Legislation which would prohibit elected and appointed public officials from collecting health care benefits from more than one publicly financed health insurance plan cleared the Senate State Government Committee unanimously today. The committee agreed to amend the bill to make it more comprehensive and to prohibit a public entity from paying individuals for not taking health benefits. Senator Beck is a member of the Senate State Government Committee.
“Allowing state elected or appointed officials to collect multiple sets of state health benefits is an insult to private sector employees struggling to make ends meet,” Beck stated. “Although its adoption is long overdue, this legislation will end most instances of this reckless practice and is a first step towards better regulating state health benefits.”
The bill, A-1405/1433 ACS, sponsored in the General Assembly by Declan O’Scanlon, is identical to legislation originally sponsored by then Assemblywoman Beck in June 2006, which she tried to get through the General Assembly. The legislation applies to all elected or appointed officials on a governing or advisory body of a State independent authority, board, commission, agency or instrumentality. Current law only prohibits members of the General Assembly or the State Senate from receiving health benefits coverage from more than one public health insurance plan.
“This common-sense legislation is a good first step that will eliminate a loophole that some public officials have exploited, albeit legally, for many years,” Beck continued. “Unfortunately, this law contains no enforcement mechanism; it is self enforcing in some instances. More ethics reform legislation needs to be adopted. New Jersey must implement a total ban on dual office holding as well as a forfeiture of pension benefits for corrupt public officials before the end of the session. It is the only way for government to regain the trust of the people.”
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Note to Rick Ambrosia...
How long before you retract your earlier statements to the effect that Beck is a do nothing legislator?
So, lets see...she's been an assemblywoman for a few years, and a senator for a year and she has produced one bill out of committee.
How do you even classify that as an effective legislator?
The minute he retracts the "Obama is the savior" rhetoric.
Well, if it isn't Mr. Congeniality...how the hell are you STS? It happens that I never said that O'bama was anyone's saviour...but that he replaced the opposite. Anyway, Beck has done nothing but grandstand her entire career, and yet, when one bill gets out of committee, its big time republican 12th district news.
Sad, really, when you think about it. Sorry, Art, she has to show me a little more than that to be deemed "effective". And I'm really not that presumptuous to believe that anyone really cares what I think.
Beck works hard for the people in the 12th Don't blame the republican legislators for the dems bogging down our government with their political games!!!!!!! You go girl -keep working for the people Sen. Beck we need you.
I wish a similar study were done on all municipal officials statewide who are receiving municipal contributions for membership in the State Pension
Plan. How do they get around the fact that in order for a municipality to contribute, or for someong to participate, FICA taxes must be paid? This has to be on our dime because it is unlikely that someone getting a stipend for public service is making the contribution that is required or is having the FICA taxes withheld.
Maybe Jen Beck should look into this! I have been perusing the app.com data universe and it has come to my attention that many municipal elected officials in Monmouth County are enrolled in the State Public Employee Relations System (PERS). An analysis of the member handbook for the N.J. PERS shows that there are separate pension enrollment rules for:Regular Civil Servants,Law Enforcement Officers (LEO), State Legislatures (LRS) and Workers' Compensation Judges (WCJ). Unless I am mistaken, many of the municipal officials enrolled in the PERS fit into none of these categories. Additionally, it is my impression that to be eligible for any of the plans, one's salary must be subject to social security taxes!!
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