Legislator Wants to Make NJ ‘The Place to Be’

New Jersey State Senate Republican leader Tom Kean Jr. is putting the final touches on legislation that's designed to create more jobs and give the Garden State an economic shot in the arm.

"Over the next few months we'll be unveiling a set of new proposals to make New Jersey the place to be, whether it's for a business, raising a family, or making the overall state more affordable," Kean said.

Kean stressed the legislative package "focuses on fostering innovation, reducing excessive costs, developing New Jersey's workforce, enhancing tourism and agriculture and improving New Jersey's economic development policies and programs. All told this is a soup to nuts approach to folks on ways to create new jobs."

The Republican leader said he'll soon be traveling around the state talking to people who are creating jobs and telling them this is a way we can make New Jersey more affordable, make sure government is more accountable and make sure we lower overall costs

Kean said a tour of the Garden State - with members of the GOP caucus - will kick off  in one week at Bell Labs in Murray Hill, where they'll focus "on ways to bring new post-doctoral industrial research talent into the state of New Jersey for entrepreneurs and large industrial research entities."

Kean stressed he hopes this effort will be backed by both Republicans and Democrats.

"Not only do these bills make real common sense but they are ways to change and improve the direction the state of New Jersey is on right now, this is part of the overall effort, and it should be done on a bipartisan basis," Kean said. "To say we need to make New Jersey more affordable, we need to show there are ways we can improve innovation. It's about developing New Jersey's workforce in a better way and make sure we're a travel and tourist destination that is second to none."