Supporters of NY/NJ Port Authority bill fail to overcome veto

Although legislation had passed both chambers of NJ legislature unanimously, the override failed 25-14 in the N.J. Senate.

   An effort to override a veto by Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey of legislation that supporters said would increase transparency and accountability at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey failed on Monday.
   The legislation, passed in the wake of the George Washington Bridge closure scandal, originally passed unanimously by both the New Jersey Assembly and Senate, but was vetoed by Christie.
   An attempt to override the veto in the N.J. Senate on Monday failed 25-14. Action in the NJ Assembly was moot because of the Senate vote.
   Senate Majority Leader Loretta Weinberg (D) said 15 of the 16-members in GOP caucus today refused to vote to override the governor’s veto.
   “For a year, as we investigated the lane closings on the George Washington Bridge, Republicans and Democrats demanded reform at the port authority,” said Weinberg. “We delivered on legislation to create strong transparency and accountability standards and finally bring change to an out-of-control agency. Six months ago, Republicans voted with us to make this bill law. Nothing has changed since that vote except for the governors’ obvious attempt to maintain secrecy and universal control over the Port Authority.”
   Senate Republican Leader Tom Kean issued a statement calling for passage of his own Port Authority reform legislation.
   “Now that the New Jersey Senate Democrats have gotten this political game out of their system, I hope that they will join our caucus and New York Senate and Assembly colleagues, who aren’t acting on the dated and incomplete legislation that failed again today,” he said.
   “We don’t have to start over. We can immediately pass comprehensive, common-ground legislation that I introduced last week to finally reform the maligned Port Authority for commuters and taxpayers. My new bill includes all of the workable provisions from bipartisan sponsors and governors on both sides of the Hudson River.”