Shore lawmakers who wanted $15,000 fines for murphy's law violations being challenged in june primary

Shore lawmakers who wanted $15,000 fines for Murphy’s Law violations being challenged in June Primary

TOMS RIVER, NJ – Embattled New Jersey Assemblymen John Catalano and Gregory P. McGuckin proposed fines against New Jersey residents last spring against those who violate New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy’s COVID-19 lockdown executive orders.

McGuckin and Catalano proposed $15,000 fines against residents who violated “Murphy’s Law and the Murphy bans on large gatherings.

Now, they have two challengers in the June 2021 Republican primary election. While the two establishment insiders are backed by the Mo Hill / Frank Holman political regime, Brian Quinn and Geraldine Ambrosio are challenging them in the primary.

Word is that Quinn and Ambrosio are running under the ticket led by New Jersey gubernatorial candidate, conservative Hirsh Singh.

“To combat the spread of this disease, we must adhere to the Governor’s orders to stay at home and distance ourselves from our friends and family,” added Assemblyman Catalano.  “We know that socially distancing is hard, but it’s critically necessary to prevent the uncontrolled spread of the coronavirus in a way that would overwhelm our hospitals and result in the unnecessary loss of life. We hope that a substantial fine will make individuals think twice if they are considering to host a party or have friends over.”

“There must be a stronger penalty for violating the social distancing orders during this outbreak,” said Assemblyman McGuckin. “The strong financial penalties that would be imposed by our legislation should discourage people from hosting gatherings in violation of the prohibition during this crisis.”

The two men, pulled their bill later in the year after receiving critical backlash from their constituents.

Phil Stilton

Phil Stilton

Phil Stilton is the Editor and Publisher of Shore News Network, an independent digital news organization covering New Jersey, national politics, public policy, public safety, and community affairs. With years of experience reporting on local government, elections, law enforcement, and issues impacting residents throughout New Jersey, Stilton has built a reputation for delivering timely news, in-depth reporting, and accountability journalism.

As the founder of Shore News Network, Stilton oversees editorial operations, investigative reporting, and breaking news coverage while working closely with journalists, public officials, and community leaders. His reporting has covered municipal government, state politics, federal policy, public records investigations, emergency management, and major news events affecting local communities.

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