Schepisi: Murphy’s Latest Executive Order Will Lead to Shortage of Health Care Workers
Senator Holly Schepisi said a new executive order announced by Governor Murphy today eliminating a testing alternative to vaccination and boosters for health care workers will lead to a shortage of doctors and nurses in New Jersey in the aftermath of the Omicron surge.

Sen. Holly Schepisi said a new executive order by Gov. Murphy will lead to a shortage of doctors and nurses in New Jersey in the aftermath of the Omicron surge. (Flickr)
“Doctors, nurses, and other medical caregivers have been fighting this fight against COVID-19 since the very beginning,” said Schepisi (R-39). “After nearly two years, they’re tired, they’re burnt out, and they’re ready for a break. Instead of giving them extra support, they’re getting another new mandate from Governor Murphy that will further thin their ranks and increase the workload of those who remain. It doesn’t make any sense and it certainly won’t be good for patients.”
Schepisi Bill Establishing “Nursing Home Advisory Council” Signed by Governor
Bipartisan legislation sponsored by Senator Holly Schepisi that would create the Nursing Home Advisory Council and introduce penalties for long-term care facilities that violate state and federal regulations was signed into law today by Governor Murphy.

Bipartisan legislation sponsored by Sen. Holly Schepisi that would create the Nursing Home Advisory Council and introduce penalties for long-term care facilities that violate state and federal regulations was signed into law today. (Pixabay)
“I am proud this bill was signed into law today. Over the last two years, thousands of elderly residents in New Jersey’s nursing homes lost their lives due to coronavirus infection. During that time, there has been little to no accountability for the policies that have been implemented,” said Schepisi (R-39). “This legislation will make sure that we have accountability going forward and that any long-term care facility that violates state or federal regulations is held responsible. We need to keep our most vulnerable residents safe—and hold those who put their health in jeopardy to account.”
Schepisi Bill that Would Increase Employment Opportunities for People with Disabilities Signed into Law
Legislation sponsored by Senator Holly Schepisi that would increase awareness of employment opportunities for people with disabilities was signed into law today by Governor Murphy.

Sen. Holly Schepisi’s legislation that would increase awareness of employment opportunities for people with disabilities was signed into law by Gov. Murphy. (SenateNJ.com)
“I am pleased that the Governor signed this bill into law today. This legislation is an important step in the right direction and will help improve the lives of some of our most vulnerable citizens,” said Schepisi (R-39). “By allowing the state to more effectively recruit, hire, and promote people with disabilities in the workplace, we will help create a more inclusive policy for these individuals and provide better job opportunities for them in the future.”
Senate Clears Kean and Schepisi Bill that Would Increase Employment Opportunities for People with Disabilities
Legislation sponsored by Senate Republican Leader Tom Kean and Senator Holly Schepisi that would increase awareness of employment opportunities for people with disabilities was advanced by the New Jersey Senate.

Sens. Tom Kean and Holly Schepisi’s legislation that would increase awareness of employment opportunities for people with disabilities was approved by the New Jersey Senate. (SenateNJ.com)
“It’s clear from all the available data that individuals with disabilities are an underrepresented segment in public employment,” said Kean (R-21). “This legislation will help ensure that our government will be more thoughtful, inclusive, and supportive of the needs of these New Jerseyans in the workforce. This is crucial to allowing the state to more easily recruit and promote talented people with disabilities and will give better overall representation to them in state government.”
Schepisi Bill Establishing “Nursing Home Advisory Council” Clears Senate
Bipartisan legislation sponsored by Senator Holly Schepisi that would create the Nursing Home Advisory Council and introduce penalties for long-term care facilities that violate state and federal regulations was approved by the New Jersey Senate.

Bipartisan legislation sponsored by Sen. Holly Schepisi that would create the Nursing Home Advisory Council and introduce penalties for long-term care facilities that violate state and federal regulations was approved by the New Jersey Senate. (Pixabay)
“Over the last two years, thousands of elderly residents in New Jersey’s nursing homes lost their lives due to coronavirus infection. During that time, there has been little to no accountability for the policies that have been implemented,” said Schepisi (R-39). “My legislation will make sure that we have accountability going forward and that any long-term care facility that violates state or federal regulations is held responsible. We need to keep our most vulnerable residents safe—and hold those who put their health in jeopardy to account.”
Committee Clears Kean and Schepisi Bill that Would Increase Employment Opportunities for People with Disabilities
Legislation sponsored by Senate Republican Leader Tom Kean and Senator Holly Schepisi that would increase awareness of employment opportunities for people with disabilities was advanced by the Senate Labor Committee.

