▁Associ ate ▁Assembly ▁Le ader ▁( 1 9 9 0 ), ▁and ▁Ass istant ▁Minor ity ▁Le ader ▁( 1 9 8 6 – 1 9 8 9 ). ▁ ▁In ▁February ▁ 1 9 9 3 , ▁Ba er ▁announced ▁that ▁he ▁would ▁run ▁for ▁the ▁seat ▁in ▁the ▁New ▁Jersey ▁Senate ▁being ▁vac ated ▁by ▁Matthew ▁Feld man . ▁T ogether ▁with ▁Assembly ▁running ▁m ates ▁Lor etta ▁Wein berg ▁and ▁Ken ▁Z isa , ▁who ▁was ▁on ▁the ▁ball ot ▁for ▁Ba er ' s ▁former ▁Assembly ▁seat , ▁Ba er ▁won ▁election ▁to ▁the ▁Senate . ▁ ▁Ba er ▁attended ▁Corn ell ▁University , ▁New ▁York ▁University ▁and ▁Columbia ▁University , ▁but ▁never ▁received ▁a ▁degree . ▁ ▁Ba er ▁had ▁a ▁short - l ived ▁career ▁in ▁special ▁effects , ▁which ▁included ▁work ▁on ▁the ▁horror ▁classic , ▁The ▁Bra in ▁That ▁Would n ' t ▁Die . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 6 1 , ▁Ba er ▁was ▁arrested ▁as ▁a ▁Fre edom ▁R ider ▁at ▁the ▁Grey h ound ▁Bus ▁station ▁in ▁Jackson , ▁Mississippi , ▁and ▁served ▁six ▁weeks ▁in ▁the ▁Mississippi ▁State ▁Pen it enti ary . ▁In ▁ 1 9 6 5 , ▁he ▁participated ▁in ▁the ▁Sel ma - to - Mont gom ery ▁March . ▁ ▁Ba er ▁ad vised ▁and ▁be fri ended ▁Rev . ▁Dr . ▁Martin ▁Luther ▁King ▁Jr .. ▁Because ▁of ▁this , ▁the ▁Senator ▁served ▁on ▁the ▁Martin ▁Luther ▁King , ▁Jr . ▁Commission ▁from ▁