BLACK AND LATINO LAWMAKERS URGE REJECTION OF WHITMAN NOMINATION

NEWARK, Jan. 11 — A group of black and Latino state legislators called
today for New Jersey's two senators to vote against President-elect George
W. Bush's choices of John Ashcroft as attorney general and Gov. Christie
Whitman as head of the Environmental Protection Agency.

Eleven of the 20 members of the New Jersey Legislative Black and Latino
Caucus met separately here today with New Jersey's senators, Robert G.
Torricelli and Jon S. Corzine, both Democrats, and urged them to reject
both nominations. All but one of the caucus members are also Democrats.

While caucus members said that they were concerned about police searches
and environmental policies that were executed during Governor Whitman's
seven years in office, they said they were far more worried about the
choice of Mr. Ashcroft, the former Missouri senator whose views on
abortion, affirmative action and the death penalty have been attacked by
many Democrats and liberals. He seems certain to face a contentious
confirmation battle.

Governor Whitman is generally considered an uncontroversial choice for her
post. But the caucus's statements today, while unlikely to pose any threat
to her confirmation, are a reminder of how much ill will remains over
issues like racial profiling that badly strained her relationship with many
minority legislators.

The caucus's opposition to Mrs. Whitman came as somewhat of a surprise
because the governor, a supporter of abortion rights, is viewed as a
moderate Republican. But Assemblywoman Bonnie Watson Coleman, a Democrat
and a caucus member, said at a news conference that "we have issues with
her judgment in regard to certain decisions."

In particular, caucus members said, Governor Whitman's record on
environmental issues raised questions about how she would run the
Environmental Protection Agency. Assemblyman Joseph Charles Jr., a Democrat
and chairman of the caucus, said that Mrs. Whitman had compromised the
state's environment through budget cuts to environmental programs, by not
dedicating enough money to reclaim polluted lands known as brownfields and
by not giving enough support to city parks and greenery.

He also cited a 1996 incident in which Mrs. Whitman publicly frisked an
innocent black man during a police drug sweep in 1996. And he highlighted
another past controversy — her hiring of two illegal immigrants from
Portugal to take care of her children, for which she had to pay back taxes
and fines. She did not disclose her employment of the immigrants until she
announced her entry into the governor's race in 1993.

Assemblyman Charles said the situation was similar to that of Linda Chavez,
Mr. Bush's choice for labor secretary who withdrew Tuesday after it was
revealed that an illegal Guatemalan immigrant once lived in her home and
did chores there. But Mrs. Whitman has long since made her transgression
public, and it is not expected to jeopardize her chances.

Jayne O'Connor, a spokeswoman for the governor, said tonight that Governor
Whitman had a "very strong environmental record" and that she had made land
preservation and redevelopment of the brownfields a priority. As for racial
profiling, Ms. O'Connor said the governor had taken steps to end it.

As for Mr. Ashcroft, Assemblyman Charles focused on two issues that have
angered many of the former senator's critics: that the nominee had opposed
President Clinton's nomination of a black judge for a Federal District
Court seat by claiming that the judge was overly opposed to the death
penalty; and that Mr. Ashcroft had made no firm commitments to ending
racial profiling, an issue that has plagued New Jersey's law enforcement
officials.

Assemblywoman Coleman said the caucus had problems with Mr. Ashcroft's
"stance on civil rights, and that he is to the right of even the most
conservative members of the U.S. Senate."

Senator Corzine's office did not return calls yesterday seeking comment.

After Senator Torricelli's meeting with the caucus members today, a
spokesman for the senator, Sean Jackson, said that "the senator appreciated
the depth of their concerns and made clear that he is waiting for responses
and hearings to be completed before making decisions."