NJ Spotlight News
Why GOP senators see roadmap to election victory
Clip: 10/25/2023 | 8m 22sVideo has Closed Captions
Interview: Sen. Anthony Bucco and Sen. Declan O'Scanlon
With the entire Legislature on the ballot in less than two weeks, Democrats and Republicans are recommitting to their parties' core policy issues. Senate Republicans recently released a “Roadmap for a Better New Jersey,” which laid out their legislative agenda if they were to win the majority of seats in the Nov. 7 elections.
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
NJ Spotlight News is a local public television program presented by THIRTEEN PBS
NJ Spotlight News
Why GOP senators see roadmap to election victory
Clip: 10/25/2023 | 8m 22sVideo has Closed Captions
With the entire Legislature on the ballot in less than two weeks, Democrats and Republicans are recommitting to their parties' core policy issues. Senate Republicans recently released a “Roadmap for a Better New Jersey,” which laid out their legislative agenda if they were to win the majority of seats in the Nov. 7 elections.
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
How to Watch NJ Spotlight News
NJ Spotlight News is available to stream on pbs.org and the free PBS App, available on iPhone, Apple TV, Android TV, Android smartphones, Amazon Fire TV, Amazon Fire Tablet, Roku, Samsung Smart TV, and Vizio.
Providing Support for PBS.org
Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorshipwith the entire legislature on the ballot in less than two weeks Democrats and Republicans are recommitting to their party's core policy issues Senate Republicans recently released a GOP road map for a better New Jersey laying out their legislative agenda if they were to take the majority in the November 7th elections the issues range from parental rights to Public Safety and taxes all of it they say is to reverse what the party believes is Governor Murphy's quote far left Progressive agenda here to talk about those priorities is Senate minority leader Anthony buo and Republican budget officer Declan o scanland senators buo and OK scanland uh thanks for joining me it's good to see you both Senator buo let me just start with you before we get into the road map um I'm wondering if you want to address Democrats have seized on it Governor Murphy has seized on it the comments that you made in a recent Star Ledger editorial board talking about potentially uh if the Republic rep an were to get a majority um cutting uh Extreme Measures as you said such as late term abortions and taxpayer funding that could be on the chopping board when it comes to Reproductive Rights is it a fair claim that they're making uh that you would go after uh both abortion and Reproductive Rights in the state no it is not uh I made it clear to the to the Star Ledger editorial board that here in New Jersey our Supreme Court has said on two separate occasions that women have a a constitutionally protected right to access and I don't see any way to get around that um what I did say is that perhaps someone may put something up like that but I couldn't even guarantee whether or not there'd be the votes to support it um we have a diverse caucus some are pro- life some are pro-life with exceptions and some are pro-choice so they even begin to speculate that that that could happen is wrong and it's just simply Governor Murphy and the Democrats trying to deflect away from the progressive policies that they've promoted that are having a direct impact on our residents in this state and that's why we put out the road map uh for New Jersey for a better New Jersey let me just say on that for one moment would you keep in place current funding or would that be an area where you might look to as is laid out in these priorities cut back on some of the government spending well look like I said before it's very difficult when it comes to this issue this is issues that's personal to people and quite frankly if we're able to catch lightning in the bottle and get a majority it'll be by a slim margin and I couldn't even begin to tell you whether or not there'd be an appetite on either side to address some of these issues I can tell you this that we will cut back on some of the runaway spending but maybe not in this area I mean there are other areas where the spending is out of control as well and I'll leave that to my budget officer and colleague uh Senator o scaman to to to address those that runaway spending that's driving taxes uh through the roof you know an independent group just last week gave New Jersey a great F great F on taxes and debt uh that's failing in my book uh Senator skin as mentioned as the Republican budget officer what do you see as the main priorities uh although as Senator buo alluded to calling it lightning in the bottle catching lightning in a bottle um for your caucus if you were to flip uh some seats come November well certainly you know spending and taxes are always the top of everybody's list uh and Republicans put out a specific road map in those areas uh so uh Senate budget committee chairman scanland