By Assemblyman Alex Sauickie

Regular readers of this space will know that school aid has been a major focus of mine. There’s only so much time between the Murphy administration’s announcement of proposed school aid amounts and the Legislature’s passage of the next state budget that will adopt or change the governor’s plans. With the importance of school funding to students, parents, school staff and property taxpayers, a strong focus on the issue is needed during this time of the year.

However, I was honored with the responsibility to represent all of the people and their interests in this region, stretching from Old Bridge down through Monmouth County, two Ocean County towns and west into Burlington County. While school aid is important in all of these 14 towns, there are other things a legislator must also address to do the job responsively and effectively

So people may ask, “What else is going on?

Many residents all across the district are concerned about the proliferation and siting of warehouses. I’ve proposed legislation to handle this not by forcing a one-size-fits-all policy on these towns, but by providing tools and information to allow each town to make the best, well-informed decisions for its residents.

A major environmental organization has said it supports two of these bills on warehouses. One would have the state produce model ordinances on siting warehouses for towns to consider, and reimburse a town for costs of updating zoning ordinances (A-4950). It was unanimously approved by an Assembly committee. The other is a state bond act to help municipalities pay for the development rights of proposed warehouse sites to maintain open space (A-4527). I’m hoping the group will issue a public statement soon.

The Burlington County towns especially are home to many who serve our country at the joint base. When you hear what I call the sounds of freedom–jets overhead and the occasional artillery practice – that’s our neighbors at work. It’s important to support them in ways big and small. Many have transferred to the joint base from other states and need relief from related red tape.

The first bill signed into law with my name as a main sponsor (A-325) will ease that relocation process by allowing military members and their families to use their out-of-state driver’s licenses while temporarily stationed in New Jersey. New residents otherwise have to get a state driver’s license within 60 days to drive legally. The bill became law just 13 weeks after I joined the Assembly.

Another bill of mine signed into law will both ease some veterans’ transition to civilian life, and help address the current nursing shortage. The new law (A-2722) allows veterans who completed nursing, medic, or similar programs in the military to be recognized as meeting certain requirements to become a licensed practical nurse. Typically, a person would need to spend a year at nursing school to be eligible to take the licensing exam.

Because of the importance of pre[1]serving farmland, Assemblyman Rob Clifton and I are glad the Assembly unanimously passed our bill (A-4729) to update the way farmland is valued for purchase and preservation. The bill will favor farmers and therefore will make it easier to retain locally grown produce and reduce sprawling development.

In addition, I’m continuing to work on several other issues, from identifying and addressing dyslexia in children more effectively, to improving ser[1]vices and protections for survivors of domestic violence and getting tougher on perpetrators, pushing for an inves[1]tigation of the recent deaths of whales and dolphins, and stopping China and other foreign adversaries from buying farms and land near military facilities.

Despite its problems, New Jersey is a great state, a fine place to live and raise a family, and an incredibly rich tourism and vacation destination. Working to make it even better is a team effort, whether that means finding common ground with other legislators in Trenton or learning from members of our local communities.

I often say that many of the policies I propose don’t come originally from me, but from the concerned people I meet with or run into around the district. I’m grateful for their thoughts and perspectives. They make sure that I’m the multi-tasker that a legislator should be, and helped me get a lot done in my first six months.

But don’t be surprised if I write more about school aid in the near future. There’s still a lot to do.

# # #

Alex Sauickie is a life-long Jackson resident who represents his home town and 13 other towns in the State Assembly.