Both the Assembly and Senate are in session. In the holiday rush, enough bills to fill a Santa-size sack are being processed. They deal with issues of importance to casinos, corporations and even cops. NJTV News Chief Political Correspondent Michael Aron discussed the happenings with Anchor Mary Alice Williams.
Today was the last session of the year for the Senate and Assembly and there were many issues discussed. One bill requiring public agencies in New Jersey to buy only American-made goods passed in the Assembly and is expected to pass in the Senate. Another bill passed both houses today extending building and environmental permits for developers for one year, the fourth time those permits have been extended.
Aron said there was a very contentious debate in the Senate over the Water Infrastructure Protection Act, which would allow municipal officials to sell municipally owned water systems to private utilities. “Opponents objected strenuously saying that this is a giveaway to the utilities, that voters should have input into it. The proponents said now we can’t afford to fix our own water infrastructure in the state. We’ve got to get the private companies involved in this,” he said. “The bill passed the senate 21 to 16, members of both parties falling on both sides of that issue.”
Members of the legislature were scheduled to vote on a five-bill package for Atlantic City, but the leaders in both houses decided to pull it because there’s a lot of instability in Atlantic City surrounding Carl Icahn and whether or not he will keep the Taj Mahal open, according to Aron.
“It would stabilize Atlantic City’s finances. It would set a certain bar for casinos to pay taxes every year. Instead of property taxes they would pay something called pilot payment in lieu of taxes, but given the uncertainty in Atlantic City right now the leaders decided let’s bring it back in January,” Aron said.
There were two goodbyes in the State House today as well. Bonnie Watson Coleman left the Assembly after 16 years to go to Congress. Aron said she “got a fond farewell.” Albert Porroni, who has served in the Office of Legislative Services for 42 years and run it for 30 years is retiring at the end of the month.