New Jersey Assembly Majority Leader Alex DeCroce, 75, died suddenly late Monday night at the Statehouse, just after the 214th Legislature held its final voting session.


DeCroce, who became the Republican assembly leader in 2003, was known as a friend to the trucking industry and a supporter of transportation projects.

His achievements include serving as chairman of the Assembly Transportation and Communications committee, sponsoring a law that renewed New Jersey's Transportation Trust Fund and dedicating motor fuels tax for transportation projects. He also sponsored a bill in 2010 that exempted the use of CB radios from the law that made it a primary offense for drivers to use handheld phones or electronic communication.

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie will deliver a remembrance for DeCroce instead of the planned State of the State address, which has been postponed.

DeCroce was the state's longest serving member currently in the assembly, and he had served Morris County, N.J., for 23 years.