Villapiano calls for new state college, drug testing for new drivers John A. Villapiano, Senate candidate for the 11th District, held a press conference Oct. 30 to propose legislation to put the brakes on teenage substance abuse. John A. Villapiano A former State assemblyman and county freeholder, Villapiano said if elected Nov. 6, he will move to institute mandatory drug testing before drivers' permits and licenses can be issued. "The illegal use of drugs among teenagers is running rampant in our area. What starts out as young people experimenting to fit in with kids in their age group is leading to poor grades, addiction and arrests," he said in a press release. Villapiano said he agrees with federal officials that the best way to prevent illegal drug abuse among youths is to drug-test before issuing drivers' permits and licenses. According to Villapiano, this measure should reduce the number of drug-related accidents and bring down the cost of car insurance in New Jersey, which currently runs anywhere from $900 to more than $3,600 per year for a 17-year-old with a good-driver discount. Villapiano is president and managing partner of Seashore Day Camp and School in Long Branch. The Ocean Township resident also previously served on the Township Council; was inducted into the Jersey Shore Sports Hall of Fame in 1994 and is a retired captain of the U.S. Army Reserve. Another platform issue Villapiano has promoted during his campaign is property tax relief, beginning with a call for a forensic audit of state revenues and expenditures by the independent Office of the State Comptroller. He supports the ballot referendum that asks residents to constitutionally dedicate all of last year's 1-cent increase in the sales tax to property tax relief, amounting to at least $1.4 billion annually. Villapiano has made escalating college tuition a campaign issue, saying cost and limited slots for incoming freshmen are driving New Jersey students out of state. "I believe New Jersey's largest export should not be its high school graduates," he has said. "I have a plan to improve our focus on higher education, giving college-bound New Jerseyans a reason to stay in state instead of seeking their educations - and fortunes - elsewhere." Villapiano proposes creating a new state college in central New Jersey, citing the fact that more than 20,000 students each year are turned away by public colleges. He also has proposed creating a quasipublic agency to provide prepaid college tuition programs to help parents save for tuition and avert the high student loan debt that burdens college graduates, noting the plan is in place in states such as Florida. Villapiano has also committed to substantially reducing the death tax. According to Villapiano, if an estate is worth more than $675,000, heirs could end up owing more in taxes than they inherit and have to find a way to cover the difference.