will live up to those promises we will enact those things along with Senate President puko and the rest of Republican Senate leadership uh in addition to that you have crime you have parental rights and reasonable arguments on both sides but the the Democrats take radical leftist positions on all these fronts uh you know coming up with solutions that are in name only uh while while handcuffing our police and their ability to deal with our children in the streets um there's there's issue after issue where Democrats have failed and I believe strongly that there's a real appetite out there on on behalf of New Jersey voters to give Republicans a chance at leadership What specifically yeah when you talk about radical positions that Democrats have taken What specifically are you pointing to well let's talk about um let's talk about crime uh when we passed uh marijuana legalization which the Democrats completely destroyed uh that that reform there was a way to do it right but they included uh handcuffing of our police not just regarding marijuana but alcohol as well so a police officer could face a deprivation of civil rights charge criminal charge that could destroy his care could put him in jail uh if if he's accused of these things it's an outrageous position and it's stopped our police from interacting with our children in reasonable ways that we're controlling public drinking and public smoking of of of marijuana until the Democrats did that and we saw riots on our beaches we have local uh municipalities closing beaches and putting curfews on the first time in my lifetime uh because of these policies handcuffing our police um we have rampant car theft if you haven't had your car stolen or attempt to be stolen you know know someone who has and and all of our uh listeners who might say I don't know anyone they can't say that anymore because they tried to steal my own car out of my driveway these this this crime spree has happened for a reason it's because of a relaxation of pursuit rules and other soft on crime positions that the Democrats have enacted while they've been in control over this past 20 years particularly the last few uh Senator bua let me just come back to you quickly uh crime spending what are the other key priorities key issues that you see um as needing to be addressed I think the erosion of parental rights and uh parents right to control uh their children's education and information sharing with the schools uh you know there's it's no secret that a child gets a best education when the parents and the teachers are communicating uh this Administration has made it a project to try to interfere uh in that process I think that's dead wrong and uh and when you also look at the extreme energy master plan right with these windmills that they're talking about right off of our Coast we still have whales washing up on the beaches Dead uh you know you you're telling folks now that by 2035 they're going to have to buy an electric vehicle and it's important to note that many of the financial problems that this state faces are a direct result of these Progressive policies you know when if somebody has to go out and buy an electric vehicle by 2035 that's an added cost those cars are expensive then you're not we're not even talking about having to put the appliances in into their home in order to charge them and then on top of that if everybody had an electric vehicle in 2035 and went home at night and plugged them in the experts are clear the lights will go out in New Jersey uh so it's a real problem all of these things have a direct impact on people's lives and they all have a direct impact on their pocketbooks and that's why New Jersey is becoming more and more and more unaffordable and why inflation is eating away at folks home income Senators Buco and O scanland laying out their legislative priorities if their concus gains a a majority on November 7th Senators thank you so much thanks Bri appreciate it thank you
Court hears arguments in NJ gun law appeal
Video has Closed Captions
Clip: 10/25/2023 | 4m 17s | Gun lobby groups challenge concealed-carry restrictions (4m 17s)
Democrats urge Murphy to block 3% turnpike-parkway toll hike
Video has Closed Captions
Clip: 10/25/2023 | 1m 17s | The toll hike would take effect Jan. 1 (1m 17s)
NJ can't arrest its way out of opioid crisis, advocates say
Video has Closed Captions
Clip: 10/25/2023 | 4m 14s | Harm reduction centers are being opened across the state (4m 14s)
Scholars denounce potential genocide in Gaza
Video has Closed Captions
Clip: 10/25/2023 | 6m 7s | Interview: Raz Segal, associate professor of Holocaust and Genocide Studies, Stockton U (6m 7s)
Providing Support for PBS.org
Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorship- News and Public Affairs
Top journalists deliver compelling original analysis of the hour's headlines.
- News and Public Affairs
FRONTLINE is investigative journalism that questions, explains and changes our world.
Support for PBS provided by:
NJ Spotlight News is a local public television program presented by THIRTEEN PBS