Greg mcguckin,john catalano
Greg McGuckin,John Catalano

Republicans who called for $15,000 COVID-19 Fines Now Want Democrats to Return Favor of Bipartisanship

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1 min read
June 30, 2020

TOMS RIVER, NJ –  Just a few weeks ago, New Jersey State Senator James Holzapfel and his assembly partners in crime, Greg McGuckin and John Catalano were calling for among the stiffest COVID-19 penalties in the nation.  The trio proposed a law that would have fined New Jerseyeans $15,000 per incident for violating Phil Murphy’s executive orders.  That would mean a restaurant opening early or even a person walking in the park could be fined $15,000!

Luckily, Shore News Network was there to stop them and they eventually pulled that bill.  Now, they are going after Governor Phil Murphy’s agenda, instead of helping it.

The 10th District legislators voted against a massive $7.7 billion spending bill (S-20) to extend the FY 2020 State Budget after the Murphy Administration pushed this state further into debt amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

While the three worked with Murphy to punish residents, they are now looking for a reciprocal level of bi-partisanship in return from the governor and state Democrats.

“Trenton Democrats have refused to work across the aisle to create a reasonable and affordable budget proposal to get New Jersey back on track after it was impacted by the public health emergency.  Republicans have addressed their concerns to Governor Murphy about the many challenges facing our State, including tax revenue losses and an unconstitutional plan to borrow without voter approval.  Unfortunately, these matters have been ignored and the Governor has his own agenda separate from the people we represent,” the trio said in a press release today.

 

Phil Stilton is the Editor and Publisher of Shore News Network, an independent digital newsroom providing original reporting on New Jersey, national news, government, public policy, public safety, courts, and community affairs.

As founder of the publication, Stilton leads editorial strategy, investigative reporting, and daily newsroom operations while overseeing coverage that reaches millions of readers annually.

With extensive experience covering municipal government, county government, state legislatures, elections, law enforcement, emergency management, and public records, Stilton specializes in translating complex government actions into clear, factual reporting. His work frequently relies on primary source documents, including court filings, legislation, public meeting records, election finance disclosures, government databases, police reports, and Freedom of Information and Open Public Records Act (OPRA) requests. He has reported extensively on local government accountability, taxpayer spending, campaign finance, public corruption investigations, infrastructure, public safety, and the policies affecting New Jersey residents.

Under Stilton's editorial leadership, Shore News Network has grown into one of New Jersey's largest independent digital news organizations, publishing thousands of original news articles each year while providing breaking news coverage, investigative reporting, and analysis across state and local government. The publication's reporting is routinely sourced from official government agencies, public officials, court records, and firsthand documentation, with a commitment to transparency, attribution, corrections when warranted, and clearly distinguishing factual reporting from opinion.

Stilton's journalism follows established newsroom standards emphasizing accuracy, verification, fairness, and accountability. Every effort is made to verify information through official records and multiple reliable sources before publication. His reporting is intended to provide readers with timely, well-documented information that helps them understand the issues affecting their communities, while maintaining editorial independence from political parties, government agencies, advocacy organizations, and commercial interests.

Readers can submit story tips, corrections, public records, or media inquiries through the official Shore News Network website or its verified social media channels. Shore News Network welcomes corrections and updates when new information becomes available as part of its ongoing commitment to accurate and transparent journalism.

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