TRENTON – The Senate sponsor of the controversial plan to merge Rutgers-Camden with Rowan University told lawmakers that Rutgers-Camden will not disappear.
Sen. Donald Norcross, (D-5), Camden, sponsor of S2063, the New Jersey Medical and Health Sciences Educational Restructuring Act, attempted to ease concerns of opponents to the higher education restructuring plan Thursday, saying “Rutgers-Camden remains Rutgers-Camden” under the plan.
Norcross also said Rutgers-Camden will have administrative independence under the Senate plan, which, along with the Rutgers name being absorbed by Rowan, has been a pivotal sticking point among the proposal’s critics.
“The same question keeps coming up whenever we hear about this,” said committee chair Sen. Sandra Cunningham. “What are we talking about in terms of money?”
Norcross and the bill’s other sponsor in the Senate, Sen. Joseph Vitale, (D-19), told the committee that the numbers are still a work in progress, but said costs would be disclosed during the next Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee meeting.
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Sen. Paul Sarlo (D-36), chairman of the budget committee, again pressed the lawmakers on when “hard numbers” on the merger would emerge, saying “it’s just not fair” to have to discuss the legislation during the upcoming committee hearing without having hard numbers.
“Will we have hard numbers to look at Monday,” Sarlo asked, referring to next week’s budget committee meeting.
“To be direct with your question, yes,” Norcross responded.
Norcross and Vitale kicked off testimony on their legislation before a standing-room-only committee hearing this afternoon.
The Senate Higher Education Committee is expected to hear a wealth of testimony from critics and proponents of the legislation. <–>
