Paid Family Leave. Several proposals would give different periods of paid leave subsidized by various funding schemes. NJBIA is watching A-1892 (Friscia)/S-1065 (Coniglio), which would provide eight weeks of leave paid through the employer-funded Temporary Disability Insurance (TDI) program.

Paid leave proponents have so far met with little success in passing a full-fledged program. More likely, they will push for one of several paid leave proposals that are aimed at providing only a few hours of leave at a time. NJBIA opposes legislation like A-831 (Conaway, Doria)/S-126 (Bennett, Sweeney), which would provide 24 hours of family leave time during any 12-month period for a parent or guardian of a public school child with self-defined special needs. Parents would be allowed to define their child's "special needs," which could include things like tardiness and sleepiness. The leave could be taken in hourly increments.

Labor bills. Unions have a long wish list in lame duck. Some of the union-backed bills NJBIA will be fighting include: A-713/A-706 (Weinberg, Friscia)/S-1682/S-1543 (Furnari), which would effectively ban privatization of services for local and county governments; A-2948 (Guear)/ S-2343 (Sweeney), which would criminalize wage and hour violations, subjecting employers to jail time and steep fines for payrolls that are short by as little as $501; and A-2958 (Friscia, Sarlo)/ S-2538 (Codey), which would effectively force state contractors to remain neutral in the face of union-organizing drives.

Healthcare Costs. Even as employers are coping with double-digit increases in the cost of health insurance, A-2487 (Weinberg, Johnson, Previte)/S-1520 (Vitale, Buono) would force insurers to cover unlimited substance abuse treatment and an expanded list of behavioral disorders, including caffeine addiction and "malingering." This bill has passed the Assembly Health Committee and is awaiting action in the Appropriations Committee.

Economic Development. NJBIA will be pushing for legislation to clarify a property tax exemption for business equipment. The NJ Tax Court has interpreted the Business Retention Act (BRA) in a way that denies this exemption for some of the equipment used in business. Without it, business equipment will be subject to local property taxes.Transportation Trust Fund. The Legislature also may take up reauthorization of the Transportation Trust Fund, and may consider an increase in the gasoline tax to fund it. The current trust fund can no longer support New Jersey's transportation needs for roads, highways and public transportation. NJBIA will work to ensure that the renewal meets the business community's needs.

NJBIA-led Bonds for Business Coalition Pushes for Business Investment Policies
NJBIA First Vice President Art Maurice, chair of the Bonds for Business Coalition, helped rally support on October 15 in Washington, DC, for federal legislation that could mean as much as $30 million a year in new capital investments in New Jersey. The coalition has joined a nationwide effort to rally support for HR-882 (English, R-PA) and S-756 (Thomas, R-WY), which would allow more employers to use tax-exempt bonds to expand their businesses.

More than 75 people attended a Bonds for Business congressional reception held in Washington, DC. Attending the event were six congressional representatives from New Jersey: Senator Frank Lautenberg and House members Mike Ferguson, Scott Garrett, Bill Pascrell, Donald Payne and Steve Rothman. The Coalition thanked seven New Jersey Congressmen-Rob Andrews, Ferguson, Rodney Frelinghuysen, Garrett, Rush Holt, Pascrell and Chris Smith-for cosponsoring the above-mentioned legislation.

The legislation would expand the definition of manufacturing to include high technology enterprises, increase from $10 million to $20 million the amount that can be borrowed, and allow funds to be used for ancillary facilities such as offices and distribution centers.

EDA estimates that these changes would increase the use of tax-exempt bonds by as much as 50 percent (about $30 million per year) in New Jersey.

NJBIA Comments on NJDEP's Self-Disclosure Rule
The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection's (DEP) proposal to allow companies to self- audit and disclose regulatory violations in return for reduced penalties is a step in the right direction, but must be broader and more consistent, NJBIA First Vice President Jim Sinclair testified at an October public hearing.

The DEP proposal would provide for a substantial reduction in penalties for companies that report violations at their own place of business. Penalties could be reduced by 75 percent or eliminated altogether, depending on the severity of the violation. Major violations are not covered by the proposal. The initiative is designed to encourage companies to conduct environmental audits and correct environmental violations before they are discovered by the DEP.

