Lessons from the State PBA Convention
LEGISLATIVE REPORT
By any measure, the 2015 State PBA Convention
was a success. The wide variety of topics ranged
from inspirational to analytical and the meetings
served to both summarize the success of the organization over the past year and to chart a course for
the future. But it would be a mistake to look at the
convention as a snapshot in time that is placed in a
ROB NIXON folder and forgotten. For members who attended
the event and for those who didn’t, the 2015 Convention had a number of takeaways that require the action and
the attention of the entire membership.
First and foremost, the importance of voting in the November
Assembly elections can’t be overstated. For two straight months,
NJ Cops magazine and my articles have stressed the value of the
“PBA Vote” to our efforts in Trenton and your future. Not voting or
ignoring PBA endorsements emboldens those who seek to
weaken your influence and your careers. Voting takes no time out
of your day but the message it sends will resonate long after you
leave the voting booth.
Second, on Nov. 17-19, the League of Municipalities will convene in Atlantic City for its annual conference. These few days
should be a must-attend for PBA members and leadership. While
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OCTOBER 2015
most of the conference topics involve the minutiae of running
local governments, there are two important reasons PBA leaders
should consider making a visit to AC Convention Center that
week:
For starters, there is no doubt that many of the reductions to
law enforcement benefits and contracts originated from discussions started or analyzed at sessions at the League’s conference.
It can be interesting to watch an idea develop in a seminar that
soon after becomes a piece of legislation and a priority for the
League. As municipal leaders yourself in various forms, there are
any number of topics to keep you occupied.
As union leaders, it is an excellent opportunity to gain the perspective of your employers as to how they operate and what they
think about you. You can also take in a seminar featuring NJ State
PBA President Colligan and municipal officials discussing
pension reform. (Interestingly, the League and the PBA are on the
same page in opposition to the governor’s Pension “Roadmap”
plan to cut pension benefits).
In addition, it is an excellent networking opportunity to see
your local elected and appointed officials in a casual setting.
There is no more important tool in government than relationships, and, if you know your mayor or council members are going
to be in AC, then think about setting some time aside to meet
socially to enhance or redevelop your relationship with them.
The State PBA itself also has some follow-up work to do since
our convention ended. PBA President Colligan, Executive Vice
President Kovar and I have met with nearly 100 of the 120 legislators in the Senate and General Assembly. As we look toward 2016
and deal with the changes that may come from this election,
those meetings will continue.
It is important to note that meeting a legislator once isn’t effective or useful on its own. In fact, we have met with several legislators, particularly those in leadership or who are friendly to law
enforcement, many times this year. As the prominent voice for
law enforcement in New Jersey, it is expected and required of the
State PBA that we be a constant presence before members of the
NJ State Legislature. No one can ever say the PBA is out of sight in
Trenton. As such, the State PBA will be scheduling a “Trenton
Day” for 2016 in the near future. The visuals of hundreds of PBA
members roaming the halls of the State House stunned legislators
and staff alike the last time we did this. That visit sent a strong
message that the State PBA is engaged and ready to interact with
state decision makers at any t [YK