June 30, 2023
A bill targeting Shaun Golden’s dual role as Monmouth County Sheriff and Monmouth GOP chairman has been pulled from next week’s Senate voting schedule, with no clear timeline for if and when it might be revived.
The bill – which bars county clerks, sheriffs, and surrogates from serving as party chairs, a prohibition which would only apply to Golden at the moment – just passed two legislative committees yesterday after marathon committee hearings, and it was scheduled for a full Senate vote next Monday. But State Sen. Vin Gopal (D-Long Branch), the bill’s Senate sponsor, said there are things that need to be reviewed.
“I still believe the merits of the bill are good, but a lot of public testimony happened yesterday,” he said. “We need to review that testimony and do our due diligence.”
When asked about the bill yesterday, Gopal defended it as a necessary step to ensure that county clerks and sheriffs can’t abuse their powers over county election administrators and law enforcement officers. Regardless of its effects on any one person, Gopal said, the bill is good public policy.
Read the full article here - Jersey Globe
