U.S. Rep.-elect Leonard Lance will be tough to beat in 2010 after besting Democrat Linda Stender by nine percentage points

Democrats don't think it will be easy to  unseat soon-to-be freshman Leonard Lance from the U.S. House of Representatives in 2010.  Lance scored a 51%-42% victory over Linda Stender, who had been running for three years and had huge financial support from national Democrats.  The district has been Republican since Florence Dwyer ousted Harrison Williams in 1956. 

ISELIN -- If only third graders could vote.

Talking to PolitickerNJ.com before addressing a group of senior citizens with State Sen. Joseph Vitale (D-Woodbridge), Stender said that ads run waged by her opponent and the third party groups that support him -- rhyming her last name with "Spender," "truth bender" or putting anti-Stender lyrics to the tune of Yankee Doodle -- are insulting to the voters of the 7th Congressional District.

"I'm very popular amongst the third grade set because of the nursery rhyme nature of the campaign that's been run. The kids are always happy to see me, because they know the ads," she said.

Stender's ads against State Sen. Leonard Lance (R-Flemington) have been primarily negative, drawing parallels Lance to President Bush. She prefers the word "comparative."

VITALE BILL TO PROTECT SENIORS FROM RENT INCREASES APPROVED IN SENATE

TRENTON – A bill sponsored by Senator Joseph F. Vitale which would remove an exemption in local rent control to protect senior tenants was approved by the Senate today by a vote of 22-16.

“New Jersey has an extremely high cost of living, and it’s difficult for renters on fixed incomes to get by,” said Senator Vitale, D-Middlesex. “Recognizing that many tenants are one financial crisis away from eviction, municipalities throughout the State have adopted rent control as a way to keep their communities affordable. However, there’s a loophole in the law regulating local rent control, and we need to close this loophole to protect those seniors who pay their rent on time, but might not be able to withstand massive increases.”

GENETIC COUNSELING REGULATION ADVANCES IN SENATE COMMITTEE

TRENTON – A bill sponsored by Senators Joseph F. Vitale, Jim Whelan, Shirley K. Turner and Nia H. Gill which would create a system of licensure and accountability for genetic counselors in the State of New Jersey was unanimously approved by the Senate Commerce Committee today.

“Genetic counseling has become an invaluable medical tool for parents looking to assess the risks of transmitting genetic disorders to their kids, and individual looking for greater understanding of their own health,” said Senator Vitale, D-Middlesex, the Chairman of the Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee. “As we move forward with cutting-edge health care – like personalized medicine and custom-made health care plans – genetic counseling is becoming an even bigger part of the future of medicine. Unfortunately, individuals looking for medical guidance have no way of knowing who’s an appropriate genetic counselor and who’s simply using the title without the necessary training and education.”

RUIZ-VITALE BILL TO GIVE DISABLED NEW JERSEYANS MORE CONTROL ON ASSISTANCE SERVICES ADVANCES IN COMMITTEE

TRENTON – A bill sponsored by Senators Teresa Ruiz and Joseph F. Vitale which would make changes in the “Personal Assistance Services Program” (PASP) to give disabled New Jerseyans more control over their own service plan was unanimously approved by the Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee today.

“New Jersey residents who live with disability and know the challenges they face every day are the most qualified to design a service plan that meets their needs,” said Senator Ruiz, D-Essex and Union. “However, right now, most disabled New Jersey residents enrolled in PASP are limited in who they can hire, because county agencies step in to determine the type, dollar amount and entities that will provide services. We need to have more faith in the service consumers to make the best choices for their own care, rather than have a government agency, no matter how well-intentioned, make choices for them.”

One of New Jersey's most eligible bachelors comes off the market on Saturday: State Sen. Joseph Vitale, 53, will marry Robin Williams, who was Miss New Jersey in 2002.  Vitale, a four-term Woodbridge Democrat, serves as Chairman of the powerful Senate Health Committee and served as interim Mayor of Woodbridge in 2007.

TRENTON – Senator Joseph Vitale, the sponsor of legislation allowing State psychiatric hospitals to ban smoking, today applauded the membership of the NJ Tobacco-Free Hospital Campus Collaborative for its collective commitment to banning smoking anywhere on the campuses of their health facilities.  The group held a news conference this morning in the State House Annex, to update the public on its progress.

            “Nicotine is one of the most addictive and most harmful toxins,” said Senator Vitale, D-Middlesex, who chairs the Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee.  “By their very nature, medical facilities are designed to protect the health of patients and the surrounding communities, and it is an unhealthy conflict to allow patients, visitors and employees to engage in such an unhealthy activity on hospital grounds. Our medical facilities and personnel must set a positive example.”

Joe Vas’ eighteen-year tenure as mayor of Perth Amboy came to an end today, and he’s not ready to say if he’ll seek re-election to a fourth term in the State Assembly next year.

“That’s a lifetime away. A lot of opportunities are in front of me and I’m not rushing to make any decisions today, nor do I have to,” Vas said.

Still, despite reeling from a lopsided upset in Perth Amboy, Vas may have strengthened his hold on his Assembly seat – should he choose to run again -- by becoming the Democratic municipal chairman for Perth Amboy.

VITALE ‘HEALTH CARE STABILIZATION FUND ACT’ SIGNED INTO LAW

TRENTON – A bill sponsored by Senator Joseph F. Vitale which will establish the Health Care Stabilization Fund to ensure seamless access to health care in communities served by a hospital facing closure was signed into law by Governor Corzine today.

“New Jersey’s hospital system is in crisis, and unless we take serious steps to stop the hemorrhaging, people who rely on hospitals as their primary health care providers will be put in jeopardy,” said Senator Vitale, D-Middlesex, and Chair of the Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee. “This new law addresses the epidemic of closures happening all over the Garden State, and seeks to act as a safety valve for the facilities which are essential to the public safety of our communities. Through this measure, we are offering some relief to hard-hit hospitals, and assuring New Jersey residents that the hospital system will be there in their time of need.”

VITALE ‘HEALTH CARE STABILIZATION FUND ACT’ APPROVED IN SENATE

TRENTON – A bill sponsored by Senator Joseph F. Vitale which would establish the Health Care Stabilization Fund to provide grants to general hospitals and other health care facilities to ensure access to health care services in a community served by a hospital facing closure was approved by the Senate today by a vote of 23-16, receiving final legislative approval.

“New Jersey’s hospital system is in crisis, and with every announcement of closure, hundreds if not thousands of uninsured State residents in the surrounding area are left to scramble as they lose their primary point of health care,” said Senator Vitale, D-Middlesex, and Chair of the Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee. “New Jersey’s hospitals, through the charity care program, are on the frontlines in terms of providing access to quality care for those without health insurance. We need a mechanism in place to ensure the continuation of access when hospitals are on the verge of financial collapse.”