney’s call for a criminal investigation into NJEA
Mary Pat Angelini
Still smarting from her shocking loss last November, former Assemblywoman Mary Pat Angelini yesterday issued a statement calling on the Democrats who unseated her to join Senate President Steve Sweeney in his demand that the U.S. Attorney and N.J. Attorney General investigate the teachers union for extortion.
The Democrat leader of the State Senate accused the NJEA of extorition eariler this week after Democrat County Chairmen and other power brokers told him that NJEA leaders told them that the union would withhold campaign contributions to Democrats unless Sweeney allowed a vote in the Senate on an amendment to the State Constitution that would compel specified contributions to the teacher’s pension fund every year.
Angelini said that Assembly Members Eric Houghtaling and Joann Downey would not have defeated her if not for the “vicious lies” the NJEA broadcast about her and the non-profit drug abuse prevention organization she runs during the final days of the 2015 election campaign.
With 158 of 160 districts reporting, incumbent Republican Assemblywomen Mary Pat Angelini and Caroline Casagrande are in danger of losing their seats to Democratic Neptune Township Committeeman Eric Houghtaling and Attorney Joann Downey of Freehold.
Houghtaling is leading with 14,836 votes and Downey has 14,602. Angelini has 14,523 and Casagrande has 14,285.
Republicans are not conceding the race, which they are saying is “too close to call.”
State Senator Vin Gopal of the 11th Legislative District renamed his public figure facebook page to Re-elect Senator Vin Gopal this morning and announced a virtual campaign kickoff event for January 21 over the weekend.
Former Governor Jim McGreevey once held the heavyweight championship belt for passing the silliest New Jersey law in history.
McGreevey once signed a law so silly you’ll laugh while reading it: His law said no gun can be sold in New Jersey unless the gun itself can recognize its owner and refuse to fire unless the owner is holding it. The law also said it wouldn’t take effect until someone invented a jealous gun possessing a sentient, conscious personality that could do that.
So, your New Jersey legislature and governor wasted your time and your money to pass a law no one can use. Silly. Read the rest of this entry »
The Colts Neck Township Committee elected Frank Rizzuto mayor on Saturday during their annual reorganization. Sheriff Shaun Golden issued the Oath of Office.
Senator Vin Gopal and Assemblywoman Joann Downey are the only Monmouth County legislators who voted to approve drivers licenses for illegal aliens. Photo via ericandjoann.com
The New Jersey Senate and Assembly on Monday passed a bill that would allow illegal aliens qualify for drivers licenses. Governor Phil Murphy is expected to sign the bill.
Of the legislators representing parts on Monmouth County, only Senator Vin Gopal and Assemblywoman Joann Downey voted in favor of the bill.
Here’s a tally of the Monmouth delegations’ votes on A4743:
