JACKSON, NJ – While the intent by New Jersey Assemblymen Gregory P. McGuckin and John Catalano might just be an honest effort to keep Lakewood Township in line, it will no doubt leave devasting collateral damage statewide in its wake.
The dynamic duo out of Ocean County want to raise the penalty for violating Governor Phil Murphy’s draconian executive orders that have freed prison inmates and made criminals out of everyday citizens statewide. Currently, the fine for violating Murphy’s Law is $1,000 with a possibility of a six-month jail sentence.
McCuckin and Dasti want to raise that fine to $10,000 and set an absolute minimum of $5,000.
Sadly, last Tuesday, Jackson Township’s elected officials went wrist deep into McGuckin’s ask for higher fines. The Jackson Township Council sponsored a resolution pledging support for the McGuckin-Catalano bill and it was also supported by Mayor Michael Reina.
Today, the Outdoor Sportsman’s Alliance called the plan preposterous and said it was, “Shredding the U.S. constitution.”
Luckily the bill is being moved through the swamp in Trenton and by the time legislators can agree on moving it forward, the pandemic would be over, but if enacted, it would set the stage for the next governor during the next crisis.
The other shining light, for once, and this is a very peculiar realm is that Democrats control the state assembly and state senate, so any bill proposed by Republicans is sure to die a miserable death on the floor of the Trenton Statehouse. McGuckin and Catalano would have to rally bi-partisan support and they are both relatively inconsequential in the bigger picture of state politics. It’s unlikely that Democrats would even sign on to this Titanic of a bill, even with Murphy’s ratings soaring, according to a Monmouth University Poll.
As for the folks in Jackson who saddle up on the back of McGuckin to ride this rodeo, they have their own election to worry about this November.
