Constituent Concerns Drive Legislation

By Vin Gopal

Assemblywomen Margie Donlon, Senator Vin Gopal and Luanne Peterpaul of Team Monmouth

Our office understands the importance of listening to constituents. Often, many of our constituents express similar concerns, especially related to their safety, affordability issues, education, and accessing important community resources. These conversations are crucial in driving our legislative agendas. We would love to take the opportunity to provide some insight into that process.

This winter, numerous seniors contacted my Legislative District 11 partners, Assemblywomen Margie Donlon and Luanne Peterpaul, and I, to report being snowbound after the winter storms and freezing temperatures of January and February. For them, it was more than just social isolation. They reported that without being able to clean sidewalks and steps they could not use grocery delivery services or even leave their homes for medical appointments.

That’s why we have introduced a bill to provide funds to municipalities to help seniors by appropriating $2 million to establish a state grant program fund to incentivize municipalities to create senior snow removal programs.

The concern over property taxes is something we hear often as we travel the district speaking with constituents, which is why we sponsored the legislation creating property tax relief programs and, more recently, streamlining the application process for applying for property tax relief. Residents 65 and older may now use a single application form, PAS-1, to apply for ANCHOR, Senior Freeze, and Stay NJ property tax reimbursement. As we move through the state budget process, we remain committed to the full funding of these programs.

We also hear regularly from residents seeking assistance in accessing mental health services. One of our exceptional community mental health resources is Shore House located in Long Branch. This non-residential, community-based psychosocial rehabilitation program, accredited by Clubhouse International, is designed to alleviate emotional or behavior problems. Shore House helps its members transition to a less restrictive level of care and reintegrate into the community.

We’ve recently heard from a local school’s financial literacy club in the district that reached out to discuss their experience, or lack there of, with receiving financial literacy instruction in school. As chair of the Senate Education Committee, I can attest that student financial literacy is a concern shared by many parents.

Our bill would require school districts to provide to each high school student a one-semester course, or one trimester course, exclusively in financial literacy. The instruction would principally address economic, business, and entrepreneurial literacy. The bill also adds content on behavioral economics, banking, consumer skills, taxes, and college financial planning to the financial literacy curriculum.

In the course of helping constituents, our LD11 Constituent Services Team often assists people who are struggling to access resources because they don’t have government-issued identification. That’s why we’ve introduced legislation to require the Office of Homelessness Prevention (OHP) in the state Department of Community Affairs to contract with a county agency or nonprofit that administers homelessness programs to issue personal identification. In order to provide copies of birth certificates, a county agency or nonprofit would have direct access to issue a birth certificate maintained by the State Office of Vital Statistics and Registry.

These are just a few examples of how your real needs and concerns are making change in Trenton. We will continue to notify residents of how we are trying to address their concerns. In the meantime, if we can assist you in any way, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us at SenGopal@njleg.org, AswDonlon@njleg.org, AswPeterpaul@njleg.org, or (732) 704-3808. Our staff is happy to help.