Sens. Tom Kean and Holly Schepisi’s legislation that would increase awareness of employment opportunities for people with disabilities was advanced by the Senate Labor Committee. (SenateNJ.com)
“Individuals with disabilities are an underrepresented segment in public employment,” said Kean (R-21). “This legislation will help ensure that our government will be more thoughtful, inclusive, and supportive of the needs of these individuals in the workforce. This is crucial to allowing the state to more easily recruit and promote talented people with disabilities and will give better overall representation to them in state government.”
Schepisi: There are Lessons to be Learned from Studying Impact of Remote Classes on Students
National Study Blamed Pandemic for ‘Significant Learning Losses’
Senator Holly Schepisi today called for the Legislature to act swiftly in lame duck and pass a bill that would require the Commissioner of Education to prepare a report on learning loss and the operation of public schools during the COVID-19 public health emergency.

Sen. Holly Schepisi called for the Legislature to advance a bill that would require the Commissioner of Education to study and report on the pandemic’s impact on student learning and the operation of public schools. (Pixabay)
“We’re going to have to help students make up the educational ground they lost during the pandemic, and the first step is understanding the severity of the problem,” said Schepisi (R-39), citing a national study that concluded student learning suffered substantially from remote schooling due to COVID.
Schepisi Urges Murphy Administration to Order Teachers to Stop Logging Private Info of Students & Families in Third-Party Advocacy Apps
Senator Calls for Investigation, Will Introduce Legislation Banning Practice That’s Being Pushed on Teachers by NEA & AFT
After it was revealed that national teachers’ unions have been training and instructing New Jersey teachers to log the personal health information of students and their families in a progressive organization’s campaign app, Senator Holly Schepisi called for an investigation and urged the Murphy administration to prohibit the invasive practice.

After it was revealed that national teachers’ unions have been training and instructing New Jersey teachers to log the personal health information of students and their families in a progressive organization’s campaign app, Sen. Holly Schepisi called for an investigation and urged the Murphy administration to prohibit the invasive practice. (©iStock)
“New Jerseyans might be surprised to hear that teachers are being told to engage students and parents in private conversations about their health and COVID-19 vaccination status and to log what they learn in a campaign-style tracking app run by a progressive advocacy group,” said Schepisi (R-39). “Unbelievably, that’s exactly what’s happening, as I’ve been told by concerned teachers. It’s a gross invasion of privacy that Governor Murphy and the New Jersey Department of Education should prohibit immediately.”
Bucco/Pennacchio/Schepisi Legislation Supporting Pediatric Cancer Research Signed into Law
Legislation sponsored by Senators Anthony Bucco, Joseph Pennacchio, and Holly Schepisi that would support funding for pediatric cancer research has been signed into law by Governor Murphy.

Legislation sponsored by Sens. Tony Bucco, Joe Pennacchio, and Holly Schepisi that would support funding for pediatric cancer research has been signed into law. (©iStock)
“I am pleased that the Governor signed both of these bills into law today. As a survivor of pediatric cancer, I know there are few things that can make a child feel so scared or parents so helpless,” said Bucco (R-25). “I am thankful every day that I was one of the lucky ones who survived. With better-funded research, we can improve treatments and survival rates to ensure that luck is no longer a factor in deciding which children with cancer will have an opportunity to grow up and live full lives.”
Statements from Corrado & Schepisi on Gov. Cuomo’s Resignation
Senator Kristin Corrado and Senator Holly Schepisi released the following comments on the resignation of New York Governor Andrew Cuomo.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced his resignation from office today following allegations of sexual abuse by a number of women. (@NYGovCuomo/Twitter)
“All women deserve to feel safe in their workplace – whether that be on the campaign trail or in the chambers of a State House,” said Senator Kristin M. Corrado (R-40). “From Albany to Trenton, those who protected and perpetuated sexual abuse cannot be let off the hook.”