From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Nia Gill
Nia Gill
Nia H. Gill (b. March 15, 1948, Glen Ridge, New Jersey) is New Jersey’s support for the Fourteenth Amendment to
an American Democratic Party politician, who has been the United States Constitution and its due process and
serving in the New Jersey State Senate since 2002, where equal protection provisions.
she represents the 34th Legislative District. Gill sponsored legislation that provides a $3,000 in-
Gill serves in the Senate on the Commerce Committee come tax deduction for certain families providing home
(as Chair), the Legislative Oversight Committee (as Vice- care for an elderly relative, legislation that abolishes the
Chair), the Legislative Services Commission and the Judi- death penalty in New Jersey, and has also sponsored leg-
ciary Committee.[1] She has served as the Senate Presi- islation allowing PAAD recipients freedom of choice in
dent Pro-Tempore since January 12, 2010. selecting a pharmacy and prohibits the imposition of a
mail order system. The Senator also sponsored legisla-
Biography tion that establishes a central registry of domestic vio-
lence orders for use in evaluating firearm permit appli-
New Jersey Gov.-elect Jon Corzine said on November 11, cations, sponsored legislation to upgrade crimes of the
2005, that he would consider appointing Gill to fill his va- third degree. In addition, Senator Gill is the first African
cant seat in the United States Senate following his res- American and the first woman in the history of New
ignation to become Governor of New Jersey.[2] He later Jersey named to serve on the powerful Senate Judiciary
chose Bob Menendez to fill the seat. Committee.
Before her service as State Senator, Gill served in the Gill is generally recognized as being one of the lead-
lower house of the New Jersey Legislature, the General ing abortion rights advocates in New Jersey politics. One
Assembly, from 1994 to 2001, where she was Minority significant example is her opposition to the override of
Whip from 1996 to 2001.[1] She also served in the Assem- then-Governor Christie Whitman’s veto of the New
bly on the Speaker’s Education Funding Task Force and Jersey Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act of 1997 in the New
on several committees including, the Assembly Democra- Jersey Assembly.
tic Senior Citizen Task Force (as Co-chair) and the Assem- Gill received a B.A. in History/Political History from
bly Advisory Committee on the Arts, History and Human- Upsala College and was awarded a J.D. from the Rutgers
ities. University School of Law.[5] She is an attorney with the
Gill became a candidate for State Senate in District firm of Gill & Cohen, P.C. together with fellow Assembly
34 after some of the cities she had represented in the member Neil M. Cohen of the 20th Legislative District.[1]
Assembly were integrated into the district. Most of the
cites and towns added to District 34, which at the time
was a Republican stronghold and had been for nearly two
Senatorial courtesy
decades prior, were heavily Democratic and contribut- On June 4, 2007, Governor Corzine announced and filed
ed to Gill’s landslide victory over first-time incumbent his intent to nominate Stuart Rabner to be the next Chief
Norman M. Robertson.[3] In the 2003 primaries, LeRoy J. Justice of the New Jersey Supreme Court, replacing James
Jones, Jr. was given the party line opposing Gill. Despite R. Zazzali, who was nearing mandatory retirement age.[6]
being outspent by Jones in the heavily Democratic dis- Prior to the formal nomination, two members of the New
trict, Gill won with 55% of the vote.[4] addSenator Gill Jersey Senate from Essex County, where Rabner resides,
has been re-elected twice, winning elections in 2003 and were said to be blocking consideration of his confirma-
2007. (Gill, along with the other 39 state senators, was re- tion by invoking "senatorial courtesy", a Senate tradition
quired to run for her seat after two years due to a New that allows home county legislators to intercede to pre-
Jersey law taking into effect census changes to districts.) vent consideration of a local nominee. On June 14, 2007,
Gill is a sponsor of the measure recently signed into Governor Corzine officially nominated Rabner for the
law to criminalize the deprivation of civil rights by public post. State Senator Ronald Rice withdrew his objections
officials, making racial profiling a state crime. She has to Rabner’s nomination on June 15, 2007, after a meeting
also sponsored the New Jersey Civil Rights Act, which with the governor.[7] Fellow Senator Gill dropped her ef-
would give individuals a remedy whenever one person forts to block Rabner’s confirmation on June 19, 2007, af-
deprives another person of any rights, privileges or im- ter meeting with Rabner. While she did not respond to
munities or interferes with another’s civil rights. Addi- initial media requests to explain the nature of her con-
tionally, she sponsored a resolution to formally rescind cerns, anonymous lawmakers cited in The New York Times
an 1868 effort by the New Jersey Legislature to withdraw indicated that the objection was due to Rabner’s lack of
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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Nia Gill
New Jersey Senate
Preceded by New Jersey State Senator Succeeded by
Norman M. Robertson 34th Legislative District incumbent
January 8, 2002 — present
bench experience and Governor Corzine’s failure to con- [7] Associated Press. "Opposition Ebbs on Corzine
sider a minority candidate for the post.[8] Judge", The New York Times, June 15, 2007. Accessed
At the conclusion of confirmation hearings, the Se- June 20, 2007. "Ronald L. Rice, an Essex County
nate voted on June 21, 2007, to confirm Rabner as Chief Democrat and state senator, said yesterday that he
Justice by a 36-1 margin, with Gill casting the lone dis- would no longer block Gov. Jon S. Corzine’s
senting vote, citing Rabner’s lack of judicial experience nomination for chief justice of the State Supreme
and the fact that he had never argued a case in New Court."
