March 2021 www.readingtonnews.com
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Serving All of Readington Township, NJ
Sen. Bateman Announces Decision Not to Seek Reelection After more than 38 years of dedicated public service, Senator Christopher “Kip” Bateman (R-Somerset, Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex) on Jan. 27 announced that he will not seek reelection to the State Senate. Bateman will serve out the remainder of his term in Legislative District 16, which will conclude in January 2022. “After careful consideration and with the support of my family, I have made the difficult decision not to seek reelection to the State Senate. As a lifelong resident of Somerset County, it has been an honor to spend nearly 40 years serving the community I am proud to call home,” said Senator Bateman. “I can’t begin to express how much I will miss serving our constituents. However, our state is
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still coping with a pandemic and I am committed to using my remaining time in office to help the countless residents who are in desperate need of our support.” “Although my time in elected office is coming to a close, I will always be a fierce advocate for the people of New Jersey. I’ll never stop fighting to make the Garden State a better place for our kids and grandkids. I look forward to finding new and exciting ways to give back to our neighbors in need,” Bateman added. Bateman has served the 16th district in the New Jersey State Legislature since 1994, when he was first elected to the New Jersey General Assembly, where he served seven consecutive terms, ending in 2007. He began serving
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in the New Jersey State Senate in 2008, where he currently serves as Deputy Whip on the Senate Republican Leadership team. Bateman also currently serves on the State Senate Environment and Energy, Judiciary and Education Committees. As the longtime ranking Republican member of the Senate Environment and Energy Committee, Bateman sponsored landmark legislation that created a long-term funding source for open space and farmland preservation, championed historical preservation efforts, and worked to safeguard clean air and clean water for future New Jersey residents. Some of his other legislative achievements include laws that reduced the cost of auto insurance
premiums for policyholders, a grant program to provide thermal imaging cameras to fire departments statewide, and bipartisan protections to strengthen crime victims’ rights. Bateman added that before he leaves office, he will continue to fight to see that his pending bipartisan legislation, “Timothy J. Piazza’s Law” (S-84) which would increase penalties for hazing on New Jersey’s college campuses, becomes law.
After he concludes his term in 2022, Bateman, who just welcomed his first grandchild, looks forward to spending more time with his family and will continue to be active in community service and at the law firm where he serves as a partner. Assemblyman Andrew Zwicker (D-South Brunswick) has announced his candidacy for the State Senate seat held by Bateman.
Vincent Panico, 29 of Readington Township, President of the Hunterdon Central Regional High School Board of Education, will be vying for the seat currently occupied by Assemblyman Andrew Zwicker, (D-South Brunswick) representing Readington Township, Flemington Borough, Raritan Township, Stockton Borough, and Delaware Township in Hunterdon County, as well as Hillsborough, Montgomery, Branchburg, Somerville Borough, Millstone and Rocky Hill in Somerset County, plus the municipality of Princeton and the unincorporated community of Kingston, bordering Middlesex and Somerset counties.
Panico, a Republican, began his political career as a 20-yearold college student elected to the Readington Township Board of Education in 2012. Following three years (2013 through 2015) on the Readington Township BoE, Panico ran for and was elected to his first term on the Hunterdon Central RHS board. He is now in the third year of his second threeyear term on that school board. Zwicker was first elected in November 2015. He recently announced his candidacy for the State Senate seat currently held by Republican Christopher “Kip” Bateman, who will not seek reelection.
Readington News A Community Newspaper
Serving All ofto Readington NJ Panico Run for Township, State Assembly
These Readington deer may have to learn reindeer games if the snow keeps up. Heavy snow blanketed Readington Township throughout the month of February with about 15 inches accumulating Feb. 1 and then another 5 inches Feb. 7. At press time mid-month, high snow banks along the roadways and epic icicles hanging from buildings were still a hazard. - Photo by John Painter