Pennacchio Bill to Credit Students for Completing Fire Academy Courses Clears Committee
Legislation sponsored by Senator Joe Pennacchio that would provide course credits for high school students who become volunteer firefighters was approved by the Senate Education Committee.
Sen. Joe Pennacchio’s bill that would provide course credits for high school students who become volunteer firefighters was approved by the Senate Education Committee. (Pixabay)
“New Jersey is suffering from a severe shortage of first responders, and firefighters are no exception,” said Pennacchio (R-26). “By incentivizing high school students to become volunteer firefighters in their municipalities, students can earn credits to meet certain graduation requirements. This legislation provides an innovative solution to reduce New Jersey’s firefighter shortage and promotes educational opportunities for students outside of the classroom.”
Committee Advances Pennacchio Bill Allowing More Seniors to Qualify for Utility Rate Reductions
Legislation sponsored by Senator Joe Pennacchio that would grant municipal and county authorities greater flexibility to provide rate reductions to qualified senior citizens and individuals with disabilities was approved today by the Senate Community and Urban Affairs Committee.
Legislation sponsored by Sen. Joe Pennacchio that would grant municipal authorities greater flexibility to provide rate reductions to qualified senior citizens was approved today by the Senate Community and Urban Affairs Committee. (Pixabay)
“Out-of-control inflation and run-away interest rates are hurting families throughout New Jersey, but the threatening fiscal environment is hitting seniors and individuals with disabilities particularly hard,” said Pennacchio (R-26). “These New Jerseyans are desperate for some relief and this legislation is a step in the right direction. By allowing more people to qualify for utility rate discounts, we can help more residents keep their lights on and heat their homes.”
Pennacchio: Murphy Has No Authority to Override Parental Rights
Senator Joe Pennacchio issued the following statement regarding the Murphy Administration’s continued assault on parental rights after a new FDU poll revealed the majority of New Jerseyans say parents should have control over what’s taught in schools.
Sen. Joe Pennacchio issued a statement regarding the Murphy Administration’s continued assault on parental rights after a new FDU poll revealed the majority of New Jerseyans say parents should have control over what’s taught in schools. (Pixabay)
“For years this administration and its democrat accomplices in the State Legislature have continued to interject themselves in what is a moral and constitutional right of parents to raise their children and to be the ultimate source to determine what is in their best interest. Under the guise of diversity, equity, and inclusion, the state has positioned itself as the ultimate arbiter. While the administration is focused on stripping away the rights of parents, test scores have dramatically declined and the state offers no plan to address this pressing problem.
Pennacchio & Singer Condemn Violence Against Israel, Stand in Solidarity With Jewish People
Senators Joe Pennacchio and Bob Singer condemned the terrorist attacks launched by Hamas into Israel over the weekend and called on New Jersey legislators to immediately return to Trenton to pass a resolution supporting Israel and the Jewish people.
Sen. Joe Pennacchio and Sen. Bob Singer condemned the terrorist attacks launched by Hamas into Israel over the weekend and called on New Jersey legislators to immediately return to Trenton to pass a resolution supporting Israel and the Jewish people. (Flickr)
“Israel is the home for all Jewish people throughout the world. It breaks my heart to see the senseless violence that has erupted in Israel after visiting the country just a few weeks ago. We must condemn the unjust violence against Israel and offer our unwavering support for our Jewish communities during this difficult time,” said Pennacchio (R-26). “The atrocities being committed by Hamas Terrorists against innocent women and children are horrible. Everyone has a right to exist in peace. The Senate should return to Trenton immediately to pass a resolution to show that we stand in solidarity with Israel and the Jewish People.”
Pennacchio: SCI Report on Veterans Homes Underscores Findings from DOJ but More Answers Are Needed
Senator Joe Pennacchio slammed the Murphy Administration’s handling of State-run veterans homes following a report issued by the State of New Jersey Commission of Investigation (SCI) that revealed insufficient care for residents at memorial homes at Menlo Park and Paramus.
Sen. Joe Pennacchio slammed the Murphy Administration’s handling of State-run veterans homes following a report issued by the SCI that revealed insufficient care for residents at memorial homes at Menlo Park and Paramus. (©iStock)
“Once again, another investigative body illustrates how this administration failed our veterans. From the start of the pandemic, hundreds of American heroes have died due to inadequate medical care and a lack of effective management and oversight,” said Pennacchio (R-26). “After three years of Democrats in the Legislature stonewalling calls for a comprehensive investigation, it is now time to hold this administration accountable for the immense harm done to veterans.”
Senators Pennacchio and Corrado Call For Special Legislative Investigative Committee in Letter to Democrat Leadership
Senator Joe Pennacchio (R-26) and Senator Kristin Corrado (R-40) sent a letter to Senate President Nicholas Scutari calling for a special legislative committee to be formed to investigate the findings of a recent report that claims New Jersey violated the constitutional rights of veterans at two State-run memorial homes.
