Trenton’s Year-End Logjam: 4 Critical Bills on Today’s Agenda

There are a TON of bills on the legislative agenda today, a fact that is by itself something to be concerned about. Here is a snap shot of four bills that hold the greatest potential for impact….

Local government budget process changes
S3941 and A5240

These bills make significant changes to New Jersey’s local budget laws and shift multiple deadlines that connect to when budgets are introduced, reviewed, certified, and approved – at both the municipal and county levels. The bills also change the timing of Local Finance Board involvement when a municipality seeks to exceed the tax levy cap and when state oversight is triggered.

Moving those dates later in the calendar can shorten review periods and move key decisions into time frames when fewer people are paying attention. These are statewide changes so every municipality and county would be affected.

NJCU and Kean University merger
S4881

We already provided a brief overview of this bill back in November

The bill sets aside $25M for the NJCU/Kean merger and restructures governance, authority and institutional control within the public university system.

Questions connected to governance structure, labor implications and the conditions attached to this money bomb make this one of the most consequential items on the agenda.

Green Acres and Blue Acres land acquisition authority
S4921

S4921 sets aside dollars for state land acquisition and flood mitigation through Green Acres and Blue Acres program and directs that money toward state purchase of land for conservation and recreation and prioritizes voluntary buyouts in flood prone areas.

This is not a municipal grant program-it is state level land use authority and communities have a compelling interest in how this authority is exercised. Concerning is that the bill reduces legislative visibility once funds are appropriated by allowing for re-allocations within previously approved categories- this is a huge red flag in my opinion.

Parental liability for juvenile public brawls and disorderly conduct
A4651 and S3508

These raise some important civil liberty concerns – it authorizes fines and, in some cases, petty disorderly or disorderly persons charges against parents or guardians. This is a real change that would affect municipal courts, families and local enforcement practices.

Full Schedule