Smith, Joseph P. "Zane paid a price for defying the party", Asbury Park Press, September 24, 2003. Accessed May 23, 2008. "The Zane-Sweeney race in the 3rd District cost $2.4 million, making it the most expensive legislative race in state history. Freeholder Sweeney spent $1.8 million; Zane, $624,000, state election records show."
Saharko, Peter. "STATE SEN. SWEENEY BACKS BILL FOR LABOR", The Press of Atlantic City, February 15, 2002. Accessed January 7, 2012. "The measure would let state, local and county governments set terms of employment beforehand and prohibit strikes and lockouts. Public entities would be able to enter into project labor agreements when completing a public-works project under legislation sponsored by state Sen. Stephen M. Sweeney, D-Cumberland, Salem, Gloucester."
Saharko, Peter. "STATE LINES / CHANGING FACE OF N.J. LEGISLATURE", The Press of Atlantic City, November 12, 2001. Accessed August 28, 2012. "For Sweeney, transportation and the environment are important issues, but a passion of his involves ensuring police and fire pensions for the spouses of those killed in the line of duty."
McAleer, Pete. "LAW SAVES AID TO COP WIDOWS", The Press of Atlantic City, September 13, 2003. Accessed August 28, 2012. "It eliminates the remarriage penalty for spouses of state troopers, police, firefighters and emergency responders killed in the line of duty, allowing spouses to continue to collect pension benefits if they remarry. State Sen. Stephen Sweeney and Assemblymen Doug Fisher and John Burzichelli, all D-Camden, Gloucester, sponsored the bill, which had in the Statehouse for a decade."
Margolin, Josh. "Democrats vote N.J. Sen. Stephen Sweeney in as Senate president", The Star-Ledger, November 23, 2009. Accessed January 7, 2012. "Senate Democrats emerged from a Statehouse meeting room a few minutes ago, saying Sen. Steve Sweeney (D-Gloucester) has been voted Senate president, replacing Richard Codey, the Essex County Democrat who long led the Senate's Democratic caucus. Codey left the second-floor caucus room at 2:50 p.m. and made only a brief comment to reporters waiting outside."
Spoto, MaryAnn. "Sweeney: N.J. gay marriage fight will be with Christie, not Legislature, Star Ledger, January 10, 2012. Accessed August 28, 2012. "With his abstention two years ago, Sweeney helped defeat a same-sex marriage bill that came up in the waning days of the lame-duck administration of Gov. Jon Corzine, who had pledged to sign it if the legislature passed it. Since then, Sweeney has said he made a mistake and should have voted for the measure because, he said, it's a matter of civil rights, not a religious issue."
"It All Started With Layren", Third Legislative District. Accessed March 18, 2020. "'My grandparents had a finished basement, with a bar, and they’d entertain,' Sweeney says. 'We felt blessed. We got to grow up with our grandparents. You know, I may be Irish, but I was raised Italian.'"
Alex, Patricia. "Catholic lawmakers support assisted suicide despite faith", The Record, December 13, 2016. Accessed July 15, 2019. "'The church takes positions that are not necessarily mainstream. Why not give someone a choice?' Senate President Stephen Sweeney, who is Catholic, said of the proposal, which he has actively supported. He said the measure is about helping the terminally ill have peaceful deaths."
"Camden Co. Senate Too Close To Call", WCAU, 2003. Accessed August 28, 2012. "Even still, Democrat Fred Madden -- who spent nearly $3 million, almost twice the record for a legislative race -- claimed victory over Republican George Geist."
Ung, Elisa. "Sweeney to N.J. workers: Cut pay: The senator, a labor leader, said he was angered by union support for an N.J. sales-tax increase", The Philadelphia Inquirer, June 2, 2006. Accessed August 28, 2012. "Democratic State Sen. Stephen M. Sweeney, a major union leader from Gloucester County, shocked state employee unions yesterday by calling on their members to take a 15 percent cut in salaries and benefits.... Sweeney said he was angered by a union flyer that asked legislators to support a proposed increase in the sales tax from 6 percent to 7 percent - 'so that,' he said, 'state workers don't have to experience the pain that every taxpayer in the state is going to experience.'"
Pillets, Jeff. "Furloughed state workers to get all their back pay", The Record, July 11, 2006. Accessed August 28, 2012. "'If I knew they were going to pay everybody like this, I would not have voted for the budget,' said Sen. Stephen M. Sweeney, a Democrat who represents voters in several South Jersey counties."
