Alan Karcher Archives - New Jersey Globe

Freedom Rider Byron Baer spent 34 years in the NJ legislature — and 45 days in a Mississippi prison

July 29, 2020 12:10 amJuly 29, 2020 12:59 pm

Today is the 59th anniversary of the arrest of Freedom Rider Byron Baer, a longtime New Jersey legislator who was charged with attempting to desegregate a blacks-only waiting room at the Greyhound bus terminal in Jackson, Mississippi. He spent 45...

William J. Hamilton, former Assembly Speaker, dies at 86

October 12, 2019 4:28 pmOctober 13, 2019 3:11 pm

Former Assembly Speaker William J. Hamilton, Jr., a skilled legislator with a reputation for integrity and independence, died on Thursday. He was 86. A product of John A. Lynch, Sr.’s New Brunswick political organization, Hamilton served six years in the...

Labor Leader: Paul J. Krebs, last president of NJ CIO served one-term in Congress

September 2, 2019 1:01 amSeptember 2, 2019 1:51 am

The last New Jersey Democrat to lose a U.S. Senate race in New Jersey was Paul Krebs (1912-1996), labor leader and one-term congressman from Livingston. His story involves one of the great New Jersey labor union feuds. The account starts...

Freedom Rider Byron Baer spent 34 years in the NJ legislature — and 45 days in a Mississippi prison

July 29, 2019 8:02 amJanuary 20, 2020 5:31 pm

Today is the 58th anniversary of the arrest of Freedom Rider Byron Baer, a longtime New Jersey legislator who was charged with attempting to desegregate a blacks-only waiting room at the Greyhound bus terminal in Jackson, Mississippi. He spent 45...

Renny Travisano, former Middlesex county clerk, dies at 82

June 9, 2019 1:53 pmJune 9, 2019 9:07 pm

Raniero Travisano, a popular Sayreville Democrat who served one term as Middlesex County Clerk before losing in the 1990 anti-Florio protest election, died on June 8. He was 82. Travisano was a junior high school teacher and guidance counselor when...

Coughlin firm is new Long Branch attorney

June 29, 2018 4:13 pmJune 30, 2018 8:12 pm

The law firm of Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin is expected to be named city attorney for Long Branch on Sunday when John Pallone takes office as the new mayor. The hiring of the Coughlin firm by the new mayor enhances...

Gusciora can last 12 hours into a shutdown

June 18, 2018 8:41 amJune 19, 2018 2:43 pm

Reed Gusciora will resign from the State Assembly until just before noon on July1, when he takes the oath of office as the new mayor of Trenton. If there is no budget deal between the Legislature and Governor Phil Murphy...