NJ Lame Duck Session Ignites Flurry Of Activity From Lawmakers, Activists

The lame duck session has arrived after New Jersey’s sizzling general election, and the state has already been seeing some political fireworks as it prepares for a changing of the guard.

Governor-elect Mikie Sherrill is set to take the reins from Gov. Phil Murphy in January. Until then, Murphy and other outgoing lawmakers in Trenton will continue to hold power during a period known as the “lame duck” session. During this stretch of time, bills can fly through the Statehouse quickly – and sometimes without a thorough public review, pundits say.

Advocates allege that this was the case with a controversial proposal involving the New Jersey Office of the State Comptroller.

The bill – sponsored by Senate President Nicholas Scutari – would have eliminated the comptroller’s duty to probe complaints about governmental waste, fraud and abuse. It would have also stripped the agency of some of its powers, including the ability to issue subpoenas.

Scutari has said the goal of the legislation is to eliminate duplication among state agencies, while also expanding the State Commission of Investigation’s powers and duties.

Critics of the bill, including U.S. Sen. Andy Kim, argued that it would severely weaken the oversight power of the New Jersey Comptroller’s office – further damaging the public’s trust in its state government. Opponents also criticized the fast-tracking of the bill, which was dropped just before the Thanksgiving holiday and cleared a committee vote on Dec. 1.

Acting State Comptroller Kevin Walsh said the bill would have made some of the agency’s major investigations impossible to carry out, including a high-profile probe into controversial police training sessions that allegedly glorified violence and demeaned women and minorities.

The proposal has apparently been shelved, with Scutari saying Monday that it will not be advancing.

“I’ve heard the concerns, and I’m going to listen to them,” the Democratic lawmaker told the New Jersey Globe.

• See Related: County’s COVID Program Plagued With Financial Waste, Comptroller Alleges
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NJ REPUBLICANS: THESE ARE ‘CRAZIEST’ LAME DUCK BILLS

Meanwhile, New Jersey Republican lawmakers are calling for more scrutiny in Trenton in the upcoming weeks.

“The Legislature’s lame duck session has finally arrived,” Assemblyman Paul Kanitra (NJ-10) commented in a video released by the NJ Assembly GOP on Sunday.

“This is the few weeks before newly elected members are seated where the most extreme bills generally get passed,” Kanitra said. “It's usually at the last minute. It's usually without even being previously introduced. And it almost always is with little input from you, the voter.”

>> Read More: NJ Republicans Dig In For ‘Long Haul’ After 2025 Election

Kanitra said his staff has spent time examining the bills currently sitting before the Legislature – and has picked out a list of the “Top 10 craziest bills Democrats are trying to pass before Christmas.”

The proposed laws include:

• A1975 – Requires DOC to assign transgender inmate to State correctional facility based on inmate's gender identity and use inmate's preferred gender pronoun.
• A2874 – Lowers age at which minors can consent to behavioral health care treatment from age 16 to age 14.
• A5796 – Requires child in home education program and parents to meet annually with representative of resident school district.
• A4369 – Permits 16 and 17-year-olds to vote in elections for local school board.
• A1701 – Authorizes provision of comprehensive health care coverage to undocumented immigrant aliens.
• A4987 – Establishes protections for immigrants interacting with government agencies; designates "New Jersey Immigrant Trust Act."
• A2239 – Requires racial and gender diversity in membership of certain boards of directors.
• A4691 – Makes supplemental appropriation of $100 million to Affordable Housing Production Fund in DCA for completion of 100-percent affordable housing projects.
• A4601 – Requires health insurance and Medicaid coverage for reproductive health care services; prohibits adverse actions by medical malpractice insurers in relation to performance of health care services.
• A909 – Expands list of eligible jurors by removing juror disqualification for criminal convictions and including DOLWD and DCA record in juror source list.

CLEAN ENERGY AND THE PEOPLE’S AGENDA

Elected officials aren’t the only ones sounding off during the lame duck session.

A coalition of progressive-leaning groups in New Jersey have been campaigning for lawmakers to pass a group of bills they’re calling “the 2025 People’s Agenda.”

