Retired Assemblyman has no regrets

Assemblyman Hal Wirths, R-24, retired from the state Legislature earlier this year after serving three terms.

Now 58, he will be taking a break before potentially working in the private sector.

“I think one of the biggest accomplishments for me was when I was budget officer for the Republican Party in my second term,” he said.

When the Democrats wanted to raise the state budget from $34 billion to $54 billion, Wirths took to the floor of the Assembly and fought for the minority party and conservative beliefs.

Despite the GOP efforts, the budget was increased.

Looking back, Wirths was very proud of himself for voicing his opinion to the Legislature.

He said he does not have any regrets but wishes that he had been able to accomplish more regarding fiscal matters.

But state politics is a numbers game and no matter how good their arguments, the Republicans were limited as a minority party, he noted.

Wirths was able to win passage of some notable bills during his time in the Legislature.

“Our constituent service is one of the best in the state,” he said. “At the end of the day, I don’t want to be graded on how many bills I passed.

“I believe most bills make our lives more difficult and expensive, but the constituent service, that’s where the real work is done by an Assembly person.”

Wirths was elected to the state Assembly in 2017. From 2010 to 2016, he served as commissioner of the state Department of Labor and Workforce Development, focusing on modernizing the state’s unemployment insurance benefits system.

He was a member of the Sussex County Board of Chosen Freeholders from 2000 to 2010.

Notable bills passed

Among the notable bills that Wirth cited:

• A5909, passed Jan. 16: Revises workers’ compensation coverage for certain injuries to certain volunteer and professional public safety and law enforcement personnel. The bill was named for Scott Danielson, a 35-year volunteer with the Lakeland Emergency Squad who died after responding to a car accident.

• ACR22, passed in 2022-23 session: Urges the federal Department of Veterans Affairs to establish a vet center in northwestern New Jersey.

• S108 from the 2020-21 session protects the rights of student journalists under the First Amendment. Wirths received an award for this bill.

• S4071 from the 2020-21 session is the “Motorbus and Passenger Rail Service Employee Violence Prevention Act,” which aims to protect riders on public transportation as well as employees from violence.

• S1727, passed in 2022-23 session: Established Franklinite as the official state mineral.

CORRECTIONS: Some of Wirth’s notable bills were described incorrectly in an earlier version of this article. We regret the errors.