The Herald-News from Passaic, New Jersey • A3

Saturday, January 17, 2015 HERALD NEWS A3 STATE NEWS Bills target demands to repay Sandy aid Menendez, Pallone seek ban on FEMA 'clawbacks' lone say, that money has already been spent on repairs. "Disaster victims should never have to pay for someone else's mis future federal disaster assistance, the lawmakers said. A FEMA spokesman did not immediately respond to a request By WAYNE PARRY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS UNION BEACH About 3,000 Superstorm Sandy victims who were either wrongly given storm recovery aid or who were overpaid would not have to repay the federal government under legislation to be introduced next week by two New Jersey congressmen. U.S. Sen.

Bob Menendez and Rep. Frank Pallone, both Democrats, will introduce identical bills that would prohibit the Federal Emergency Management Agency from issuing so-called "clawback" letters demanding repayment of aid it wrongly awarded to homeowners. The law would not apply to cases of fraud. The two lawmakers estimate that 3,000 homeowners in New Jersey and New York have gotten repayment demands. They say the legislation is designed to help storm victims who applied for aid, got it, and through no fault of their own, were later found to be ineligible or overpaid.

In many cases, Menendez and Pal- ASSOCIATED PRESS Governor Christie greeting U.S. Sens. Joni Ernst and Charles Grassley at Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad's inauguration. Christie returns to Iowa as he mulls race for president Says he feels no pressure to decide 41 firefighters take oath in Newark NEWARK New Jersey's largest city has 41 new firefighters.

Mayor Ras Baraka swore in 41 recruits from the Fire Department's 44th class Friday. All recruits completed 12 weeks of training at the fire academy that included physical training, classroom work and practical exercises including simulated rescues The class includes 17 African-Americans and nine Latinos. Ruling on mayor's legal fees upheld NEWARK Former Newark Mayor Sharpe James and an associate improperly used about $94,000 in campaign funds to pay for legal fees surrounding James' federal indictment in 2007, a state appeals court wrote in a decision published Friday. The panel's ruling upheld a lower court's ruling from 2012. The New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission sued James in 2011 over $94,000 it claimed he and the associate took from campaign funds to pay for legal fees.

James was indicted on federal corruption charges and was ultimately convicted in 2008 of illegally steering city-owned land to his mistress. Passenger flown from ship for care ATLANTIC CITY The Coast Guard flew a sick passenger from a cruise ship to a hospital in Atlantic City on Friday. A doctor aboard the Norwegian Breakaway notified the Coast Guard on Thursday night that the 67-year-old required immediate medical attention. A helicopter reached the ship, and the woman was hoisted aboard for the flight to AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center. Coast Guard Lt.

Matt Kroll said the immediate concern was keeping the woman safe and warm during the hoist. There was no word on her condition. From news service reports tor comment Fn- jrfflk. day. A similar bill banning repayment demands from Hurricane Katrina victims was approved by Congress and ultimately signed by PALLONE President Obama in 2012, according to Steve Sandberg, a spokesman for Menendez.

At a news conference in a still-rebuilding neighborhood of Union Beach that was severely damaged by Sandy, Menendez said preliminary statistics from FEMA show the agency has issued 809 repayment demand letters in New Jersey and about 2,200 in New York. The average repayment demand to New Jersey residents was about a figure for New York was not immediately available. The legislation would apply to aid recipients who earn $250,000 a year or less. other, comes as Assembly members enter an election year and the governor prepares an announcement on a White House run. Democrats want to send the bill to Christie, and expecting another veto they hope to persuade their GOP colleagues to support an override effort, said Assemblyman John McKeon, D-Essex.

"It's been vetoed multiple times," said Assemblyman Scott Rumana, R-Wayne. "I don't think you're going to get a different result." The Associated Press Democrats push greenhouse initiative for nearly 13 months," Christie said. "So let's everybody take a deep breath. I don't know about you, but I don't feel the need to rush something as serious as deciding if you want to run for the president of the United States." Christie has made numerous visits to the leadoff caucus state as he considers whether to seek the 2016 Republican nomination for president. He is scheduled to return next week to attend a conservative summit.

Iowa Republican Party Chairman Jeff Kaufmann was among those who met with Christie on Friday and said they had a "free-flowing conversation." "He has a very big personality, a very straightforward guy. I'm actually heartened that he's coming to Iowa," Kaufmann said. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS DES MOINES, Iowa Governor Christie was back in Iowa on Friday as he weighs jumping into the presidential race. Christie attended the inauguration of Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad at a convention center in Des Moines.

The appearance was part of a tour of swearing-in ceremonies for GOP governors he helped elect as chairman of the Republican Governors Association. Christie said he would be attending private meetings in Des Moines, the Iowa capital, before heading back to New Jersey later in the day. He also repeated his contention that he does not feel any pressure to make a decision on entering the race. "We're not voting in Iowa here take, Menendez said. "These families have suffered enough, are barely holding on financially and emotionally, and can't afford to pay back money they MENENDEZ thought all along was rightfully theirs to use towards their recovery." Pallone said, "Homeowners still struggling to rebuild from the devastation of Sandy should not be forced to repay grants that were awarded because of honest mistakes.

While I understand the importance of reducing waste, fraud and abuse in the system, the efforts to do so should not be made on the back end of this process in a way that punishes disaster victims with an unaffordable bill." The letters threaten legal action, negative reports to credit agencies, property liens and ineligibility for passed similar legislation. Since RGGI began in 2003, it has been responsible for removing the equivalent of 149,000 vehicles from the road and for saving residents $240 million on their energy bills, according to a 2014 study produced by the group. The initiative works by setting up a marketplace for carbon dioxide credits, which state regulators sell at an auction. The legislative push, the latest between Democrats and environmental groups on the one side and Christie and Republicans on the LEASE FOR: $10 PER MO, I tT FOR 24 MOS.t OR BUY FOR: $24799 contrl, keyless, alarm sec, iPod connector, total puts, $19,464 purt LEASE FOR: $100 PER MO. I CO FOR 24 MOS.t OR RIIY FOR- I $20.479 abs, ac, Bluetooth, trac contrl, kevless.

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