By Barbara A. Preston l Posted December 1, 2022
NJ Assembly Member Sadaf Jaffer opened a new district office in Montgomery Township, at 112 Commons Way, and held a ribbon-cutting ceremony on October 20. Jaffer, the former Montgomery Township mayor, represents New Jersey’s 16 legislative district. She is also a Princeton University researcher and lecturer in South Asian Studies, and self described “passionate advocate for racial, economic, and gender justice.”
The District Office
Montgomery residents may stop by or call the office for assistance they need with state programs, or to voice their opinions on what is going on in the state. Assemblywoman Jaffer and her staff encourage locals to get involved in the civic process.
The new office has educational resources, such as brochures about the legislative process and the NJ State House, activity books for children, and information about state programs such as the ANCHOR property tax rebate. “I look forward to serving as a resource for all members of the community,” Jaffer told The Montgomery News.
While Assemblywoman Jaffer does not have set office hours, she says she regularly meets with constituents who reach out with issues or concerns. Her staff coordinates all meeting requests for the assemblywoman, and meetings can be virtual or in person at the district office.
The office is open 9 am to 5 pm, Mondays through Fridays. Staff members will be there working on various projects, researching and drafting legislation, solving problems for constituents (unemployment, Motor Vehicle Commission issues, assistance with state programs, etc.), and organizing local outreach activities. Staff members and Assemblywoman Jaffer also take meetings with various stakeholders and constituents to hear their positions on statewide and local issues.
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Montgomery and Rocky Hill residents can stop by the office if they have issues. “However, we recommend emailing or calling in advance to ensure the staff is available to meet at the requested time,” Jaffer says. “Sometimes the staff and [Jaffer] will be in scheduled meetings or in Trenton. We want to ensure we are available to meet any constituent at the office.” Reach out to Hira Shaikh, Jaffer’s chief of staff, by calling 732.309.7332 or emailing HShaikh@njleg.org.
Legislation Sponsored by Assemblywoman
Jaffer Jaffer has been busy sponsoring and co-sponsoring legislation this past year. “My focus has been on mental health resources for students in K-12 and higher education institutions, reproductive rights and maternal health, language access and data gathering about NJ’s diverse population, and good governance initiatives,” she says.
Some of Jaffer’s bills and highlights:
Funding for expansion of inpatient mental health services at Carrier Clinic in Belle Mead.
A nine-bill package to bolster NJ small business resiliency to recover from the pandemic.
Providing $36.9 million in project grants under the “Securing Our Children’s Future Fund” for career and technical education at county vocational school districts.
“Commercial space can be one of the costliest barriers to entry for a business because it can be an arduous process finding the storefront that suits your needs,” said Assemblywoman Sadaf Jaffer (D-Somerset, Mercer, Middlesex, Hunterdon), lead sponsor of (A-4750). Part of the package, this bill would require the BAC to establish a public database of vacant commercial space, which would contain information about square footage and available onsite capital equipment.
Bill: Allows pharmacists to prescribe and dispense self-administered hormonal contraceptives.
Bill: Permit county board of elections to begin counting mail-in ballots 14 days prior to election day.
Bill: Require outer envelope of vote-by-mail ballots to include postage prepaid.
Bill: Require state government entities to provide vital documents and translation services in 15 most common non- English languages.
Bill with Sen. Zwicker: Requires the NJ Division of Travel and Tourism to promote “Central Jersey” as a place; encourages overnight stays; agritourism; requires allocation of federal funds for tourism to certain regions.
District Office
112 Commons Way, Montgomery Township
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