By Vin Gopal

In the Legislative District 11 office we pride ourselves on working in bipartisan fashion to advance legislation that helps make life more affordable, fairer, and more equitable for all residents.

Here are just a few examples of that approach succeeding in advancing legislation for increasing health care access, supporting veterans and small businesses, and other areas.

Our bipartisan bill, S4693, on which my colleague Senator Doug Steinhardt (R-Lopatcong) has joined me as a prime sponsor, would rein in Pharmacy Benefit Managers on their pricing of prescription drugs. PBMs operate as insurers, pharmacy operators, and prescription drug middlemen, creating conflicts of interest when they steer patients toward businesses they control. That increases the prices of drugs.

Known as the “Protecting New Jersey from Predatory Drug Pricing Act”, this legislation puts patients ahead of the PBM business model by requiring greater fairness, transparency, and accountability from the prescription drug market. I’m proud to work across the aisle on commonsense solutions that will help lower costs, protect patients and local pharmacies, and bring greater accountability to PBMs.

Senator Anthony M. Bucco, (R - Denville), joined me as a prime sponsor of legislation, S3725, to exempt disabled veterans from paying tolls on roads maintained by the New Jersey Turnpike Authority and the South Jersey Transportation Authority. We owe a debt to all veterans but especially those who became disabled while serving the country. 

Another bipartisan bill, S3708, would protect businesses impacted by infrastructure projects that reduce customer access. As we attempt to address the needs of our aging infrastructure, we experience more frequent road and bridge closures. This legislation, on which Senator Robert Singer, (R-Ocean), joined me as co-prime sponsor, provides a 50 percent sales and use tax exemption for certain businesses in impacted municipalities during ongoing public highway projects. 

It is gratifying to report that both the Senate and Assembly unanimously passed our bill, S1270, eliminating the statute of limitations for the criminal prosecutions of human trafficking, and extending the statute of limitations under which a victim of human trafficking may bring a civil suit against the perpetrator. Currently, only the crimes of murder, manslaughter, sexual assault, and criminal offenses arising from violations of certain environmental statutes concerning widespread injury or damage have no statute of limitations. As the law exists now, prosecution of human trafficking must be commenced by way of an indictment within five years after the offense is committed. 

Under our bill, a criminal prosecution may be commenced at any time and victims may file a civil suit may within 10 years of the conduct, within 10 years of a victim turning 18 years of age, or within two years of a victim’s discovery of the injury, whichever is later. 

Last month, former Monmouth County State Senator Joe Kyrillos and I hosted another panel discussion in our ongoing “Leadership and Civility in Public Discourse” series at Monmouth University. This series brings legislators and local officials from both parties to discuss the importance of taking a bipartisanship approach to government. 

That’s exactly what my LD11 partners Assemblywomen Margie Donlon and Luanne Peterpaul and I are going to continue to do.

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