OCEAN TOWNSHIP - Paying tribute to one of the most famous privates of the Revolutionary War, Senator Vin Gopal released the following statement on his legislation (SJR-101) to designate March 15 of each year as “Peter Francisco Day” in New Jersey, which was signed into law Friday by Governor Phil Murphy.

“I'm proud to see the passage of this important legislation celebrating the valor of this American hero,” said Senator Gopal.

TRENTON - To spotlight products made in the Garden State, a bill sponsored by Senator Vin Gopal to create an official “NJ-Made” logo to be used by in-state manufacturers was signed into law Friday by Governor Phil Murphy.

"When you know that a product was made in New Jersey, you know to expect high quality,” said Senator Gopal.

OCEAN TOWNSHIP - Legislation sponsored by Senator Vin Gopal was signed this Tuesday, amending New Jersey law to provide the State with added flexibility in determining whether an abused dog able to be rehabilitated or one that attacks a criminal while defending its family must be euthanized.

“Unfortunately, some dog owners want to train their pets to be aggressive and dangerous creatures,” said Senator Vin Gopal. “That does not mean, however, that every dog bite, every incident, is the result of the dog being vicious.

OCEANPORT - Following Monmouth Park's Opening Day for 2019, Senator Vin Gopal and Assembly Members Eric Houghtaling and Joann Downey are lauding an optimistic mood among the Park’s breeders, jockeys, and employees for the upcoming season, crediting their new $20 million subsidy to New Jersey racetracks for sunny forecasts on the track’s economic future.

“For a long time, we saw that New Jersey’s historic horse racing industry was struggling to make ends meet,” said Gopal (D-Long Branch).

Legislation sponsored by Senator Patrick J. Diegnan, Jr. and Senator Vin Gopal, which would require all school buses have a phone number or website displayed on the back of the bus so drivers can report bus driver misconduct if they witness anything concerning, was signed into law by Governor Phil Murphy.

“All members of the public have a vested interest in making sure school bus drivers are driving safely and paying close attention to their surroundings,” said Senator Gopal.

EATONTOWN - Senator Vin Gopal will be hosting a community Town Hall event on Monday, April 8 from 6 to 8 PM. The Town Hall will take place in the Eatontown Community Center, located at 72 Broad Street.

“As a legislator, doing my job without the feedback of my constituents is like trying to ride a bicycle without handlebars,” said Senator Gopal.

OCEAN TOWNSHIP - Senator Vin Gopal today introduced Senate Bill S3611, which would prohibit any individual under the age of 18 from being issued a trapping license. Senator Gopal issued the following statement regarding this legislation:

“Last December, I was shocked and angered by a disturbing and widely circulated video that showed two teenagers cruelly beating an innocent racoon whose leg had become caught in a trap. This is not an isolated incident, and its implications are troubling. 

OCEAN TOWNSHIP -  Senator Vin Gopal, Assemblyman Eric Houghtaling, and Assemblywoman Joann Downey issued the following statement in response to the announcement by Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal and Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Commissioner Catherine R. McCabe that the State of New Jersey had joined a motion in federal court seeking to block drilling-related seismic testing activity:

“No matter how you look at it, proposals for offshore drilling are more than unnecessary to New Jersey’s economy - they are potentially harmful,” said Senator Gopal.

OCEAN TOWNSHIP - Senate Majority Conference Leader Vin Gopal issued the following statement in response to the Senate Judiciary Committee’s release of Senate Bill S477, which removes the statute of limitations in certain civil actions for sexual abuse and expands the categories of defendants liable in such actions.

“Sexual abuse ruins lives, but many child predators are able to go unpunished for their crime because of a loophole in our state's judicial system,” said Senator Gopal. “This is more than unacceptable - it is horrific.

OCEAN TOWNSHIP - Senator Vin Gopal issued the following statement in response to the new rule proposed by the Trump administration stripping millions of dollars in Title X funding from family planning clinics:

“According to the National Family Planning & Reproductive Health Association, in 2017, New Jersey received  $8.5 million in federal Title X funding to support 45 service sites across New Jersey. With this funding, New Jersey’s Title X providers served 99,844 people.  Planned Parenthood affiliates in New Jersey operate 22 health centers which see more than 70 percent of all Title X patients in the state.

As conversation surrounding eliminating statewide PARCC testing for students continues, Senator Vin Gopal continues to push back against high stake testing as a graduation requirement in NJ.

“High stakes standardized testing does not benefit students, teachers, or parents,” said Senator Vin Gopal.

Senator Vin Gopal stands in strong opposition to the newly agreed upon minimum wage deal by Democratic Party leadership, which stands to negatively impact the local small business community.

This deal will be crushing for small businesses which are just over five employees.

“The deal announced today by the Democratic Party leadership is a disastrous deal that will issue a devastating blow to our small business community and inevitably result in the closure of countless mom and pop shops,” said Senator Vin Gopal, an avid supporter of the small business community in District 11 and New Jersey at large.

“These are not large corporations that can absorb the blow. Forcing small business owners to drastically raise their minimum wage over this short period will result in layoffs and closures, which will ultimately hurt our local economy and will only empower bigger corporations.

“The owner of a coffee shop or an ice cream parlor does not make a six-figure salary. Often, these business owners don’t make a profit for the first several years of business. We cannot jeopardize our small business community with a frivolous minimum wage policy. The majority of the mom and pop businesses, already facing very high rents here in Monmouth County, will, without question, suffer as a direct result of this deal. The plan also offers no concrete economic study to determine the impact on a regular basis. ”

Governor Phil Murphy today announced a second round of state funding to create or expand preschool programs in 33 school districts – marking the first time those communities have received state aid for preschool. The $26.9 million in Preschool Education Expansion Aid (PEEA) ensures that 2,320 children will start 2019 in a high-quality preschool classroom.

“I was pleased to see the Governor’s funding announcement for the Preschool Education Expansion Aid today,” said Senator Vin Gopal.

“It’s clear that preschool provides a strong foundation for a child’s future academic and economic success. Therefore, expanding access to preschool in low-income communities throughout the state will not only improve the lives of the youth enrolled, but it will strengthen all of New Jersey for the future. In the coming years, I hope we can do even more to improve our early childhood development programming.”