Call for Statehouse Renovation to Include Row of Seats in the Back for Them

For Immediate Release

Somerville, NJ – Candidates for the legislature in New Jersey’s 16th district, Mike Pappas, Vinny Panico, and Joe Lukac are calling for a slight alteration in the New Jersey Statehouse renovation project. They are calling on the State Capitol Joint Management Commission to amend the renovation plans to include a temporary bench in the very back of the Assembly Chambers with room for Assemblymen Zwicker and Freiman for the remainder of their terms.

Despite the largest state budget in New Jersey’s history, five school districts in the 16th legislative district will see cuts to their state aid. Delaware Twp., Flemington-Raritan Reg., Hunterdon Central Reg., South Brunswick Twp., and Hillsborough Twp., will all see reductions.

“Assemblymen Zwicker and Freiman have been nothing but rubber stamps in Trenton,” said Senate candidate and former Congressman Mike Pappas. “In the history of our state, there have never been more resources available to deliver back to taxpayers. Yet somehow, the people of the 16th legislative district are seeing cuts to state aid in five of our school districts. We need to send fighters to Trenton that will stand up for our communities, not politicians who will lay down for their bosses. These two deserve to be placed in the back of the room where they can comfortably blend into the background.”

Assembly candidate Vinny Panico added, “As Board of Education President, I’ve seen the toll Trenton’s school budget reductions have had on our local taxpayers. To make matters worse, Assemblymen Zwicker and Freiman have forced school districts to spend millions of dollars on unfunded mandates as they continue to cut our budget. We need to stop the school aid madness. It is unbelievable that Zwicker and Freiman are not fighting for our students in Trenton. We need new representatives who advocate for our children’s education, our teachers’ ability to get their jobs done, and our taxpayers to get their fair share.”

“Someone needs to break out the smelling salts for these two,” added Assembly candidate and Manville Councilman Joe Lukac. “Maybe instead of a bench at the back of the chambers they should build bunk beds for them to continue their naps. Between Governor Murphy’s borrowing of $4 billion dollars, revenue coming in more than a billion dollars over projections and the billions more in federal aid, what other explanation is there for Zwicker and Freiman’s failure here? This is the largest budget in state history, but children in five towns in the 16th legislative district are still being shortchanged.”