Bill would name statehouse welcome center after Codey

A new bill would name the statehouse’s welcome center after former Gov. Dick Codey.

Senate President Nick Scutari and state Sen. John McKeon (D-West Orange) sponsored the Senate legislation, which would call the complex’s welcome center the “Governor Richard J. Codey Welcome Center.” Assemblywoman Rosy Bagolie (D-Livingston) sponsored a matching bill in the Assembly.

“It’s fitting that the facility welcoming visitors to the center of State Government in New Jersey is named after Governor Codey,” Scutari said in a release. “Dick Codey gained legendary status as a consummate public servant with a down-to-earth personality who everyone could relate to. His long and distinguished career in both houses of the Legislature, as Senate President and as Governor leaves a record of accomplishment that will continue to benefit the people of New Jersey.”

The Senate Budget Committee approved the bill during a Monday hearing in a 12-1 vote. State Sen. Michael Testa (R-Vineland) voted against the bill.

Codey, a Democrat, is the longest-serving legislator in state history. He joined the Assembly in 1973 and was elected to the state Senate after 10 years in the lower chamber. He served in the state Senate for 42 years, including eight as Senate president.

Codey served as acting governor in 2002 for about 84 hours in a bizarre line-of-succession situation that saw five people act as governor over the course of eight days.

He became governor in November 2004 after former Gov. Jim McGreevey resigned—there was no lieutenant governor in New Jersey until after the 2009 elections. Codey served as governor until January 2006, when Jon Corzine was sworn into office.

Codey also acted as governor for less than a month in 2007 after Corzine suffered serious injuries in a car crash.