TRENTON — These are among the actions taken during yesterday's busy legislative session in Trenton: 'Sexting' teens to avoid prosecution under bill New Jersey teens caught sending or receiving explicit photos on their cell phones would be placed in an educational program, under a bill that heads to the governor after the Senate passed it 39-0 yesterday. The legislation...
A bill approved by the state Senate would allow juveniles who are caught sending or receiving explicit photos on their cell phones to avoid criminal prosecution and a permanent scar on their records.TRENTON — These are among the actions taken during yesterday's busy legislative session in Trenton:
'Sexting' teens to avoid prosecution under bill
New Jersey teens caught sending or receiving explicit photos on their cell phones would be placed in an educational program, under a bill that heads to the governor after the Senate passed it 39-0 yesterday.
The legislation (S2700) would allow the juveniles to avoid criminal prosecution and a permanent scar on their records.
The educational program, developed by the attorney general, would be for first-time offenders and teens who did not realize their actions could constitute a crime. It would touch on cyber-bullying and the consequences of "sexting."
"In some instances, it would simply be unfair to slap a criminal charge on their record for something they may not realize was wrong," said Sen Jim Beach (D-Camden), a co-sponsor.
Christie gets measure criminalizing 'bath salts'
A bill criminalizing a methamphetamine-like powder known as "bath salts" is now in Gov. Chris Christie's hands after it cleared the state Assembly yesterday.
Dubbed "Pamela's Law," in memory of a Rutgers senior whose alleged killer may have been high on the powder, the bill (S2829) sailed through the Assembly yesterday, 74-2.
"Bath salts" can mimic the effects of methamphetamines and cocaine, but the intense high comes with a slew of harrowing symptoms including psychotic breaks, racing heart rates and extreme paranoia, medical experts have said.
The bill makes possession or sale of certain chemicals commonly used to cook "bath salts" powders a third-degree narcotics crime, punishable by up to five years in prison.
The chemicals were outlawed under an "emergency order" issued by the Division of Consumer Affairs in April.
Bath salts use in New Jersey has decreased since the ban went into effect, according to poison officials, but lamakers say criminalizing the drug will serve to strengthen the state’s stance against the powders. "It’s tragic that there are those in the world who would take these man-made substances and take advantage of people who are weak and vulnerable, said Assemblyman John McKeon (D-Essex), a sponsor.
Final approval for bill requiring suspects to get DNA testing
The state Assembly gave final legislative approval to a bill requiring people arrested for violent crimes submit to DNA testing. The bill (A2594) passed 67-4. The ACLU has opposed it, saying it is an intrusion on innocent people who later will have a difficult time expunging the DNA results from the state’s database.
The legislation said "the minimal intrusion on an individual’s privacy interest resulting from a DNA test is justified by the compelling governmental interests advanced by DNA analysis."
The Assembly gave final approval to a bll that would restore prescription drug benefits for nearly 1,000 people with HIV and AIDS that were reduced last year by Gov. Chris Christie.
The budget signed by the governor last June reduced the eligibility from those earning no more than $55,150 to those earning no more than $32,490. The bill (A3286) now advances to Christie.
Senate supports a June presidential primary
New Jersey’s presidential primary would move to June under a bill that gined final legislative approval yesterday in the Senate. Gov. Chris Christie has said he supports it.
The primary was moved to February for the 2008 presidential year to give New Jersey more influence over the candidates, but the strategy backfired when several other states also moved their primaries to February 2008. A June primary would also save the state an estimated $12 million. The measure passed 39-0.
Greenhouse gas initiative goes to a doubting Christie
A bill to keep New Jersey in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative passed the Assembly 43-34 yesterday and now heads to Gov. Chris Christie’s desk, where it will almost certainly die.
The initiative caps the total carbon dioxide emissions from power plants in 10 Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states, and sets a goal for reducing the pollution by 10 percent by 2018. The plants are assigned a certain amount of carbon dioxide they are allowed to emit. They can then buy and sell credits depending on whether they need to release more or less of the gas.
In May, Christie pulled the state out of the program, calling it a "failure" that did not reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Senate says a firm 'no' to the use of fracking
Both houses of the Legislature yesterday passed a bill banning hydraulic fracturing for natural gas exploration in New Jersey.
Sen. Robert Gordon (D-Bergen), one of the bill’s (S2576) primary sponsors, said hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, "represents the greatest threat to New Jersey’s water supply than anything else we face today."
The legislation says fracking "has been found to use a variety of contaminating chemicals and materials that can suddenly and in an uncontrolled manner be introduced into the surface waters and ground water of the state."