My political philosophy:

Politics has always been partisan but when all was said and done both Democrats and Republicans came together to do what was right for our country. That spirit of common goals is being challenged. In my opinion, extremism on either the right or the left is not in the best interests of our state and our nation. I have always worked with both sides of the aisle to help improve the lives of every resident of New Jersey. Every piece of legislation which I have sponsored which has been signed into law had both Democrat and Republican sponsors. Now, more than ever, we need to address the challenges facing our families and businesss in a cooperative manner. Please use this webpage as a resource. If I can ever be of any assistance do not hestitate to reach out to me.

– Assemblyman Partick Diegnan

Leader in the District

A World War II veteran and former Army private first class who stormed Utah Beach during the Invasion of Normandy, Paradiso was among retired representatives of all four branches of the military who were on hand to accept honors for service in six overseas conflicts spanning the last 70 years.

Paradiso settled down in South Plainfield, where he has lived for the last six decades. He worked at the Triangle PWC factory in New Brunswick for a quarter-century. He has three children - a son who today works for the borough, a daughter who works as a doctor at JFK Medical Center in Edison and a second daughter who works as a pediatric nurse.

A little more than 423,000 military veterans, or a little less than 5 percent of the population, call the Garden State home.

Veterans are invited to call the department's toll-free benefits information line anytime at 1-888-8NJ VETS.

Leader in Education

Read Across America

Read across America is an annual reading motivation and awareness program that calls for every child in every community to celebrate reading on March 2nd, a national event that coincided with what would have been Dr. Seuss' (Theodor Geisel) 108th birthday. Dr. Seuss is, of course, the world-famous children's book author who created characters such as The Cat In The Hat and The Lorax, which was recently released as an animated movie.

I traveled to Lincoln Elementary in Edison and Rosevelt Elementary in South Plainfield to read and talk to the children. I encouraged them to read every day, and to make reading a fundamental part of their lives. Kids today spend a lot of time with sports, TV, videos and computers, but it is vital to teach them how reading opens up a whole new avenue for them.

Breaking News

Patrick Diegnan: New Jersey leads nation in preventing youth injuries
Daily Record, April 28, 2012

The ancient Greeks first realized that physical competition is an essential part of the human development.

That tradition has endured through the ages and is a part of every child’s education in the United States. Sports instill in young athletes character traits which not only serve them well on the playing field but in the challenges which they will face in their careers and family life. We therefore should foster athletic competition while at the same time protecting our kids from harm.

I am proud to report that New Jersey is one of the leading states in our nation when it comes to preventing injury to young people participating in sports. I am particularly proud to be among the legislators who have sponsored laws to put in place effective, common sense procedures to prevent potentially life threatening injuries. These include:

1. New Jersey has become the model in enacting laws which identify, treat and prevent sports-related brain injuries, including concussions. Along with Senator Dick Codey, I am proud to be the sponsor of two bills that were signed into law requiring public schools to enact a student-athlete head injury safety program for participants and cheerleaders.

2. We are one of only a handful of states to establish a Student Athlete Cardiac Screening Task force. This law, which I sponsored along with Senator Fred Madden, will bring needed attention to the hidden danger of undiagnosed heart disease in young athletes. In addition I hope that we will soon require the Department of Education to develop and distribute information regarding hypertrophic cardiomyopathy which has tragically taken the lives of outstanding young athletes in recent years.

3. Assemblyman Jon Bramnick is the prime sponsor of “Janet’s Law” which requires public schools to have defibrillators for youth athletic events. I am honored to co-sponsor the law with Assemblyman Bramnick.

4. I continue to advocate for enactment of “Steven’s Law” which will outlaw the use of aluminum bats in organized leagues. I am happy to report that this initiative has already resulted in drastic limitations on the design of non-wood bats. These efforts have spread beyond the borders of our state to all parts of our country.

This is by no means a complete list of legislative initiatives in New Jersey. We must remain alert and develop programs to meet changing threats to our childrens’ health and safety. However, we who live in New Jersey can take pride in the fact that we at the top of the list of states that work to protect our most precious asset … our children.

– Assembyman Patrick Diegnan