State Assemblyman Rafael Fraguela of Union City, who became a Republican earlier this year after a falling out with the Hudson County Democratic Organization, was kicked out of the Republican caucus Monday, following his vote for a controversial stem cell research bill that passed the lower house by a razor-thin margin.<\/p>\n
“In light of Assemblyman Fraguela’s disturbing vote supporting the harvesting of human embryonic cells, I cannot in good conscience recognize him as a member of the Assembly Republican caucus,” said Alex DeCroce, R-Morris Plains, the Assembly minority leader. <\/p>\n
Fraguela was the only Assembly Republican to vote for the bill. <\/p>\n
The bill, which passed with 41 votes in the 80-member Assembly – Fraguela joined 39 Democrats and Matt Ahern, a Green Party member from Bergen County, in passing the bill – made New Jersey the second state to officially encourage medical research using embryonic stem cells. <\/p>\n
Fraguela, a native of Cuba who said he had been a registered Democrat since he first became a United States citizen 26 years ago, defended his vote, saying his position reflects his own views and those of his constituents. <\/p>\n