Monroe Jay Lustbader

Monroe Jay Lustbader (January 15, 1931 – March 16, 1996) was an American Republican Party politician who was elected to three terms in the New Jersey General Assembly, serving in office from 1992 until his death, where he represented the 21st Legislative District.

An attorney and real estate developer, Lustbader first ran for office in 1973, as the Republican candidate for Assemblyman in the newly created 26th district, which included West Orange, East Orange and Orange. He lost to Democrats Richard J. Codey, a future Governor of New Jersey who was running for his first term in the Legislature, and freshman Democratic Assemblyman Eldridge Hawkins. Codey received 30,282 votes, followed by Hawkins (28,102), Republican John F. Trezza (13,978) and Lustbader (12,502).

In 1981, Lustbader became the Republican candidate for Essex County Freeholder and was elected, defeating one-term Democratic incumbent Renee Lane. He was re-elected in 1984, 1987 and 1990.

Lustbader ran again for the State Assembly in 1991, this time in a newly drawn Essex County-Union County seat that favored the Republicans. Running with five-term Assemblywoman Maureen Ogden, he defeated incumbent Democratic Assemblyman Neil M. Cohen by more than 13,000 votes, 33,914 to 20,460. He was re-elected in 1993 and 1995.

A decision by the New Jersey Casino Control Commission in 1992 to allow round-the-clock gambling in New Jersey at Atlantic City's casinos angered Lustbader, who had proposed a bill that would limit 24-hour gambling to certain times of the year, stating that "there has to be a break in those hours to give the people a chance psychologically to cool off to avoid people losing the rent money in a froth".

In the face of increasing numbers of cars stolen in Newark, New Jersey, Lustbader chaired a task force that started in November 1992 aimed at developing bipartisan legislation to address the problem of auto theft and carjacking. The task force recommended boot camp programs for first-time offenders and would impose as much as 10 years in jail for those convicted of eluding police or joyriding and would make parents liable for damages resulting from car thefts if parents "do not reasonably supervise and control the children". Lustbader stated that "kids who are old enough to steal cars are old enough to face severe consequences".

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