Last week, activists held a “lobbying day” in Trenton to push for the slate of proposed laws. According to the ACLU of New Jersey, the bills include:

• S3672/A4987 (Immigrant Trust Act) – Limits New Jersey’s involvement in the federal detention and deportation system and allows New Jerseyans to seek protection and support from state and local agencies without fear of deportation.
• S3009/A4083 (New Jersey Voter Empowerment Act) – Strengthens voting protections and expands access to the ballot.
• S3545/A4696 (Climate Superfund Act) – Generates $50 billion over 20 years for infrastructure and resiliency by requiring the world’s largest fossil fuel companies to pay their fair share of the costs tied to flooding, storms, and other impacts.
• S3491/A4656 – Establishes protections for gender affirming care and abortion providers and patients.
• S3452/A4601 – Ensures New Jerseyans are able to access affordable reproductive health care by eliminating cost-sharing requirements for insurance coverage.
• S2338/A4463 – Brings incarcerated elders home.
• S2348/A4175 – Codifies and strengthens the protections against police use of force.

“Now more than ever, as the Trump administration continues to attack on our democracy, state protections are essential to safeguarding our fundamental rights,” said Ami Kachalia, campaign strategist at the ACLU-NJ.

“We’re calling on the New Jersey Legislature to pass the People’s Agenda and make real change for everyone who calls our state home,” Kachalia said.

“Let’s end this legislative session with a bang for justice, not a whimper,” agreed Nuzhat Chowdhury, director of the Democracy & Justice Program at the New Jersey Institute for Social Justice.

Groups that are supporting the People’s Agenda include: AAPI NJ, ACLU of New Jersey, Black Lives Matter Paterson, CAIR-NJ, Cherry Hill Women's Center, El Pueblo Unido of Atlantic City, Empower NJ, Fair Share Housing Center, Faith in New Jersey, First Friends of New Jersey & New York, Garden State Equality, Indivisible Cranbury Democracy Taskforce, Indivisible Highland Park, League of Women Voters of New Jersey, Make the Road New Jersey, New Jersey Alliance for Immigrant Justice, New Jersey Certified Professional Midwives Association, New Jersey Citizen Action, New Jersey Institute for Social Justice, New Jersey Public Education Coalition, New Labor, New Jersey League of Conservation Voters, New Jersey Policy Perspective, New Jersey Poor People’s Campaign, New Jersey Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, New Jersey Working Families Alliance, NJ Harm Reduction Coalition, Palestinian American Community Center, Planned Parenthood Action Fund of New Jersey, Salvation and Social Justice, Second Look NJ, Third Act New Jersey, Unitarian Universalist FaithAction NJ, WADEIn New Jersey, and Wind of the Spirit Immigrant Resource Center.

Other advocate groups are calling for the passage of legislation that would put New Jersey on the path to “100 percent clean electricity” by 2035.

The New Jersey Energy Leadership Act (S237/A1480) would address the “impact of climate change” by abandoning fossil fuels and moving towards a mixture of nuclear, solar, wind and other “zero-emission” technology.

Environmental advocates claim the bill would also lower overall electricity costs and create union jobs.

Two years ago, Murphy announced that the state is moving up its goal to reach “100 percent clean energy” by 15 years – an initiative that will also require new cars sold in the state to be all-electric by 2035. The proposed bill would enshrine these goals into state code.

“Making 100 percent clean energy the law in New Jersey is not just an essential climate goal –it’s an investment in healthier communities, stronger local economies, and long-term reliable and affordable energy,” said Patty Cronheim of ReThink Energy NJ.

“By balancing environmental responsibility with smart innovation, we can ensure a sustainable future that benefits every resident across the state and generations to come,” Cronheim said.

“Last month’s election provided a clear mandate for bold action to lower energy prices,” New Jersey League of Conservation Voters executive director Ed Potosnak said.

“This legislation is the centerpiece of Governor Murphy’s environmental legacy, and the time to act is now,” Potosnak urged.

• See Related: Murphy's Unveils Final Energy Master Plan—Right As His Tenure Ends
• See Related: NJ Sees Big Jump In Electric Vehicles As It Chases 'Clean Energy' Mandate

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