South Jersey Democrats supply key votes to pass pension and health-care bill backed by Christie

TRENTON - In the battle over benefits, Team South Jersey is dragging the most controversial bill in recent Statehouse history over the finish line.

By joining with the GOP minority, the New Jersey Senate's southern Democrats bucked the majority of their party and unions to supply six key votes to pass legislation requiring government workers to pay more for their pensions and health care.

Even State Sen. James Whelan of Atlantic County, who faces a competitive election in November, supported it. Even State Sen. Donald Norcross of Camden County, president of the Southern New Jersey AFL-CIO Labor Council, voted yes.

Senate President Stephen Sweeney, a Gloucester County Democrat who was the architect of the bill, rounded up enough supporters to eke out a victory. It was not just a coup for him but also for Republican Gov. Christie, who has made benefits reform a priority.

There were also Assemblyman Louis D. Greenwald of Camden County and Assemblyman John Burzichelli of Gloucester County, who offered two of the three Democratic votes to release the bill from the Assembly Budget Committee Monday night, after hearing testimony from morning to evening.

That measure passed the committee, 7-5, with the rest of the ayes coming from Republicans.

The bill goes to the full Assembly on Thursday, where, once again, South Jersey Democrats are expected to team up with Republicans to ensure its approval.

"It's time to do the right thing for taxpayers in this state, so let's do the right thing and pass this reform," Sweeney urged lawmakers before the Senate passed the bill by 24-15.

Outside, hundreds of union workers blaring horns, waving flags, and singing along to the '80s classic "We're Not Gonna Take It" marched across the lawn to protest what they viewed as an infringement on their collective bargaining rights.

Many inside the Senate chamber, where two-thirds of Democrats voted no, agreed.

"Everyone knows there has to be compromise on health benefits," said Senate Majority Leader Barbara Buono (D., Middlesex).

"But," she added, "while the governor has criticized others for not being tough enough on collective bargaining, he . . . resorts to legislation to circumvent what should have been ongoing negotiations with the state employee unions."

Much of Monday's debate, however, centered on a provision that could make it more expensive for government employees to receive health care out of state.

Sweeney said that new health-care boards formed by the bill would create insurance plans that would include in-state providers - which would be cheaper - and others that would include coverage for out-of-state providers.

Subscribers to the in-state plans could continue to seek out-of-state care on their doctor's certification that no qualified provider existed in-state who could treat the patient's condition. Employees who are part of in-state plans and currently see an out-of-state specialist would be allowed to continue doing so. All subscribers could continue receiving primary and emergency care out of state.

New Jersey parents of patients at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia testified about the importance of allowing easy access to the best medical care possible.

"Politics and legislation don't have a place in telling a patient . . . what responsible, reasonable medical care is," said Stephanie Rosati-Pratico, a mother of two children with Down syndrome.

Joel Cantor, director of the Center for State Health at Rutgers University, said the arrangement could have negative effects on health care, because it would limit options, and on cost, because it would decrease competition.

"In a way it gets government involved . . . in the kind of decisions that should be between doctors and patients," Cantor said.

Greenwald, chairman of the Budget Committee, who said his daughters also have been treated out of state, repeatedly deflected criticism on the provision during the hearing.

The proposal received a spirited defense in the Senate from Burlington County Republican Diane Allen. A cancer survivor who received treatment at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Allen said patients could continue to access care they need. She signed on as a bill sponsor.

Union leaders over the last several days of hearings and protests repeatedly invoked the name of George E. Norcross III, chairman of Cooper University Hospital in Camden and a political force in South Jersey, saying the out-of-state language would benefit his institution.

John Sheridan, the president of Cooper, said in an interview that it would bring millions back to New Jersey hospitals, and Cooper has been lobbying for a measure like this for years.

"There's millions and millions of dollars being spent outside the state on health care when there's good health care in-state. . . . I don't think it would affect the health care provided to public employees one iota," Sheridan said.

Sweeney said 19 hospitals had closed in New Jersey and he wanted to put money back into them but was not sure whether the proposal would save money because the plans still must be designed.

Sweeney and Sen. Donald Norcross (D., Camden), brother of George Norcross, touted their union bona fides before voting for legislation that would suspend pension cost-of-living increases, raise health-care premium contributions as high as 35 percent for the top earners, and raise the retirement age to 65.

Norcross said his labor credentials were second to none, but added that New Jersey faces an unprecedented crisis.

"The easy thing for me to do is tell people what they want to hear, and that's not what I'm here for," he said.

Sen. Jeff Van Drew (D., Cape May) repeatedly jumped in to soothe over the tensions, as supporters and opponents delivered passionate speeches for two hours.

The governor has made clear he will not sign separate legislation for health and pension changes, Van Drew said. Many critics of the bill have said they're willing to support the pension provisions but want the health-care changes carved out.

"If he does not sign the legislation . . . we will be at the point where we won't be able to look people in the eye and tell them they will have a pension," he said.

Shortly thereafter, he, Sweeney, Norcross, Whelan, James Beach of Camden County and Fred Madden of Gloucester County voted aye.

The only other Democrats who joined them were Christie ally Brian Stack of Hudson County and Teresa Ruiz of Essex County. She works for County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo, who is also close with the governor.