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

Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to: *Democratic Party (United States) Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to: Active parties Africa *Botswana Democratic Party *Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea *Gabonese Democratic Party *Demo ...

politician A politician is a person active in party politics, or a person holding or seeking an elected office in government. Politicians propose, support, reject and create laws that govern the land and by an extension of its people. Broadly speaking, a ...

from

New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...

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 the ...

. 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 for ...

from 1972 to 1993 and in the

State Senate A state legislature in the United States is the legislative body of any of the 50 U.S. states. The formal name varies from state to state. In 27 states, the legislature is simply called the ''Legislature'' or the ''State Legislature'', whil ...

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 dissatisfa ...

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

Career

In the

upper house An upper house is one of two Debate chamber, chambers of a bicameralism, bicameral legislature, the other chamber being the lower house.''Bicameralism'' (1997) by George Tsebelis The house formally designated as the upper house is usually smalle ...

, 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, Baer served 21 years in the

lower house A lower house is one of two Debate chamber, chambers of a Bicameralism, bicameral legislature, the other chamber being the upper house. Despite its official position "below" the upper house, in many legislatures worldwide, the lower house has co ...

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 (United States), Democratic Party politician who served as a New Jersey Senate, New Jersey State Senator and Mayor of Teaneck, New Jersey. As Mayor of Tea ...

. 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 Charles "Ken" Zisa (born January 27, 1954) is an American Democratic Party politician, who served as a member of the New Jersey General Assembly from 1994 to 2002, where he represented the 37th Legislative District. A lifelong resident of Hac ...

, 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 statutory land-grant research university based in Ithaca, New York. It is a member of the Ivy League. Founded in 1865 by Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White, Cornell was founded with the intention to teach an ...

New York University New York University (NYU) is a private research university in New York City. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded by a group of New Yorkers led by then-Secretary of the Treasury Albert Gallatin. In 1832, the ...

and

Columbia University Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...

, 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 horror film directed by Joseph Green and written by Green and Rex Carlton. The film was complete ...

''. 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, officially the City of Jackson, is the Capital city, capital of and the List of municipalities in Mississippi, most populous city in the U.S. state of Mississippi. The city is also one of two county seats of Hinds County, Mississippi, ...

, 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 unincorporated Sunflower County, Mississippi, in the Mississippi Delta region. Occupying about of land,Selma to Montgomery marches The Selma to Montgomery marches were three protest marches, held in 1965, along the 54-mile (87 km) highway from Selma, Alabama, to the state capital of Montgomery. The marches were organized by nonviolent activists to demonstrate the ...

. 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 and activist, one of the most prominent leaders in the civil rights movement from 1955 until his assassination in 1968 ...

Levin, Jay
"Ex-senator Byron Baer dies at 77"
'' The Record'', 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, due to health reasons. In a letter to Acting

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

Richard Codey, 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. As of the 2010 U.S. census, the township's population was 39,776, reflecting an increase of 516 (+1.3%) f ...

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 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. Rothman w ...

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

Tenafly Tenafly () is a Borough (New Jersey), borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census the borough had a population of 15,409,

District 37

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

New Jersey Senate The New Jersey Senate was established as 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, ...

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, which at the 2020 United States census had a population of 29,308. Englewood was incorporated as a city by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 17, 1899, from por ...

.Pillets, Jeff
"Byron Baer resigns from N.J. Senate, citing illness."
'' The Record'', 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'' is a daily newspaper headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The newspaper's circulation is the largest in both the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the Delaware Valley metropolitan region of Southeastern Pennsy ...

'', 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 People from Englewood, New Jersey Politicians from Bergen County, New Jersey 20th-century American politicians