Press of Atlantic City from Atlantic City, New Jersey • 10

A cfjfflij 5W PAGEA10 THE PRESS ATLANTIC CITY NJ NEW JERSEY SUNDAY JANUARY 13 2002 Richard Codey becomes fourth acting governor in five days As he signs a bill into i law Codey remarks on how strange it feels to be the one sitting at the desk with toe pen Associated Press WEST ORANGE New gubernatorial carousel has spun again State Senate President Richard Codey a Democrat took over as acting governor Saturday becoming the fourth person to occupy the office in five days serve until noon Tuesday when Gov elect James McGreevey is inaugu rated Codey split his first day as chief executive between busi ness and pleasure visiting a psychiatric hospital and attending his basketball games in the afternoon The acting governor also signed his first bill into law at a ceremony in West Orange hometown It bans nursing homes from requiring patients to sign away their right to sue before they can be admitted He remarked on how strange it felt to be the one sitting at the desk with the pen with people crowded behind him as pho tographers snapped away "or 28 years always stood behind trying to get myself in the he quipped is a little differ ent" His ascension to New political throne however tem porary continued an unusual week in which four men have held the title of acting governor It began Tuesday morning when Don ald term ended or about 90 minutes state Attomev General John armer Jr held the CODEY power although he declined to wield it After that both Senate presi dents the state Senate is split 20 20 were sworn in for the remaining days left before McGreevey is sworn in Codey and Republican Senate President John Bennett agreed in advance that Bennett would serve the first 3'2 days and Codey the remainder Earlier Saturday Codey began his brief term with a visit to the Greystone Psychiatric Hospital in Parsippany where he had Sa sfci breakfast with about 100 patients lady came up to me and said 'Can you stay on longer as governor? I like Codey said think tell Jim about that one Another came up to me and said like you a Then she paused and said only as a Story of my Codey said he chose to visit Greystone as his first official act out of a longstanding concern for the well being of the men tally Hl STATE TRENTON Bennett pardons friend before end of term rom our wire services Republican state Senate President John Bennett par doned a longtime acquain tance riday before his brief term as acting governor ended Hugh Gallagher 58 of Keansburg has three disorderly persons convictions and has been convicted of carrying a concealed weapon bookmak ing and possession of stolen goods according to a release from the acting office Gallagher has cancer Bennett has known Gallagher a former member of the Keansburg Board of Education for 30 years A message left at home by The Associated Press was not immediately returned Saturday But the press release said information in applications showed he was a deserving candidate our auto insurers are granted rate hikes The Department of Banking and Insurance has approved rate increases for four auto insurance companies The biggest increase was granted riday to ounders Insurance Co which will revise its way of classifying drivers Rates will increase an average of 114 percent for customers but about 7000 will not see any change A 78 percent increase was approved for 30000 drivers covered by arm amily Casualty Insurance Co The decision settles a lawsuit the insurer filed after it was denied a request for an 183 percent increase in 1998 as well as the request last year for a 303 percent increase The department also approved changes for the New Jersey Re Insurance Co which provides coverage for 43000 people NJDOT bans trucks from Route 29 tunnel The state Department of Transportation will not allow trucks to pass through a Route 29 tunnel scheduled to open next month even though the state has touted the project as a way to take trucks off local roads this is true this has been the biggest waste of money aggravation and disruption of businesses and neighborhoods in the history of DOT Mayor Douglas Palmer told The Times of Trenton for editions they were going to ban trucks they have built the tunnel in the first The 18 mile construction project which includes the half mile tunnel links Route 29 with Interstates 95 195 and 295 in a beltway system that should significantly reduce rush hour congestion HACKENSACK Cop release nears son files lawsuit Convicted cop killer Thomas Trantino is scheduled to be released from a Camden halfway house in ebruary according to state officials The state Department of Corrections said TYantino 63 will be released eb 12 after nearly 40 years in prison But he will have new legal challenges to face as a wrong ful death lawsuit was filed against him last week in Bergen ii County Superior Court TThe lawsuit was filed by JenyVoto who is the son of Lodi police Sgt Peter Voto one of two officers TYantino shot to death at the Angel Lounge in 1963 to LEES OR LIVING 25 YR WARRANTY WALL TO WALL CARPET DECORATOR AREA RUGS WITHOUT THE DECORATOR PRICE TAG NOBODY EVER BEATS OUR WAVERLY PRICENOBODY! 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