Linda Stender

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Linda Stender (born July 25, 1951) is an American Democratic Party politician who has served in the New Jersey General Assembly since 2002, where she represents the 22nd legislative district. She serves in the Assembly as the Vice Chairwoman of the Transportation and Public Works Committee and as a member of the Tourism and Gaming Committee and the Health and Senior Services Committee. She is a former Vice Chairwoman of the Tourism and Gaming Committee and a former Vice Chairwoman of the Environment and Solid Waste Committee.

Contents 1 Background 2 2006 Congressional Race 3 Proposed Ban of Ann Coulter's book Godless 4 District 22 5 References 6 External links

[edit] Background

Stender previously served as a Councilwoman (from 1988-1990) and as Mayor (from 1992-1995) in Fanwood, before winning the first of three terms on the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders where she served from 1994-2002. She served as Chairwoman of the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders in 1997. She was elected to the State Assembly in 2001 and reelected in 2003. Democratic Party leaders denied her a chance to run for the State Senate in 2003.

Legislation sponsored by Stender and signed into law includes: The Integrated Pest Management Act, A-2841, which requires public and private schools to establish an integrated pest management policy to protect students and staff^[1]; A-2654 and A-2655, which permitted the use of reclaimed asphalt pavement on public highways maintained by local governments and by the New Jersey Department of Transportation on the State’s three toll roads; and the Toll Road Consolidation Bill, A-3392, which abolished the New Jersey Highway Authority and transfered projects and functions to the New Jersey Turnpike Authority.

Legislation sponsored by Stender includes: A-2330, which creates a low interest mortgage loan program in the NJ Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency for volunteer firefighters, emergency medical squads, and emergency rescue squads; A-2753, which requires the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey to use transported remains of victims of the September 11, 2001 attacks in a memorial; A-2930, which permits municipalities to place stop signs on certain intersections near schools, playgrounds, and youth recreational facilities; A-3345, which provides public safety members in federal or state military service who are injured or killed with disability or death benefits; A-3502, which provides municipalities with equal funding for new construction where the existing facilities are considered unfit for rehabilitation for health and safety reasons.

Stender received a B.A. from The American University in Interdisciplinary Communications.

[edit] 2006 Congressional Race

Stender was the Democratic Party nominee for New Jersey's 7th congressional district (map), where she faced off against Republican incumbent Mike Ferguson. Stender lost the 7th District race by slightly more than 3,000 votes, or just 1% of all votes cast in the election. This is the closest challenge Ferguson has faced since being elected.

Stender campaigned as a self-described "progressive" and advocated for stem cell research and the impeachment hearings against President George W. Bush.^[2]

In April 2006, Stender was endorsed by EMILY's List^[3] and Democracy for America (DFA)^[4]. In May 2006, Stender was endorsed by The Sierra Club^[5]. On October 22, 2006, The New York Times endorsed Linda Stender over Mike Ferguson in the 7th district.^[6]

The Ferguson campaign ran advertisements featuring the catchphrase "Linda Stender is a Spender," trying to characterize Stender as a tax-and-spend liberal.^[7]

[edit] Proposed Ban of Ann Coulter's book Godless

On June 8, 2006, Stender and Assemblywoman Joan M. Quigley proposed banning the sale of Ann Coulter's book Godless: The Church of Liberalism in New Jersey. They issued a joint press release, calling on "..New Jersey retailers to ban the sale of her book throughout the state."

A few days after Stender and Quigley's press release was issued, it was edited on the New Jersey Assembly Democratic Majority website. The word "ban" was replaced with the word "boycott" in two instances (in the title and in the third paragraph).^[8] The original text of the press release can viewed on several websites.^{[9][10][11][12][13]}

Stender and Quigley issued the press release in response to Coulter's criticism of the Jersey Girls, four widows of the September 11, 2001 attacks from New Jersey who have criticized U.S. policies in the events leading up to September 11th. Due to this press release Stender and Quigley were both featured on Larry King Live on CNN.

Stender and Quigley's call to ban Coulter's book has been denounced as censorship by some.^[14][15] However, others have defended the two by saying that they were merely advocating a boycott, which would allow the book to continue being published uncensored.

[edit] District 22

Each of the forty districts in the New Jersey Legislature has one representative in the New Jersey Senate and two members in the New Jersey General Assembly. The other representatives from the 22nd Legislative District are:

• Assemblyman Jerry Green, and
• Senator Nicholas Scutari

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Stender for Congress 2006 website
• Assemblywoman Stender's Legislative Website
• New Jersey Voter Information Website 2003
• New Jersey Legislature financial disclosure form for 2005 (PDF)
• New Jersey Legislature financial disclosure form for 2004 (PDF)

Preceded by: Edwin Force

Chairwoman of the Board of Chosen Freeholders of Union County, New Jersey 1997

Succeeded by: Daniel Sullivan