Byron M. Baer (October 18, 1929 – June 24, 2007) was an American Democratic Party

politician A politician is a person who participates in Public policy, policy-making processes, usually holding an elective position in government. Politicians represent the people, make decisions, and influence the formulation of public policy. The roles ...

from

New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...

who served in both houses of the

New Jersey Legislature The New Jersey Legislature is the legislative branch of the government of the U.S. state of New Jersey. In its current form, as defined by the New Jersey Constitution of 1947, the Legislature consists of two houses: the General Assembly and ...

. He served in the

New Jersey General Assembly The New Jersey General Assembly is the lower house of the New Jersey Legislature. Since the election of 1967 (1968 session), the Assembly has consisted of 80 members. Two members are elected from each of New Jersey's 40 legislative districts f ...

from 1972 to 1993 and in the

State Senate In the United States, the state legislature is the legislative branch in each of the 50 U.S. states. A legislature generally performs state duties for a state in the same way that the United States Congress performs national duties at ...

from 1994 to 2005, where he represented the 37th Legislative District. In the early 1970s, Baer was the primary author of the

Open Public Records Act The New Jersey Open Public Records Act, N.J.S.A. 47:1A-1 ''et seq.'' (P.L. 2001, c. 404), commonly abbreviated OPRA, is a statute that provides a right to the public to access certain public records in the State of New Jersey, as well as the process ...

, New Jersey's

Sunshine Law Freedom of information laws allow access by the general public to data held by national governments and, where applicable, by state and local governments. The emergence of freedom of information legislation was a response to increasing dissatisf ...

, and was an advocate of open government throughout his legislative career.

Career

In the

upper house An upper house is one of two Legislative chamber, chambers of a bicameralism, bicameral legislature, the other chamber being the lower house. The house formally designated as the upper house is usually smaller and often has more restricted p ...

, the Senator filled a variety of different leadership roles including as Democratic Senate Leader ''Ex Officio'' (2002–2003), Minority Leader Pro Tempore (1996–2001), and as Senate Leader ''Ex Officio'', a post he held from 2004.,

. Accessed June 26, 2007. As Senator, Baer served on a variety of Senate Committees including: Legislative Services Commission, Joint Committee on Public Schools, State Government, and Judiciary. He was also the Chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee. Before serving as a

State Senator A state senator is a member of a State legislature (United States), state's senate in the bicameral legislature of 49 U.S. states, or a member of the unicameral Nebraska Legislature. History There are typically fewer state senators than there ...

, Baer served 21 years in the

lower house A lower house is the lower chamber of a bicameral legislature, where the other chamber is the upper house. Although styled as "below" the upper house, in many legislatures worldwide, the lower house has come to wield more power or otherwise e ...

of the

, the

, from 1972 to 1993. While in the Assembly, Baer served in a variety of different posts including Minority Leader Pro Tempore (1992–1993), Deputy Speaker (1991), Associate Assembly Leader (1990), and Assistant Minority Leader (1986–1989). In February 1993, Baer announced that he would run for the seat in the New Jersey Senate being vacated by

Matthew Feldman Matthew Feldman (March 22, 1919 – April 11, 1994) was an American Democratic Party politician who served as a New Jersey State Senator and Mayor of Teaneck, New Jersey. As Mayor of Teaneck in the early 1960s, he achieved racial and po ...

. Together with Assembly running mates

Loretta Weinberg Loretta Weinberg (born February 6, 1935) is an American Democratic Party politician, who served as a member of the New Jersey Senate from 2005-2022, where she represented the 37th Legislative District. She also served as Senate Majority Leader ...

and Ken Zisa, who was on the ballot for Baer's former Assembly seat, Baer won election to the Senate. Baer attended

Cornell University Cornell University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university based in Ithaca, New York, United States. The university was co-founded by American philanthropist Ezra Cornell and historian and educator Andrew Dickson W ...

New York University New York University (NYU) is a private university, private research university in New York City, New York, United States. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded in 1832 by Albert Gallatin as a Nondenominational ...

and

Columbia University Columbia University in the City of New York, commonly referred to as Columbia University, is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Churc ...

, but never received a degree. Baer had a short-lived career in special effects, which included work on the horror classic, ''

The Brain That Wouldn't Die ''The Brain That Wouldn't Die'' (also known as ''The Head That Wouldn't Die'' or ''The Brain That Couldn't Die'') is a 1962 American Science fiction film, science fiction horror film directed by Joseph Green and written by Green and Rex Carlton ...

''. In 1961, Baer was arrested as a

Freedom Rider Freedom Riders were civil rights activists who rode interstate buses into the segregated Southern United States in 1961 and subsequent years to challenge the non-enforcement of the United States Supreme Court decisions '' Morgan v. Virginia' ...

at the Greyhound Bus station in

Jackson, Mississippi Jackson is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Mississippi, most populous city of the U.S. state of Mississippi. The city sits on the Pearl River (Mississippi–Louisiana), Pearl River and is locate ...

, and served six weeks in the

Mississippi State Penitentiary Mississippi State Penitentiary (MSP), also known as Parchman Farm, is a maximum-security prison farm located in the unincorporated community of Parchman in Sunflower County, Mississippi, in the Mississippi Delta region. Occupying about of la ...

