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Lame-duck session about small bills
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TRENTON - With election season over, lawmakers arrive in the state capital today for the final legislative sessions before new terms begin.
With less than two months before Democratic Gov. Jon S. Corzine is replaced by Republican Gov.-elect Chris Christie, the Democrats that hold majorities in both legislative houses could be tempted to enact new proposals in the so-called "lame duck" period during which they still hold the governor's seat.
But Democratic leaders, including Assembly Speaker Joseph Roberts Jr. and state Senate Majority Leader Stephen Sweeney, said last week they expected quiet final weeks.
Both Corzine and Christie have asked legislators not to pass any legislation that would increase state spending.
Lawmakers originally expected to tackle big issues such as gay marriage and medicinal marijuana. While Corzine has said he would sign both measures, Christie has said he wanted a referendum vote on gay marriage and further restriction on medicinal marijuana.
Neither proposal is on tap for Monday, the first day lawmakers reconvene.
Instead, proposals represent an array of unfinished business, including bills to increase penalties for driving under the influence, spend more on transportation for senior and disabled residents with money freed up by Medicaid changes, and require chain restaurants be more forthcoming with nutritional information about their offerings.
Last week, state Sen. Loretta Weinberg, D-Bergen, sharply criticized Sweeney and other Democrats for appearing to back away from marriage equality commitments. Weinberg, who was the party's lieutenant governor nominee, said, "It will be a disappointment to so many in the grass roots of our party as well as to me personally if this commitment is not honored."
Sweeney, D-Salem, Gloucester, Cumberland, said later that he spoke with Weinberg and said it was a misunderstanding. The primary focus of the final weeks, he said, would be economic bills, leaving the door open to a possible vote on the issue.
State voters supported gay marriage by a four-point margin, 46 percent to 42 percent, according to a Rutgers-Eagleton poll released last week. Another 12 percent were unsure.
But legislative leaders have said they were hesitant to bring up the issue unless enough votes were there to support it.
Locally, lawmakers expected other bills to pass. State Sen. Jeff Van Drew, D-Cape May, Cumberland, Atlantic, want to see passed a bill increasing penalties for dumping medical waste, which resulted in Cape May County beach closings over Labor Day weekend 2008. He said he also hoped to see a reading disability task force created and the state require antifreeze be sold with chemicals making it more bitter.
Assemblyman Vince Polistina, R-Atlantic, said he hoped to see passed a proposal that would bar the trustee of a casino from also serving as its conservator. The proposal also would cap the conservator fees at 2 percent of the property sale. The legislation is an outgrowth of criticism leveled by Polistina and districtmate John Amodeo at retired state Supreme Court Justice Gary S. Stein, who served as conservator of the bankrupt Tropicana Casino and Resort.
The pair questioned the year and a half it took to sell the casino for the bargain-basement price of $200 million, during which time Stein's firm billed in excess of $7 million.
Lawmakers in both houses are scheduled to hold four days of committee hearings and three voting sessions before the new Legislature is sworn in Jan. 12.
While the Assembly also was up for election, only one seat out of the 80 traded parties. That came in the 4th Legislative District, which includes parts of Gloucester and Camden counties. There, Republican Domenick DiCicco, an attorney, will replace outgoing Democratic Assemblywoman Sandra Love.
Democrats in the Assembly and Senate also are expected to hold closed-door votes for whom they want to head the respective chambers when the Legislature reconvenes in January. Assemblywoman Sheila Oliver is expected to get the nod to replace retiring Speaker Roberts, Democrats said, becoming the first black woman in state history to lead the chamber.
Sweeney also is expected to get enough votes to become Senate president. He has worked for more than a year to replace Dick Codey, D-Essex, who would remain in the Senate.
Contact Derek Harper:
609-292-4935
Posted in NEW JERSEY on Sunday, November 22, 2009 2:40 am
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