NJBIA has repeatedly called on the DEP to take a more cooperative approach by helping businesses comply with regulations instead of undertaking environmental inspection raids aimed at punishing companies. By reducing penalties, DEP would encourage businesses to evaluate their own workplaces and correct environmental problems prior to formal DEP inspections.

Sinclair said the current proposal needs several changes in order to accomplish that goal. Specifically, the DEP should clarify which violations would qualify for a full penalty waiver, broaden the categories of violations for self-disclosure protection and identify the procedures to be used in determining eligibility.

Kirschner Urges Lawyers to Speak Out on Economic Policy
Creating a probusiness climate is critical to job growth and a goal the business community and the legal community should work together to promote, NJBIA President Philip Kirschner told about 250 lawyers at the Fourth Annual Business Law Symposium in Woodbridge. Kirschner was the keynote speaker at the October 9 event, which was hosted by the NJ Institute for Continuing Legal Education.

Kirschner pointed out that during this recovery, new jobs are still hard to come by. Without strong employment growth, consumers will not spend freely and the recovery will not be as strong as it could be.

Lawyers, both as business people running their law practices and as legal representatives of their clients, can play a role in changing the business climate.

Meet Our Members
This new feature will provide profiles on the people and businesses that make NJBIA one of the most dynamic organizations in the state. To learn more about what NJBIA can do for you, visit the Get Involved section.

Mike Karlovich
ConocoPhillips Bayway Refinery
Linden

"It just doesn't seem like an NJBIA event unless Mike Karlovich is there," NJBIA President Philip Kirschner says. "He has been one of our most active members for years."

Karlovich is manager of Strategic Communication for the ConocoPhillips Bayway Refinery in Linden. ConocoPhillips, an NJBIA member since 1993, is the largest refiner in the United States, and its Bayway facility is the largest refinery on the east coast.

As a member of the company's leadership team, Mike is responsible for managing ConocoPhillips' external relations programming as well as employee communications and media relations.

He also is one of NJBIA's most active members. He has participated in the Legislative Briefing Breakfast series every year since 1993 and has been to every Public Policy Forum for the last 10 years. He has represented his company at every Made in New Jersey Day event since 1998 and his company earned a New Good Neighbor Award in 1997.

He has been a member of the Union Employer Legislative Committee for 14 years (seven of them as chairman); and for the last eight years, he has been a member of the statewide ELC, of which he is currently state chairman.

He is also an active member of NJBIA's policy committees and affiliates. Mike has served on the Government Affairs Committee for ten years and on the Energy Council for seven. He has also worked to make New Jersey a more business friendly state as a member of the Board of Trustees of the political action committee NEW JOBS, the New Jersey Organization for a Better State.

Mike likes the personal contacts and the interaction that active membership provides. "After all, people make the world go 'round, and NJBIA helps me stay grounded on issues of importance to running the Bayway Refinery," he says.

While he can cite many benefits of being involved, it was an event in 1994 that Mike remembers best. In Washington, D.C. for swearing-in ceremonies for the new Congress, Mike met up with then-NJBIA President Joe Gonzalez.

Mike only had one event scheduled and was planning to return to New Jersey when Gonzalez asked if he would like to make the rounds with him.

"He introduced me to every member of the New Jersey delegation and a host of leaders from the business and labor communities as well as many of the state legislators who were there," Mike says. "We watched the swearing-in from the office of Rep. Bob Franks with the Congressman's father and mother. We had a great time that day, and I will never forget Joe's kindness."

Employer Legislative Committees The Grassroots Affiliate of NJBIA
Get involved! Your business can't afford not to be.

"There is no better place than the ELCs for business to communicate its message."

Dennis Bone, President
Verizon New Jersey

Don't you wish you could sit down and talk directly to the people who make the laws in this state? Well you can. Come out to one of our 18 Employer Legislative Committee (ELC) meetings.

Every month, businesspeople just like you speak directly with state legislators and other policy leaders. They meet informally in small groups over breakfast or lunch, making it very easy to get your point across. The meetings only last about 90 minutes and there are no membership fees or other obligations, only the cost of your meal. With 18 ELCs throughout New Jersey, chances are there is a meeting near you.

