NJ Legislature Out to Lunch – Set to Pass Bills Designating Day to Honor Correction Officers and Retiring Roberto Clemente’s Number.

I think it’s a great idea to honor corrections officers.

And I’m sure I’ll get a big thumbs up from Kenny Ruggiero (product of Ave. U in Brook-a-leen) who contributes to these blogs often.

However, they’ve already posted the bill in the Assembly, and since it’s posted, I guess they have to vote on it.

But couldn’t this come up at another time?

Here’s the dillio on the CO Day bill.

New Jersey legislators could take a big step today toward setting aside one day each year to honor all corrections officers, as well as the memory of a Bayside State Prison officer killed in the line of duty.

The General Assembly is scheduled to vote today on whether to establish July 30 as Corrections Officer Day in New Jersey. The date was picked because it was July 30, 1997, that Bayside corrections officer Fred Baker was stabbed to death.

“I think it is wonderful to hear,” Kelly O’Brien Baker, his widow, said New Jersey has about 6,000 corrections officers and, too often, their work doesn’t get recognized.

Fred Baker, who lived in Rio Grande, was 35 when he was killed. He left behind a son, Jason, who is now in the New Jersey State Police, and a daughter, Dara.

State Assemblymen Nelson Albano and Matt Milam, both Democrats from Vineland, are primary sponsors of the legislation. State Sen. Jeff Van Drew, a Democrat who also represents Cumberland County, is the sponsor of the measure in the upper house.

And then there’s this:

The state Senate today plans to request that Major League Baseball retire the number 21 to honor the late baseball legend Roberto Clemente.

Clemente, a Puerto Rico native who wore the number when he played for the Pittsburgh Pirates from 1955 until his death in 1972, “overcame the dual obstacles of both racism and language to become the first dark-skinned Latino player to achieve superstar status,” according to the Senate resolution (SCR27).

The Senate plans to vote on the resolution at its 2 p.m. session.

Hello, did he have anything to do with New Jersey?

Hello, budget anyone?

Bueller…Bueller!