Stephen M. Sweeney

Steve Sweeney is the New Jersey Senate President. He was first elected to the New Jersey Senate in 2001. Serving as Senate President since January 2010, he has taken a leading role in promoting property tax relief and refocusing the New Jersey’s fiscal priorities. In 2011 he proposed sweeping reforms to the public employee pension and health benefits systems that will save taxpayers over $120 billion over a 30-year period. Senate President Sweeney was also instrumental in crafting the state’s new 2-percent property tax cap and leading efforts to reform the state’s public employee pension and benefits laws, and in efforts to reform the arbitration procedures for police and fire contract disputes.

An ironworker by trade, Senate President Sweeney has been a strong advocate for organized labor and the rights of workers. He has sponsored laws to raise New Jersey’s minimum wage and create the state’s Paid Family Leave program.

A tireless advocate for individuals with developmental disabilities, Senate President Sweeney sponsored laws that removed references to “retardation” in state statutes and created a statewide registry of offenders who abused individuals with developmental disabilities.