Once again in N.J., Christie veto sticks

Chris Christie

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie leaves the Capitol in Washington in this Nov. 17, 2014 file photo (J. Scott Applewhite/AP Photo)

In nearly five years, New Jersey lawmakers have never succeeded in overriding one of Governor Christie Christie’s vetoes. That streak continued Monday.

A bill unanimously approved by the Legislature would have required the state to perform an annual affordability analysis with revenue and debt estimates for a decade.

The Christie administration recently balked over technical problems with the bill, according to Assemblyman Jon Bramnick, the Republican leader.

“It turns out that’s a very dangerous thing for the issuer of debt to do because if you leave something out you say something incorrect that’s a material breach and you get a lawsuit,” said Bramnick, R-Union.

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Assembly Majority Leader Lou Greenwald said the governor’s veto message from earlier this month did not mention that.

“I have no evidence before me whatsoever that says this is inappropriate, none,” said Greenwald, D-Camden.

Information the bill would have required is critical in considering the state’s future borrowing, he said.

Anticipating a request to borrow funds to replenish the state’s Transportation Trust Fund, GOP Assemblyman Jay Webber agreed with Greenwald.

“If they’re going to come to us and ask us to borrow $3 billion, $4 billion, $5 billion, however much the TTF is going to cost, don’t we want to know if we can afford it?” said Webber, R-Morris. “I mean, isn’t it crazy to vote on that measure without having some estimate of what we’re going to be taking in over the next five to 10 years?

Webber was on of the three Republicans joining 42 Assembly Democrats in voting for an override. But the vote fell short of the 54 needed.

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