Celeste M. Riley
Assemblywoman
Third Legislative District
Assemblywoman Celeste M. Riley was sworn into the General Assembly on March 16, 2009, where she represents the Third Legislative District. Assemblywoman Riley is the first woman to represent this district in the New Jersey State Legislature.
As Assemblywoman, Celeste M. Riley serves as the Vice Chair of the Assembly Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee and also serves on the Assembly Health and Senior Services Committee and the Assembly Housing and Local Government Committee. She has also been appointed to the New Jersey Historical Commission.
Assemblywoman Riley is an advocate for the “Garden State” and believes New Jersey should promote industries that enhance its agricultural roots. In her efforts to enrich the Garden State, Assemblywoman Riley has championed legislation that will promote and improve the New Jersey wine industry by establishing a farm brewery and winery-brewery beverage license, permitting farm wineries to produce hard cider, and creating cooperative farm winery licenses.
Continuing in her efforts to promote New Jersey agriculture, Assemblywoman Riley has sponsored legislation to encourage agricultural tourism and is a primary sponsor for the law that promotes the advertising of “Jersey Fresh,” a program designed to draw consumer attention to the availability of New Jersey farm products. She is also a strong supporter of land preservation efforts and has sponsored numerous laws that would provide funding for open space, historic preservation, and farmland preservation.
In addition, Assemblywoman Riley has been nationally recognized for her support and sponsorship for legislation intended to ban overt discrimination against the unemployed during the hiring process. It requires employers who do not adhere to this law to face a penalty of $1,000.00 for the first offense and $5,000.00 for subsequent offenses. This legislation was signed into law March 29, 2011 and is the first of its kind in the United States.
A leader in protecting domestic violence and crime victims, Assemblywoman Riley has sponsored numerous pieces of legislation to strengthen laws that would protect crime and domestic violence victims. She was instrumental in creating the recently established law designed to protect domestic violence victims by bolstering bail restrictions on persons who violate restraining orders. Assemblywoman Riley has also been recognized for her legislation to enhance the existing New Jersey Crime Victim’s Bill of Rights, which seeks to protect crime victims during the trial process with dignity and compassion.
In October 2011, Assemblywoman was honored by Salem County Women’s Services with its “Person of the Year” award in recognition of her legislative efforts on behalf of domestic violence and sexual assault victims. The non-profit agency, founded in 1987, offers numerous services including emergency shelter, individual counselling, and educational programs.
While in Trenton, Riley fought to restore vital funding that was cut from the state budget for women’s healthcare, and family planning, as well as funding for senior citizen prescription drug and property tax relief programs.
Assemblywoman Riley is a resident of Bridgeton, New Jersey, where she served three years as a member of Bridgeton’s City Council, rising to become the governing body’s president. She served as the council’s liaison to the Bridgeton Library and Historical commissions and sat on the Main Street Design, Downtown Steering, Central Business District and Multi-Dwelling Complex Security committees.
A graduate of Cumberland Regional High School, she earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in music from LaSalle University and holds a master’s in Arts Administration from Drexel University. Currently, Assemblywoman Riley is a teacher at the Greenwich-Stow Creek Partnership Elementary School in Greenwich-Stow Creek Township.
