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Quick Facts
Personal Details

Education

  • Attended, Rutgers University
  • BS, Education, Trenton State College
  • MA, Guidance and Counseling, Rider University

Professional Experience

  • Attended, Rutgers University
  • BS, Education, Trenton State College
  • MA, Guidance and Counseling, Rider University
  • Associate Director, Office of Career Services, Rider University, 1973-2014
  • Career Education Consultant, Mercer County Community Action Program, 1977-1979
  • Counselor, Equal Opportunity Program, Rider University, 1970-1973
  • Teacher, Trenton Public Schools, 1966-1970

Political Experience

  • Attended, Rutgers University
  • BS, Education, Trenton State College
  • MA, Guidance and Counseling, Rider University
  • Associate Director, Office of Career Services, Rider University, 1973-2014
  • Career Education Consultant, Mercer County Community Action Program, 1977-1979
  • Counselor, Equal Opportunity Program, Rider University, 1970-1973
  • Teacher, Trenton Public Schools, 1966-1970
  • Senator, New Jersey State Senate, District 15, 1998-present
  • President Pro Tempore, New Jersey State Senate, 2004-2009
  • Democratic President Pro-Tempore, New Jersey State Senate, 2002-2003
  • Chair, Mercer County Democratic Committee, 2000
  • Associate Minority Leader, New Jersey State Assembly, 1996-1998
  • Assembly Member, New Jersey State Assembly, 1994-1998
  • Member, Mercer County Board of Freeholders, 1983-1986
  • Vice President, Mercer County Board of Freeholders, 1986

Former Committees/Caucuses

Commissioner, Education Commission of the States, present

Member, Education Commission of the States' Steering Committee, present

Vice Chair, New Jersey Legislative Black Caucus, present

Member, New Jersey Women's Legislative Caucus, present

Former Vice Chair, State Government, Wagering, Tourism and Historic Preservation Committee, New Jersey State Senate

Member, Task Force on Child Abuse and Neglect, present

Member, Young Men's Christian Association Development Committee, present

Member, Lawrence Township Zoning Board, 1979-1983

Member, Mercer County Improvement Authority, 1979-1981

Member, New Jersey State Council on the Arts, 1977-1981

Current Legislative Committees

Member, Economic Growth Committee

Vice Chair, Education Committee

Member, Joint Committee on Economic Justice and Equal Employment Opportunity

Member, State Government, Wagering, Tourism and Historic Preservation Committee

Religious, Civic, and other Memberships

  • Attended, Rutgers University
  • BS, Education, Trenton State College
  • MA, Guidance and Counseling, Rider University
  • Associate Director, Office of Career Services, Rider University, 1973-2014
  • Career Education Consultant, Mercer County Community Action Program, 1977-1979
  • Counselor, Equal Opportunity Program, Rider University, 1970-1973
  • Teacher, Trenton Public Schools, 1966-1970
  • Senator, New Jersey State Senate, District 15, 1998-present
  • President Pro Tempore, New Jersey State Senate, 2004-2009
  • Democratic President Pro-Tempore, New Jersey State Senate, 2002-2003
  • Chair, Mercer County Democratic Committee, 2000
  • Associate Minority Leader, New Jersey State Assembly, 1996-1998
  • Assembly Member, New Jersey State Assembly, 1994-1998
  • Member, Mercer County Board of Freeholders, 1983-1986
  • Vice President, Mercer County Board of Freeholders, 1986
  • Member, Cancer Institute of New Jersey Leadership Council, present
  • Member, Mercer College School Age Child Care Coalition
  • Member, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People of Metro Trenton
  • Member, National Political Congress of Black Women
  • Member, New Jersey Federation of Democratic Women
  • Member, New Jersey State Museum Board of Trustees, present
  • Member, Rider University Mentoring Program, present
  • Board Member, Troy Vincent Foundation, present
Policy Positions

New Jersey State Legislative Election 2017 Political Courage Test

Abortion & Reproductive

1. Do you generally support pro-choice or pro-life legislation?
- Pro-choice

2. Should abortion be legal when the pregnancy resulted from incest or rape?
- Yes

3. Should abortion be legal when the life of the woman is endangered?
- Yes

4. Do you support the prohibition of public funds for organizations that perform abortions?
- No

5. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Budget, Spending, & Tax

Budget Stabilization:

Indicate which proposals you support (if any) for balancing New Jersey's budget.

