New Jersey lawmakers taking time off, problems staying put

BY MICHAEL CATALINI
TRENTON — With the full Legislature not meeting again until after this November's election and Gov. Chris Christie often out of state in his White House bid, New Jersey's problems are piling up.

The Labor Day weekend might mark the unofficial end of summer for many, but New Jersey's Legislature has slowed its typically brisk pace ahead of Election Day, which will feature the Assembly at the top of the ballot for the first time since 1999.

The break is not out of the ordinary in New Jersey, where legislators typically take this time off. But this year the state is facing serious issues, including a fiscal crunch gripping Atlantic City; the state's transportation trust fund lurching toward insolvency; and the nearly $80 billion public pension teetering toward unsustainability. The break also coincides with Christie's frequent out-of-state travels as he seeks the Republican nomination for president.

Aside from tradition, another reason for the break is the coming election, which could have record low turnout, according to Rider University political science adjunct professor Ben Dworkin.

“Every time you take a vote in Trenton, somebody might be upset," he said. “None of these legislators want to do that on the eve of an election."

Some of the big issues prove thornier than others. For instance, the Legislature has already sent Christie a five-bill package addressing Atlantic City's struggling economy. The legislation includes a payment-in-lieu-of-taxes plan that aims to stabilize tax revenue in the resort town. The bill is awaiting action from Christie, who does not typically discuss pending legislation.

But other issues, like transportation funding, could require an unpopular hike in the state's 10.5-cent-per-gallon gas tax, which has not changed since 1989. At issue is the roughly $1.2 billion transportation trust fund, which was created to pay for road and bridge work, but currently pays for debt. New projects are funded by additional bonding coupled with a loan from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.

It's one of the top issues for both business and environmental groups, two groups who are not typically in agreement.

Stakeholders say it's urgent for the Legislature and Christie to address the issue, but they stop short of expressing any frustration over the lawmakers' absence.

“All of us probably would like things to move forward faster," said New Jersey Chamber of Commerce President Tom Bracken at a news conference announcing a business summit later this month in Atlantic City. “But you know historically they take this time off. With the election coming up I think they realize if they were here not much would get done, so be it."

The pension fund is also contentious and prospects for an agreement between Christie — who invites unions and Democrats to re-negotiate a solution — and the Legislature seem bleak. Democrats question Christie's trustworthiness. The bad blood goes back to the disintegration of a 2011 deal in which union members conceded certain cost-of-living adjustments in exchange for the Christie administration paying more into the pension fund, but lower-than-expected revenues in resulted in Christie reducing the payment. Unions sued, and eventually the state Supreme Court refused to require Christie to make the payment.

Unions don't fault the Democrat-led Legislature for taking off, but blame Christie vetoing legislation that would have made higher payments to the pension.

“The Legislature is doing its job in New Jersey," New Jersey Education Association President Wendell Steinhauer said. “Our problem is a governor who vetoes the common-sense bills they pass and who has abandoned this state at such a critical time."

A message to Christie's office seeking comment was not returned.

The Legislature won't be totally off. The state Senate has met roughly once a month since July, with the next voting session scheduled for Sept. 24. Legislators have also sent Christie several dozen bills before the summer break began, many of which are still on his desk.