Sen. Joe Pennacchio and Sen. Kristin M. Corrado sent a letter to the Senate President to call for a special legislative committee to be formed to investigate claims New Jersey violated the constitutional rights of veterans at two State-run memorial homes. (©iStock)
The United States Department of Justice concluded that veterans’ constitutional rights were violated at the Menlo Park and Paramus long-term care facilities. The report indicated that inadequate infection control practices, inadequate medical care, and a lack of management and oversight subjected veteran residents to horrific conditions during the pandemic.
Pennacchio: DOJ Report Reveals Devastating Details About Veterans Homes
Senator Joe Pennacchio lambasted Democrats and the governor’s administration’s handling of State-run veterans homes after an investigation conducted by the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) revealed constitutionally deficient care for residents at memorial homes at Menlo Park and Paramus.
Sen. Joe Pennacchio lambasted Democrats and the governor’s administration’s handling of State-run veterans homes after a DOJ investigation revealed constitutionally deficient care for residents at memorial homes at Menlo Park and Paramus. (©iStock)
“This administration failed our veterans. From the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, hundreds of our heroes have died due to inadequate medical care and a lack of effective management and oversight,” said Pennacchio (R-26). “This report is so damning that even Joe Biden’s DOJ can’t spin how badly our Veterans homes were handled. After three years of inaction from Democrats in the Legislature stonewalling calls for a comprehensive investigation, it is now time to hold this administration accountable for the harm done to veterans and nursing home residents.”
Pennacchio Calls for Immediate Special Voting Session on Parental Rights Prior to the New School Year Beginning
Senator Joe Pennacchio (R-26) issued the following statement renewing Republican calls for a special voting session to protect parental rights after a judge granted an injunction against three Monmouth County school districts preventing them from implementing parental notification policies.
Sen. Joe Pennacchio renewed Republican calls for a special voting session to protect parental rights. (Pixabay)
“Activist lawsuits launched by the Murphy administration are doing more to hurt at-risk children than protect them. If Governor Murphy believes that suing schools into submission and taking rights away from parents is the right thing to do, then the Legislature must step in and defend parental rights. We need to have a special voting session to rein in the Murphy administration’s destructive policies and address the real inequities facing education.
Pennacchio Says The Murphy Administration Should Practice What They Preach
Murphy’s Replacement of Equality with Equity Sounds Hypocritical After He Cut Funding for Schools.
Senator Joe Pennacchio said that Governor Murphy should practice what he preaches and focus more on fixing the broken school funding formula than upending school curriculum in response to recent changes made by the State Board of Education to New Jersey’s Administrative Code.
Sen. Joe Pennacchio said that Gov. Murphy should practice what he preaches in response to recent changes made by the State Board of Education. (Wikipedia)
“If Governor Murphy wants to talk about inequities in education, he should start by explaining why he cut funding for more than one hundred schools throughout the state this year. We have a broken school funding formula that is based more by zip code than actual educational need and it is hurting students academically. As a result, some schools receive huge funding increases while most districts are left fighting for crumbs,” said Pennacchio (R-26). “If the Murphy administration were truly concerned about equity in education, they would have supported Republican efforts to reform the school funding formula to provide full and fair funding for all New Jersey school districts this year. Instead, Governor Murphy decided that the best way to educate students was to cut funding to their schools and teach them that equitable outcomes are more important than equal opportunities.”
Pennacchio: Extremism Has No Place in Educating Our Children
Senator calls on Governor Murphy to veto the Department of Education’s meeting minutes and to keep kids out of his administration’s social engineering experiment.
Senator Joe Pennacchio blasted the Murphy administration for a recent controversial ruling made by the State Board of Education that has parents and legislators feeling concerned about the direction of education policy in New Jersey.
“New Jerseyans and even some Democrat leaders are speaking out against the Murphy administration’s attempts to push identity politics into the classroom. Parents are tired of their kids being subject to this constant social engineering experiment when real issues such as learning loss are being ignored. Substituting equity for equality is an anathema to our Constitutional principles and the fact that these changes were specifically directed at children makes it more onerous. I urge Governor Murphy to respect parental rights and veto the Department of Education’s meeting minutes to stop these misguided policies from going into effect.
Sen. Joe Pennacchio blasted the Murphy administration for a recent controversial ruling made by the State Board of Education that has parents and legislators feeling concerned about the direction of education policy in New Jersey. (Pixabay)
These issues stand in a long line of grievances that New Jersey families have with the Murphy administration. During the pandemic, Governor Murphy’s Department of Education hurt students academically when they shut down schools and made parents feel like they were losing autonomy over their children by forcing students to wear masks, even as COVID-19 subsided. Today we are seeing more of the same from the State Board of Education and the controversial curriculum they are pushing into the classroom. It is time for government bureaucrats to step aside and let parents, teachers, and local school boards work together to determine what is in the best interests of their community.”
