MORRIS COUNTY — Assemblyman Brian Bergen introduced legislation to give small businesses credit for collecting and remitting sales tax to the state.

“The state expects our small businesses to collect, manage, file and remit sales taxes all at their own expense. It’s time that costs associated with doing the state’s revenue collection work is paid for by the state and not forced on the small business,” said Bergen (R-Morris). “Small businesses are responsible for half the jobs in New Jersey. We have to do what we can to keep jobs in the state and help these employers.”

According to the Small Business Administration, New Jersey small businesses employ 1.8 million people. More than 90 percent of small firms were responsible for generating about 40 percent of New Jersey’s $27.4 billion in total exports in 2016. The state has more than 884,000 small businesses with about 19 percent of those businesses employing less than 20 workers.

Under Bergen’s bill, businesses with less than 20 full-time employees would be able to get a credit of 10 percent of their monthly remittance of sales tax or $100 per month, whichever is less, when they file their sales and use tax return.

MORRIS COUNTY — Morris County Prosecutor Fredric M. Knapp joined other New Jersey prosecutors and those from all states at the 2020 National District Attorneys Association Capital Conference, held in Washington D.C. on January 28 and January 29, 2020.

The NDAA Capital Conference was an educational and networking event that allowed attendees to connect with members of the Administration, federal agencies and Capitol Hill lawmakers.

Conference speakers included the Honorable Ann Wagner, Congresswoman, 2nd District of Missouri; the Honorable Sheldon Whitehouse, U.S. Senator from Rhode Island; Robert Parmiter, Deputy Staff Director & Chief Counsel, House Committee on the Judiciary; Richard Downing, U.S. Deputy Attorney General & U.S. Associate Deputy Attorney General; Michael Gray of The Actus Foundation; and State’s Attorney Pennington County, South Dakota, Mark Vargo.

During the conference, Prosecutor Knapp and several other New Jersey county prosecutors met with U.S. Representative Mikie Sherrill, U.S. Representative Josh Gottheimer, U.S. Representative Chris Smith, and other federal lawmakers.

Prosecutor Knapp said “The NDAA Capital Conference provides a great opportunity for Prosecutors across the nation to meet federal lawmakers. The New Jersey delegation was extremely welcoming to us and we hope to continue a productive dialogue.”

PARSIPPANY — Sons of Italy #2561 is hosting a bus trip to Wind Creek Casino (formerly Sands), Pennsylvania on Saturday, March 28. Bus leaves K-Mart (Arlington Plaza) parking lot at 11:00 a.m. sharp.

Cost is $40.00 per person and includes sandwiches, refreshments on the bus and $25.00 back in slot play.

Contact Jim Torsiello at (973) 941-5654 for reservations or additional information.

MORRIS COUNTY —  The Morris County Heritage Commission is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year with a calendar of special programming to highlight many aspects of Morris County’s history.

Anniversary programs for 2020 will include a wide variety of topics that celebrate and acknowledge Morris County’s rich history. The topics were selected from featured articles published in the Commission’s newsletter The Heritage Review, previously known as the County Circular, since the first issue in 1977.

Original newsletters from the 1970s through 2019 are available online by clicking here.

“We thank the Heritage Commission for 50 great years of educating us on the important role Morris County played in our nation’s history, from its founding and formative years, through the Civil War and World Wars I and II, to the present day,” said Morris County Freeholder Director Deborah Smith.

“The staff and all volunteer members of the Heritage Commission over the past half century are to be congratulated for their outstanding efforts in calling attention to our great history,” Smith added.

To help commemorate this year-long anniversary, the Heritage Commission created a specially designed 50th- anniversary logo which features the Morris County Courthouse. The courthouse was selected because Heritage Commission offices were located there in the early 1970s and historic records and documents were housed there in the 19th century.
The color gold represents 50th anniversaries. Aubergine is the color associated with wisdom, dignity, devotion, and humanitarianism and is used on the Commission’s web page and Facebook page and newsletter banner.

Currently scheduled 50th anniversary program include:

Also, a presentation on Women’s Suffrage is under development for later this year.

In addition to anniversary programming, the Commission will:

• Co-sponsor the 2020 Local History Symposium with the Canal Society of New Jersey at the Morris County Cultural Center in Mendham Township on April 25
• Present a Grant Writing Basics workshop on 19 at the Morris County Library in Hanover Township;
• Participate in the annual Morristown Fall Festival in late September.

The Morris County Heritage Commission, which was created in 1970, is charged with maintaining the County Archives, publishing a newsletter and brochures relating to Morris County history, placing and maintaining historical site markers, and curating public programs, workshops and small exhibits.

Since its inception, on behalf of the Board of Freeholders, the Heritage Commission also has facilitated the understanding and preservation of Morris County’s diverse heritage by administering the county re-grant program, with funding provided by the New Jersey Historical Commission for nonprofit organizations.

History organizations, such as historical societies, museums, and historic preservation societies are eligible to apply for general operating support or project grants between $1,000 and $7,000. Fraternal, veterans’, education, youth and ethnic organizations can apply for project grants ranging from$500 to $5,000.

Members of the Heritage Commission staff are professional historians and archivists and offer guidance and assistance to nonprofit organizations on archival and history subjects.
Stay tuned to the Heritage Commission’s website and Facebook page for program announcements and updates.

PARSIPPANY — Representative Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11) delivered unanimous House passage of the bipartisan Puppies Assisting Wounded Servicemembers (PAWS) for Veterans Therapy Act (H.R. 4305). The PAWS for Veterans Therapy Act will create a pilot program within the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to give veterans access to treatment derived from working with service dogs. Representative Sherrill is a lead sponsor of the PAWS for Veterans Therapy Act alongside author Representative Steve Stivers (R-OH).

Specifically, the VA will partner with non-profit organizations working with veterans and service dogs to create work-therapy programs wherein veterans learn the art and science of training dogs.  Upon completion of the program, the veterans may adopt their dogs to provide continuing therapy.

“Researchers, doctors, and veterans report the same thing: service dogs are a transformational form of therapy for our veterans with PTSD,” said Representative Mikie Sherrill. “Service dogs help create bonds of trust and love with veterans, soothing the invisible wounds of war. Right now, it is incredibly expensive and difficult for veterans to access the care that service dogs can provide. I’m proud that the House overwhelmingly supported this mission-based therapy and I thank Representative Stivers for his tireless leadership on this issue. We were able to get more than 300 co-sponsors for this bill — proof that we can work together to make sure veterans get the treatment they deserve.”

In November 2019, Representative Sherrill hosted a screening at the U.S. Capitol of “To Be of Service,” a documentary that highlights the transformational relationship between veterans and their service dogs, and follows the journey of veterans newly paired with a service dog. After the screening, veterans featured in the film spoke about their experiences with service dogs and called on Congress to pass the PAWS for Veterans Therapy Act.