. In 1965, he participated in the

Selma to Montgomery marches The Selma to Montgomery marches were three Demonstration (protest), protest marches, held in 1965, along the highway from Selma, Alabama, to the state capital of Montgomery, Alabama, Montgomery. The marches were organized by Nonviolence, nonvi ...

. Baer advised and befriended

Martin Luther King Jr. Martin Luther King Jr. (born Michael King Jr.; January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968) was an American Baptist minister, civil and political rights, civil rights activist and political philosopher who was a leader of the civil rights move ...

Levin, Jay
"Ex-senator Byron Baer dies at 77"
''

The Record The Record may refer to: Music * The Record (Fear album), ''The Record'' (Fear album), a 1982 studio album by the hardcore-punk band Fear * The Record (Boygenius album), ''The Record'' (Boygenius album), a 2023 studio album by the indie rock supe ...

'', June 25, 2007. Accessed June 26, 2007. Because of this, Baer served, from 2002 to 2004, on New Jersey's standing Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative Commission, which works to raise public awareness of King's ideals and philosophy. Senator Baer resigned from the New Jersey Senate effective September 8, 2005, for health reasons. In a letter to Acting

Governor of New Jersey The governor of New Jersey is the head of government of the U.S. state of New Jersey. The office of governor is an elected position with a four-year term. There is a two consecutive term limit, with no limitation on non-consecutive terms. The ...

Richard Codey Richard James Codey (born November 27, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 53rd governor of New Jersey from 2004 to 2006. A member of the Democratic Party, he served in the New Jersey Senate from 1982 to 2024 and as the President ...

, Baer stated that "I officially tender my resignation as State Senator, representing District 37 in the New Jersey Legislature, effective today, September 8, 2005, at 11:59 p.m." On Election Day on November 9, 2005, voters chose

to serve the remaining portion of Baer's four-year term of office, which ended in January 2008.

Succession in Senate

After Baer's resignation, Assemblywoman

Teaneck Teaneck () is a township in Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is a bedroom community in the New York metropolitan area. The town is know for their pancake throwing contest held every September. As of the 2020 United States cen ...

and Hackensack Police Chief Ken Zisa faced off in balloting by the Bergen County Democratic Committee on September 15. 2005. to fill Baer's seat on an interim basis and to fill his ballot spot for the November General Election. Zisa outpolled Weinberg at the September 15 caucus, with Representative

Steve Rothman Steven Richard Rothman (born October 14, 1952) is an American former jurist and Democratic politician who served as the U.S. representative for New Jersey's 9th congressional district, serving for 16 years from January 3, 1997, to January 3, 2013 ...

— in his role overseeing the Special Convention — ruling that ballots from the so-called "

Tenafly Tenafly () is a borough in Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 15,409, an increase of 921 (+6.4%) from the 2010 census count of 14,488, which in turn reflected an ...

Five" should not be counted, as their names had not been filed with the County Committee within the prescribed thirty-day limit. On October 5, 2005, after an extended court battle, Weinberg was ultimately successful in her bid to replace Baer, with the five previously uncounted ballots opened and cast for Weinberg, providing the necessary margin of victory. Weinberg was sworn into office on November 10, 2005, to assume Baer's vacant seat.

District 37

Each of the forty districts in the New Jersey Legislature has one representative in the

New Jersey Senate The New Jersey Senate is the upper house of the New Jersey Legislature by the Constitution of 1844, replacing the Legislative Council. There are 40 legislative districts, representing districts with an average population of 232,225 (2020 figure ...

and two members in the

. The other representatives from the 37th Legislative District for the 2004-2005 Legislative Session were: * Assemblyman Gordon M. Johnson, and * Assemblywoman

Family

Baer was a resident of

Englewood, New Jersey Englewood is a city in Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Englewood was incorporated as a city by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 17, 1899, from portions of Ridgefield Township and the remaining portions of Engle ...

.Pillets, Jeff
"Byron Baer resigns from N.J. Senate, citing illness."
''

'', September 8, 2005. Accessed March 9, 2008. He was married to Linda Pollitt Baer, a State Administrative Law Judge and former Bergen County Freeholder. His children are David Baer and Laura Baer and his stepchildren are Lara (Pollitt) Rodriquez and Roger Pollitt. He died on June 24, 2007, following several years of ill-health.Shipkowski, Bruce
"Legislator Baer, proponent of open government, dies"
''

The Philadelphia Inquirer ''The Philadelphia Inquirer'', often referred to simply as ''The Inquirer'', is a daily newspaper headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Founded on June 1, 1829, ''The Philadelphia Inquirer'' is the third-longest continuously operating da ...

'', June 24, 2007. Accessed June 24, 2007.

References

External links

* .
Byron Bear's Resignation Press Release

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Baer, Byron 1929 births 2007 deaths Columbia University alumni Cornell University alumni Democratic Party members of the New Jersey General Assembly Democratic Party New Jersey state senators New York University alumni Politicians from Englewood, New Jersey 20th-century members of the New Jersey Legislature