Call him Senator O'Toole.
The state senator serving the 40th Legislative District is Kevin O'Toole, a Seton Hall (1986) and Seton Hall Law (1989) alumnus.
Although he is a representative of the district, which encompasses parts of Bergen, Essex and Passaic counties, O'Toole said he also provides services to those outside his jurisdiction.
"I believe my biggest responsibility is to ensure that every constituent that calls my office, whether they live in my district or not, gets the assistance that they need," O'Toole said.
He helps resolve issues with state government, assists with problems with Medicare and Medicaid, and offers guidance regarding permits or unemployment benefits.
O'Toole lists his three biggest accomplishments in office as sponsoring legislation that implemented the two percent property tax cap on municipalities to help slow the rate of property tax growth in our state, twice sponsoring legislation that reformed the state's pension and benefits system, and leading the effort to overhaul the antiquated anti-child pornography laws.
The senator also is proud of his office's work in helping people "navigate the maze of government bureaucracies," O'Toole said.
He said his desire to run for state Senate in 2008 was to better serve the people in his district. He served in the General Assembly since 1996 and briefly served in the Senate in 2001.
"As a senator, I am able to have better access to department heads to help with constituent matters and am able to pass legislation quicker in the state Senate than in the Assembly," O'Toole said.
In the next 10 years, O'Toole said he hopes to continue to grow his law firm and to continue to be involved in public service.
He said he also aspires to teach a college-level course on politics and government.
His interest in politics and government goes back to when he was a student majoring in political science and public administration at Seton Hall.
"Seton Hall gave me the foundation for my life today," he said. "It helped show me that there is a way to balance your own personal and professional goals with a greater good of community service and civic involvement."
Leah Carton can be reached at leah.carton@student.shu.edu.
