By Bruce Shipkowski • ASSOCIATED PRESS • August 30, 2010

TRENTON — New Jersey lawmakers are touting legislation aimed at ensuring that the state's colleges and universities have plans in place to address major on-campus emergencies.

Under the proposal, schools would file comprehensive five-year campus security plans, which would identify their preparedness for potential emergencies, with state homeland security and higher education officials.

Those officials, if needed, would then provide specific comments on areas of plans they deem deficient.

The plans would spell out a clear delegation of authority and provide for the protection of vital records. They also would specify procedures for periodic testing, to help ensure that plans are current and working properly.

And if a major on-campus emergency did occur, the affected school's security plan would then be immediately reviewed to see how it worked and what -- if any -- changes should be made.

COURIER-POST STAFF EDITORIAL- August 30, 2010

Legislation on gifts and travel from two South Jersey lawmakers should become law.

In light of the recent revelations about a Delaware River Port Authority executive abusing a perk by letting his daughter use another DRPA employee's allotted free bridge crossings, it seems reform is on the agenda again in New Jersey. That's always a good thing.

But often, the reforms that come of such affairs don't amount to much, and things tend to slide back to the way they've always been.

Two South Jersey legislators, however, are proposing a wide set of new rules and prohibitions that, if implemented, would do much to curtail the potential for those in government to be corrupted and use their public positions to line their pockets through perks and gifts.