By Michael Aron
Chief Political Correspondent
The press release from the governor’s office listed 10 pages worth of legislation. The governor signed 93 bills before the noon deadline today.
The press release highlights the fact that 11 of those are veterans bills, designed to give small breaks to those who served the country.
He signed a bill that provides up to $25 million in tax credits to Rutgers for upgrade of its athletic facilities.
He signed a bill restoring authority to the DEP to require access to a waterfront or beachfront as a condition of getting shoreline development approvals. An appeals court recently invalidated the old DEP rules.
And the governor allowed 65 other bills to expire by taking no action on them.
The so-called pocket vetoes included three bills aimed at shoring up the finances of Atlantic City.
Sen. Jim Whelan had worked 13 months on those bills.
“We have an Alice in Wonderland here,” Whelan said.
Whelan says he’s baffled because the Legislature signed on to Christie’s versions of the bills after Christie conditionally vetoed them.
“The governor did a conditional veto. The Legislature concurred with the conditional veto. So at that point, with the conditional veto, they essentially become the governor’s bills. And then he does a pocket veto. So, it’s a very unusual circumstance. You’ve been around Trenton a long time as well Michael. I don’t recall a governor vetoing a bill where he’s got concurrence,” he said.
Whelan says he doesn’t know whether Christie’s action can be explained by the new movement toward a state takeover of Atlantic City.
Christie also pocket vetoed a high-profile bill that would have continued the exemption nonprofit hospitals have from paying property taxes in return for their starting to make contributions to their towns.
Hospital Association president Betsy Ryan expressed disappointment.
“We firmly believed the bill provided a consistent statewide approach for hospitals to support their host municipalities,” she wrote, vowing to stay with the issue.
Other pocket vetoes included a bill that would have raised the legal age for buying cigarettes from 19 to 21.
Christie also rejected a bill that would have required gun dealers to offer a smart gun once the technology is perfected.
Another pocket veto went to a bill that would require public schools to provide daily recess up through fifth grade. Christie apparently felt that was a decision best left to local school districts.
And he pocket vetoed a $10 million appropriation to the Lead Paint Hazard Assistance Fund. No explanation was provided for any of the pocket vetoes.
One hundred fifty-eight bills is a lot to deal with. One can only wonder how Christie and his staff handled it all. Christie was campaigning in Iowa Saturday, Sunday and Monday. He’ll start a five-day swing through New Hampshire tomorrow.
Atlantic City Mayor Don Guardian issued a statement, which says, in part, “We are tremendously frustrated by the veto of this crucial bill. The city of Atlantic City is now fighting four major battles simultaneously. Bankruptcy is now back on the table.”