N.J. Legislature to announce new leadership Monday

New Jersey lawmakers return to the Statehouse on Monday for the first time since the election of Governor-elect Chris Christie. One of their first actions by state lawmakers will be to select the new leadership that will work with Christie.

New Jersey lawmakers return to the Statehouse on Monday for the first time since the election of Governor-elect Chris Christie.

One of their first actions by state lawmakers will be to select the new leadership that will work with Christie.

Sheila Oliver of East Orange is expected to be the new Assembly Speaker, replacing the retiring Joe Roberts. The Democratic caucus is anticipated to select Majority Leader Steve Sweeney to replace Dick Codey as Senate President.

Seton Hall political science professor Joe Marbach says having new legislative leadership and a new Governor will make a difference in dealing with the state’s budget problems.

Marbach: Now you’ll have folks who don’t necessarily have vested interests from prior practices. It’s a real opportunity to break from the past.

Marbach says a new spirit of bipartisan cooperation might last until there’s clash between the priorities of the new Republican Governor and the Democratic legislative leadership.