By Matt Rooney
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Our Democrat legislature has repeatedly refused to investigate the state’s handling of COVID-19 and, specifically, the slaughter that’s occurred in our nursing homes. The legislature won’t even vote to limit Phil Murphy’s broad executive emergency powers which – if you’re keeping track – he renewed for a 7th time on Friday. A gaggle of New Jersey Democrat congressmen are actively trying to block a federal probe.
Not every state has a government that’s sticking its head in the sand.
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Massachusetts Democrats and Republicans are acting, albeit later than many families would’ve liked.
A legislative oversight committee is set to meet next week. This week, two former Massachusetts state officials were indicted by a grand jury with 10 criminal counts a piece; the charges relate to their actions at the time that COVID-19 claimed the lives of 76 veterans living in a state-run facility.
The Bay State has the nation’s worst LTC death rate; guess who is #2?
“Massachusetts took the bull by the horns,” said Senator Joe Pennacchio (R-26) on Friday. “I take no pleasure in hearing that anybody has been criminally indicted, but I am trying to get at the truth and I can’t understand why our Legislature is sitting on its hands.”
SenateNJ.com
“Our state has suffered such incredible loss in nursing homes, where 7,100 seniors died, and New Jersey should be leading our neighbor states in investigating what happened leading to the loss of life and how it happened,” added Pennacchio who has been demanding a legislative committee to investigate the deaths going back to the spring. “While the Senate delays, people are still getting sick and dying.”
The Democrat N.J. Senate leadership did say it planned to form a committee back in May but, four months later, close to 2,500 more LTC residents have died and no hearings have been held.
“We should have called witnesses already. We should have challenged the Administration to explain their policies and decisions,” Pennacchio added. “There has been no accountability, no determination of responsibility. Questions need to be asked, and we need to hear the answers. An investigation with subpoena powers is necessary so we can compel testimony and determine what was done right, what was done wrong, and what we should do moving forward to ensure this never happens again.”
New Jersey has lost approximately 7,100 residents in nursing homes since the pandemic began.