Take the time to attend an ELC. You'll be glad you did.

To learn more, contact Celeste Jordan at 609-393-7707, ext. 223, or cjordan@njbia.org or Go Here.

Seven Companies and Two Individuals Receive NJBIA's 2003 Award for Excellence
The New Jersey Business & Industry Association celebrated the many good things New Jersey employers do at its annual Awards For Excellence Dinner on October 21, presenting its Award for Excellence to seven companies and two individuals. Two other companies received Honor Roll Awards.

The Awards program recognizes NJBIA member companies for outstanding achievements in job growth, environmental protection, and human resource management. One or more individuals are also recognized for service to their communities. More than 250 people attended the event, which was held at the Westin Princeton at Forrestal Village.

"This is a celebration of all that is good about New Jersey business," NJBIA President Philip Kirschner said. "Our members create jobs and strengthen our economy. They provide health insurance and other benefits for their employees. They find innovative ways to protect our environment. They devote their time and effort to serve their communities."

Every year, NJBIA honors a select group of employers from among its thousands of members for excellence in three categories: Environmental Quality, Outstanding Employer (human resource management) and Enterprise (job creation). The Public Service Award is presented to individual business professionals for community service.

An independent panel of judges reviews the nominations. This year's judging was conducted by 20 members of the Princeton and Newark Chapters of the Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE) along with three NJBIA policy committee chairs: JoAnn Trezza, Human Resources Committee; Edward Hogan, Environmental Quality Committee; and Tim Carden, Economic Development Council. WithumSmith+Brown, the New Jersey-based accounting and consulting firm, verified the information supplied by the finalists.

NJBIA Salutes its 2003 Awards for Excellence Winners

Enterprise Award icarz, inc. of Newton John Wiley & Sons of Hoboken

Environmental Quality Award Merck & Co., Inc. of Rahway Seaboard Point in North Wildwood, a joint project of Sadat Associates, Inc.; Lomax Morey Consulting; Ballard Spahr Andrews & Ingersoll, LLP; Cooper Levenson; and K. Hovnanian Companies. Valero Refining Company-New Jersey of Paulsboro

Outstanding Employer Award Cendant Corporation of Parsippany Meridian Health of Neptune

Public Service Award Anthony Gentile PSE&G, Cranford V. Peter Traphagen, Sr. NJ Society of Certified Public Accountants (NJSCPA), Roseland

Honor Roll Enterprise Award NJ Institute of Technology of Newark Outstanding Employer Wegmans Food Markets of Princeton

Thanks to Our Sponsors Gold Sponsors Cendant Corporation Langan Engineering and Environmental Services, Inc. MasterFoods USA, a Division of Mars, Inc. Meridian Health NJM Insurance Group/NJM Bank FSB PNC Bank PSE&G Valero Refining Company-NJ Wachovia Silver Sponsors Conectiv ConocoPhillips Bayway Refinery Lowenstein Sandler P.C. Merck & Co., Inc. Micro Stamping Corporation NJ Economic Development Authority New Jersey Resources Corporation OceanFirst Bank Sprint Van Note-Harvey Associates

NEW JOBS Thanks You for Your Support.
NEW JOBS, the New Jersey Organization for a Better State, set out to make a statement this year. As New Jersey's largest and most influential business political action committee, we wanted to send a message to the antibusiness politicians.

Thanks to our many NEW JOBS contributors, we did just that. On behalf of the members of the NEW JOBS Board of Trustees, I thank you for your generous contributions throughout this contentious election cycle.

Our campaign has been a success:

• NEW JOBS has raised a record amount of money this year. We have eclipsed all previous election years in contributions collected and contributions made.
• NEW JOBS gave a record amount of political contributions to Democratic and Republican probusiness candidates, focusing on the most competitive districts.
• Seventy-seven of the 90 probusiness candidates (86 percent) endorsed by NEW JOBS won on Nov. 4.
• In the targeted districts, NEW JOBS sent e-mails and special mailings to the business community urging support for endorsed candidates.