1. Reducing state employee salaries AND/OR pensions
- No

2. Instituting mandatory furloughs AND/OR layoffs for state employees
- No

3. Reducing benefits for Medicaid recipients
- No

4. An income tax increase on any tax bracket
- Yes

5. Other or expanded principles
- a.) I support preventing abusive pension practices that increase costs. d.) I support an income tax increase for millionaires.

Campaign Finance & Government Reform

Do you support limits on the following types of contributions for state candidates?

1. Individual
- Yes

2. Political Action Committee
- Yes

3. Corporate
- Yes

4. Political Party
- Yes

5. Do you support requiring full and timely disclosure of campaign finance information?
- Yes

6. Do you support the regulation of indirect campaign contributions from corporations and unions?
- Yes

7. Do you support the use of an independent AND/OR bipartisan commission for redistricting?
- Yes

8. Do you support requiring a government-issued photo identification in order to vote at the polls?
- No

Do you support limits on the following types of contributions for state candidates?

1. Other or expanded principles
- I believe in public financing of campaigns.

Crime & Public Safety

1. Do you support capital punishment for certain crimes?
- No

2. Do you support alternatives to incarceration for certain non-violent offenders, such as mandatory counseling or substance abuse treatment?
- Yes

3. Do you support legalizing the possession of small amounts of marijuana?
- No

4. Should a minor accused of a violent crime be prosecuted as an adult?
- No

5. Do you support the enforcement of federal immigration laws by state and local police?
- No

6. Do you support delaying the seizure of assets by law enforcement officials until after a conviction?
- Yes

7. Other or expanded principles
- c.) I support decriminalizing the use and possession of small amounts of marijuana.

Economic

1. Do you support government spending as a means of promoting economic growth?
- Yes

2. Do you support lowering taxes as a means of promoting economic growth?
- Yes

3. Do you support reducing government regulations on the private sector?
- Yes

4. Do you support expanding access to unemployment benefits?
- Yes

5. Do you support requiring welfare applicants to pass a drug test in order to receive benefits?
- No

6. Do you support an increase of the minimum wage?
- Yes

7. Do you support legalized state-sponsored sports betting in New Jersey?
- No

8. Do you support a tax on short-term housing rentals in New Jersey?
- No

9. Other or expanded principles
- c.) some regulations are unnecessary and duplicative and should be removede.) a drug test requirement could have unintended consequences for minor children in the care of the applicant.

Education

1. Do you support the national Common Core State Standards initiative?
- Yes

2. Do you support state funding for charter schools?
- No

3. Should immigrants unlawfully present in the United States who graduate from New Jersey high schools be eligible for in-state tuition at public universities in New Jersey?
- Yes

4. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Environment & Energy

1. Do you support state funding for the development of renewable energy (e.g. solar, wind, thermal)?
- Yes

2. Do you support state funding for open space preservation?
- Yes

3. Do you support government regulations of greenhouse gas emissions?
- Yes

4. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Gun

1. Do you generally support gun-control legislation?
- Yes

2. Should background checks be required on gun sales between private citizens at gun shows?
- Yes

3. Should citizens be allowed to carry concealed guns?
- No

4. Should a license be required for gun possession?
- Yes

5. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Health

1. Do you support a universally-accessible, publicly-administered health insurance option?
- Yes

2. Do you support Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act ("Obamacare")?
- Yes

3. Do you support requiring individuals to purchase health care insurance?
- No

4. Do you support allowing doctors to prescribe marijuana to their patients for medicinal purposes?
- Yes

5. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Social

1. Do you support same-sex marriage?
- Yes

2. Do you support the inclusion of sexual orientation in New Jersey's anti-discrimination laws?
- Yes

3. Do you support the inclusion of gender identity in New Jersey's anti-discrimination laws?
- Yes

4. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Legislative Priorities

In the following area, please explain in a total of 100 words or less, your top two or three priorities if elected. If they require additional funding for implementation, please explain how you would obtain this funding.
- 1.) A constitutional convention to restructure the way we pay for education and government services from a reliance on property taxes to a more equitable and fair system that ensures that our middle class is not carrying the burden.2.) Reducing the unfunded liability of our public pension funds.3.) Fully fund the School Funding Reform Act. I would: modify the Economic Development Authority?s tax subsidy program that has authorized $6 billion in tax credits to corporations; roll-back the elimination of the estate tax; and impose an income tax on millionaires and increase the sales tax on certain luxury items.

Speeches