In the post-election Legislative session, New Jersey lawmakers’ activities included introducing and voting on a flurry of bills meant to benefit corporate interests and boost pension benefits for a select few politically-connected individuals — often without the text of legislation or an opportunity to testify at hearings being available to the public. In response to the lack of transparency during the lame duck session, New Jersey Policy Perspective (NJPP) released the following statement.
Jon Shure, Interim President, NJPP:
“The legislative process often is messy, but this lame duck session too often disregarded standard legislative practices and transparency. When the process isn’t open, the public simply can’t be put first.
“Closed-door legislating inevitably favors the privileged few and shuts out those who don’t have lobbyists. Too often, the winners in lame duck were casinos, horse racing, Hollywood studios, and the like. The people for whom New Jersey really needs to be more affordable often came up empty.
“There will be lame duck sessions in the future, of course. And we look forward to working with advocates for openness and responsiveness to the public to make sure the public interest remains the top priority at all times.”
