Sen. Buono to head
committee
State Sen. Barbara Buono (D-18) was recently appointed as the Democratic conference chair for the 2004-05 legislative session, and chairwoman of the new Senate Committee on Wagering, Tourism and Historic Preservation.
As chair, Buono will preside over all Senate caucus meetings, which are convened in order to discuss and debate legislation considered by the Senate. The committee will review legislation concerned with casino gambling, the horse racing industry, tourism and historic preservation.
According to Buono, Metuchen, one of her initial priorities, will be the issue of video lotteries. "It makes sense to fully explore what could be a tremendous revenue source involving hundreds of millions of additional dollars annually to the state treasury," said Buono. "I would like the committee to hear from all the stakeholders involved with video lotteries so we can weigh the economic benefits to the horse racing industry and its true impact on casinos in New Jersey."
Buono will again serve on the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee as well as the Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee.
Elected to the General Assembly in 1994, Buono served seven years in the lower chamber before being elected to the Senate in 2001, and re-elected in November. The 18th Legislative District includes East Brunswick, Edison, Helmetta, Metuchen, South Plainfield, South River and Spotswood.