‘Above my pay grade’: New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy claims Bill of Rights did not factor into his coronavirus executive orders
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Paramus NJ, State Senator Joe Pennacchio participated remotely in Thursday morning’s Senate Economic Growth Committee, voting from the parking lot of the Paramus Veterans Memorial Home.
Pennacchio’s actions were in response to Democrat leaderships’ insistence the elected legislators must show Covid passports to exercise their legislative responsibilities at the State House in Trenton.
The Senator has challenged the edict, contending it is not science based, emphasizing the fact that vaccinated individuals can still become infected and spread the virus.
Pennacchio also questioned why natural immunity has not been factored into these arbitrary, exclusionary decisions. Studies have shown natural immunity to be equal to, and perhaps more effective than, current vaccines.
The Senator also highlighted the Democrats failed response to tragic deaths of 10,000 lives in nursing homes.
“The Senate has failed to convene committee oversight hearings and failed to issue subpoenas to find out why the Covid virus was forced into nursing homes, why testing was denied, and why 10,000 frail and elderly residents lost their lives,” Pennacchio said.
“As legislators are locked out and prevented from doing the people’s business, I chose to point out the insanity of the administration’s Covid policy which was so disastrous to so many, especially our frail and elderly. I wish they had dedicated as much attention and public health science to our most vulnerable residents as the Democrat legislators are to creating arbitrary rules based on pseudoscience for our legislators,” concluded Pennacchio.
Responding to reports that Governor Phil Murphy referred to Republicans who refused to comply with the State House mandate of proof of vaccination or negative test result as “idiocy” and “unforgivable” state Senator-Elect Ed Durr renewed his call for a bipartisan investigation into the 10,000 nursing home deaths caused by Governor Phil Murphy’s orders.
“Governor Phil Murphy is the last person who should be using words like ‘idiocy’ and ‘unforgivable’ to describe anyone,” state Senator-Elect Ed Durr said. “Idiocy was ordering COVID positive patients into nursing homes despite being warned that people will die.”
“Unforgivable was defending his orders in the first gubernatorial debate.” Durr added, “Phil Murphy still has not apologized for issuing orders that killed senior citizens.”
“New Jerseyans want and deserve answers. 10,000 families who lost loved ones want and deserve answers.” Durr said, “The only way to get those answers is for a bipartisan investigation with subpoena power into the 10,000 nursing home deaths caused by Phil Murphy’s dangerous orders. It is my hope the state Senate President and the Assembly Speaker will immediately call for that investigation so New Jerseyans can get the answers they deserve.”
Assemblyman Hal Wirths responded to Gov. Phil Murphy’s comments about Republican lawmakers who refused last week to comply with vaccine and testing mandates to enter the Statehouse. “What is absolutely outrageous is that the governor doesn’t think this is about freedom or civil rights when he treated the State Police like junkyard dogs protecting the Assembly from Republicans like they are a danger to the property,” said Wirths (R-Sussex). “He ordered the State Police to keep us out of the chambers. They deserve better than that. At least the State Police have respect for the law and individual rights.” “We are law-abiding citizens who are elected to represent the people of New Jersey and we peacefully represent them,” continued Wirths. “If we don’t need a vaccination card to buy groceries, we don’t need a vaccination card to do our constitutional duty.” “He can’t coerce us into how we represent the people who elected us,” concluded Wirths. “He has an utter disregard and contempt for anyone who disagrees with him, and he is unable to see the other side.”
