Governor Uses Absolute Veto; Calls Democrat Legislation Redundant
By Matt Rooney | The Save Jersey Blog
The Governor is back from Texas, Save Jerseyans, and he’s absolutely vetoed A-61/S-2566 (a bill sponsored by Democrats Oliver, Prieto, Wimberly, and Watson Coleman in the Assembly, Sarlo and Greenstein in the Senate) which would have imposed new legislative “oversight” on the application of Superstorm Sandy recovery funds.
Translation: the Trenton Democrats wanted to score political points by picking apart the biggest driver of Governor Christie’s high approval rating, his Sandy response. But the Big Guy won’t bite.
“This bill would simply duplicate those efforts,” explained Christie:
For example, this bill requires the State Treasurer to maintain a transparency website for the administration of Sandy recovery funding even though the State Comptroller already maintains such a transparency website pursuant to my Executive Order.
The Comptroller’s website accomplishes the same purpose as the bill – to allow the public to track state contracts and expenditures involving federal Sandy-related funding.
Moreover, I am also concerned that the bill tasks the State Treasurer to oversee Sandy recovery funds when I already directed the State Comptroller and the Office of Recovery and Rebuilding to report to me directly on the progress of the independent review process and the transparency website. In my judgment, these teams are better suited to handle that responsibility.”
You can click here to read Governor Christie’s veto message.
