TRENTON — A Republican lawmaker is trying to rescue us from from the antics of that madcap band of merry-makers, the state Supreme Court, and the ambulance-chasing lawyers it kowtows to. The Republicans seek to make auto insurance laws so clear the justices can see it even through the fog of their arrogance.
The high court bench-warmers ruled it could find no evidence the Legislature intended to ban lawsuits except for permanent serious injury. That would open the door to anyone who thinks he can win the lottery with a lawsuit. That could send insurance bills skyrocketing.
In 1998, the Legislature limited the right to sue for non-economic damages. Many drivers got lower rates.
Assemblyman Kip Bateman, R-Somerset, has introduced a bill that says to bring a lawsuit for non-economic damages, a permanent injury has to have a serious life impact.
Auto insurance was bandied about for years without much change until a Courier-Post investigation looked at why it costs so much in New Jersey. Frivolous lawsuits were a factor, although the pols and trial lawyers blame dense population.
"As the author of the original auto insurance reform law," Bateman said in announcing his new bill, "I know that the Legislature intended for the verbal threshold (which limits a person's right to sue for pain and suffering) to reduce premiums. This legislation will be consistent with that intent and will counteract what could be a very costly Supreme Court ruling for New Jersey motorists."
Lawyers love lawsuits because they keep a huge part of the settlements. They would like for the state's no-fault law to be repealed so every little fender-bender has to go to court.
Serve thyself: Two state senators are pushing a bill to send $20 million in additional state aid to five select school districts. Our Jon Tamari reports the senators are also mayors of towns that would benefit. Sen. Nicholas J. Sacco is not only mayor of North Bergen, he's also the assistant school superintendent — a triple dipper.
The other career trough-swiller is Sen. Joe Doria, who also is mayor of Bayonne. Sacco and Doria are both Democrats and two good reasons people should be limited to one public job. More than one is a conflict of interest with taxpayers footing the bill.
Election shuffle: With uncommon speed, the Legislature voted to reschedule New Jersey's presidential primary to the last Tuesday in February. That would make New Jersey a player in presidential politics. It also would give favorite son Jon Corzine a leg up should he decide to run. Many think he wants to be governor only long enough to run for the White House.
Miles apart: The Codey administration and the Assembly can't get together on how much money is available for property tax rebates. The major difference is the Assembly is up for election in November, and acting Gov. Codey isn't.
Also, Codey would like to leave a balanced budget for the next governor, who just may need to appoint someone chief executive officer of the Sports and Exposition Authority.
Meanwhile, despite threats of marathon sessions to pass the budget including possible July 4 weekend plans disrupted, the Democrats chose to spend the last weekend in June holding their annual convention in Atlantic City.
He's baack!: Disgraced former Gov. McGreevey is going to be hung in the governor's outer office. His state-financed portrait, this is. His picture will join those of several others who didn't complete a full term. Would that be the Gallopers' Gallery?
Levin in: As you read here some time back, Department of Community Affairs Commissioner Susan Bass Levin is joining the Corzine campaign. I wish her well. But if Corzine doesn't get rid of the McGreevey advisers and hangers-on, he will be just one more boss-dominated Democrat no matter how good his intentions.
Blockade ahead: Republicans were announcing a move to force the Assembly to debate a bill to end pay-to-play — the legalized bribery where campaign contributors are rewarded with no-bid contracts. Up strolled Sen. Ellen Karcher, D-Monmouth, who ran on a reform campaign.
She read a letter for Corzine. He said the GOP bill didn't go far enough — which is exactly the argument used by McGreevey when it looked like reform might actually happen.
Investigators who play together: Richard Pearsall of the Courier-Post reports Attorney General Peter "See No Evil" Harvey is asking for more time to estimate how much time it will take to release the next batch of secretly recorded Palmyra tapes.
A Harvey deputy says the two investigators with the expertise to redact and copy recordings are out of the country on vacation.
Out of 840 lawyers Harvey has only two who can do that? And they're allowed to leave at the same time despite a pending matter before the courts? Perhaps Harvey could take time out from informing ex-felons of their voting rights and get some work done.
Meanwhile, chemical workers, environmentalists and union members protested outside Harvey's office because Harvey wants to exempt certain public records from the state's open records act in the name of homeland security.
Harvey and similar bureaucrats try to hide behind homeland security any time they want to keep information from the public.
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