Legislators offer round of responses to corruption arrests

Assembly Speaker Joseph J. Roberts Jr. suspended the legislative salary and benefits of Assembly members L. Harvey Smith, Daniel M. Van Pelt and Joseph Vas.There’s nothing like a wave of corruption arrests to prompt calls for ethics reform.

Since the arrests a week ago today, more than a dozen state lawmakers have offered their take on what the Legislature should do in response. Those arrested included Assembly members L. Harvey Smith (D-Jersey City) and Daniel M. Van Pelt (R-Lacey).

Assembly Speaker Joseph J. Roberts Jr. (D-Brooklawn) took action Wednesday, suspending the legislative salary and benefits of Smith, Van Pelt and Assemblyman Joseph Vas (D-Perth Amboy), who was indicted earlier this year. Roberts also repeated a call for all three to resign.

Assembly Minority Leader Alex DeCroce (R-Whippany) demanded Gov. Jon S. Corzine order the Legislature back for a special session to pass tougher ethics laws.

In addition, during the past week:

• State Sen. Marcia A. Karrow (R-Flemington) called on Corzine to freeze spending on special municipal aid until an independent audit on the spending has been done.

• Assemblyman Reed Gusciora (D-Trenton) said the state must consolidate municipalities to reduce the opportunities for corruption.

• Assemblywoman Dawn Marie Addiego (R-Medford) and Assemblyman Scott Rudder (R-Medford) planned legislation dropping the requirement that towns pay fired business administrators 90 days’ severance.

• State Sen. Jennifer Beck (R-Red Bank) and Assembly members Caroline Casagrande (R-Freehold) and Declan J. O’Scanlan Jr. (R-Red Bank) said they will introduce a bill making it a crime to fail to report being offered or witnessing a bribe attempt.

Legislators also repeated calls to pass bills they already had introduced. They included:

• Assemblyman Scott Rumana (R-Wayne) called for a ban on those convicted of crimes from serving on political party committees.

• Assembly members Casagrande, O’Scanlon Jr., Amy H. Handlin (R-Belford) and Samuel D. Thompson (R-Matawan) all called for increased penalties for officials indicted and convicted of crimes.

• Assemblymen John Amodeo and Vince Polistina, both Republicans with Northfield offices, also joined the call for more ethics reforms, including a requirement that legislators be out of office for at least two years before they can take a position with the state government’s executive branch.

E-mail Andrew Kitchenman at [email protected].