Paul Sarlo is the Deputy Majority Leader of the Senate and was Assistant Majority Leader from 2004-2007, upon election to his first full term. Senator Sarlo had been sworn in to the New Jersey Senate on May 19, 2003, to fill the unexpired term of Garry Furnari after he was appointed to the New Jersey Superior Court. Sarlo is the Chairman of the Labor and Legislative Oversight Committees, the Vice-chair of the Budget and Appropriations Committee, and a member of the Judiciary Committee. Sarlo has also been involved in public service as a state assemblyman, 2002-2003, as a Wood-Ridge Councilman, 1995-2000, and as Mayor of Wood-Ridge, 2000-present. Mr. Sarlo was the prime sponsor of a bill creating a $29 million grant to establish a statewide bio-terrorism response plan. This is only one of over 80 bills which have been signed into law with Sarlo as the prime sponsor. Some of the other bills have provided increased charity care funding for hospitals, established a transportation planning district in the Meadowlands region, and criminalized the illegal trafficking and distribution of prescription drugs. Sarlo received both his Bachelor of Science and Master of Science in civil engineering from the New Jersey Institute of Technology. He is Chief Engineer of Bishop-Sanzari Heavy Construction. Throughout his career he has overseen over $150 million in construction projects and managed a union workforce of over 200 people. The Routes 4 and 17 interchange in Paramus, of which Sarlo was the project manager, was completed two years ahead of schedule. The senator and his wife have two sons and live in Woodridge.