Jersey’s courts. Anne Milgram was confirmed by a 37-1 [8] Jones, Richard G. "Senator Drops Objections to
Senate vote to succeed Rabner as Attorney General.[9] Corzine Court Nominee", The New York Times, June
20, 2007. Accessed June 20, 2007. "Senator Gill had
District 34 delayed Mr. Rabner’s confirmation hearing by
using “senatorial courtesy” — an obscure practice
Each of the forty districts in the New Jersey Legislature through which senators who represent the home
has one representative in the New Jersey Senate and two county of nominees may block consideration of
members in the New Jersey General Assembly. The other their confirmations."
representatives from the 34th Legislative District for the [9] Jones, Richard G. "After One Objection, Senate
2008-2009 legislative Session are: Confirms Corzine’s Choice for Chief Justice", The
• Assemblyman Thomas P. Giblin, and New York Times, June 22, 2007. Accessed June 22,
• Assemblywoman Sheila Y. Oliver 2007. "The Senate voted 36 to 1 to confirm Stuart
Rabner, who has been attorney general since
References September 2006 and was Mr. Corzine’s chief
counsel before that. It also confirmed Anne
[1] ^ Assemblywoman Gill’s legislative web page, New Milgram, Mr. Rabner’s first assistant, to succeed
Jersey Legislature. Accessed April 7, 2008. Mr. Rabner as attorney general.... A short time
[2] "Corzine Leaning Toward Black Woman to Take N.J. later, she was the only one of 40 senators to vote
Seat in Senate", Fox News Channel, December 1, against Mr. Rabner."
2005. Accessed May 16, 2007. "Shortly after being
elected New Jersey’s governor, Democrat Jon
Corzine speculated aloud that he might appoint a External links
woman to fill out his unexpired Senate term. Then • Senator Gill’s legislative web page, New Jersey
he singled out black state Sen. Nia Gill, calling her Legislature
an ’extraordinarily capable woman.’" • Senator Gill’s Website
[3] Gohlke, Josh; and Hughes, Jennifer V. "District 34", • New Jersey Senate Democrats Website Biography
The Record (Bergen County), November 7, 2001. • Senator Nia H. Gill, Project Vote Smart
Accessed July 9, 2008. "Four-term Assemblywoman • New Jersey Voter Information Website 2003
Nia Gill, D-Montclair, was well ahead of freshman • New Jersey Legislature financial disclosure forms
Sen. Norman Robertson, R-Clifton, in the race for • 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004
the district’s Senate seat. With most districts Persondata
reporting, Gill was overwhelming Robertson with
Name Gill, Nia
more than 80 percent of the vote. "
[4] Fitzgerald, Barbara. "Reflections on a Glass Alternative names
Ceiling", The New York Times, August 10, 2003. Short description
Accessed June 7, 2010. Date of birth March 15, 1948
[5] Senator Nia H. Gill, Project Vote Smart. Accessed
December 13, 2007. Place of birth
[6] "Source: Corzine picks Rabner as chief justice, Date of death
Milgram as AG", Courier News, May 31, 2007. Place of death
Accessed May 31, 2007.
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Nia_Gill&oldid=439478095"
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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Nia Gill
Categories:
• 1948 births
• Living people
• African American politicians
• African American women in politics
• Members of the New Jersey General Assembly
• New Jersey Democrats
• New Jersey lawyers
• New Jersey State Senators
• People from Essex County, New Jersey
• Women state legislators in New Jersey
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