Standing up for special needs families in New Jersey

On Monday night, in between my two-hour guest spot on Newsmax in Midtown

and a fantastic restaurant open house in Paramus, I stopped by a local hot spot in Garwood.

Rosie's Wine Bar invited us in to host a town hall honoring families of kids with autism.

The lead organizer Jennifer Love is the mom of Emma. She's a young girl with autism who went through a traumatic experience when the bus she was on was lost for hours. She's the inspiration for "Emma's Law" which has still not moved in our legislature.

This bill is a simple fix to a very preventable problem. Here's an excerpt from the interpretation of the bill:

This bill requires school buses that transport students with special needs to be equipped with: a video camera on the interior of the school bus to monitor student safety; a global positioning system that provides information about the location and speed of each school bus in real time; and two-way communications equipment. The bill requires a school bus driver to comply with the provisions of law that prohibit a school bus driver from using a cellular or other wireless telephone while operating a school bus. The bill provides that video footage and global positioning system data collected from a school bus video camera and global positioning system are not to be considered government records... - NJ A2027

A simple solution for cameras and GPS, all with the knowledge that the kids and their privacy will be protected. Unfortunately, despite support in the Legislature, it seems the deep pockets of the NJEA are standing in the way.

It's time to question every legislator who takes money from the teacher's union and call them out on being accountable to the back-room money instead of the people they are elected to serve.

I spoke about this issue at the event in Garwood and will continue to advocate for simple solutions to provide the proper protection for our most vulnerable New Jerseyans and their families.

The post above reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Bill Spadea. Any opinions expressed are Bill's own. Bill Spadea is on the air weekdays from 6 to 10 a.m., talkin’ Jersey, taking your calls at 1-800-283-1015.

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