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| Christie ban on unions' political donations struck down |
| 2010-05-09 |
| A state appeals court Friday struck down an attempt by Gov. Christie to restrict political donations from state workers' unions, overturning one of the first moves of his administration. In an executive order, the governor moved to have unions treated like other business entities, which may not receive state contracts worth more than $17,500 if they have donated more than $300 to statewide campaigns within 18 months. Christie signed the order on his first full day in office. The executive order would have severely hampered the state workers unions' influence, but a three-judge panel ruled that the governor's executive order violated the principle of separation of powers. "The desired changes in the law would, in essence, require not only a pen, but also an eraser," the opinion states. "We are not, by any means, concluding that what the governor seeks to accomplish is illegal, impossible, or unwise public policy," the ruling continues. "We simply hold that what [Executive Order] 7 seeks to achieve must be pursued through legislation." Christie said that while he was disappointed with the outcome, he was encouraged that the opinion "very strongly supports the . . . robust authority that the governor of New Jersey has in order to execute executive orders." He said the judges also indicated that the issue "is a public-policy issue that needs to be debated and discussed." Christie has until July 1 to decide whether to appeal to the Supreme Court. He said he would talk with his advisers to determine how to proceed in order to achieve his policy objective: "to level the playing field so that no one has a greater advantage over the other because of their money." "We've gone through a period in New Jersey where money has been an extraordinary driver of political discussion in this state, and I'd like to get to a place where the ideas are the driver," Christie said. The Communications Workers of America, which filed the lawsuit challenging the executive order, praised the ruling Friday. "We are gratified that the court recognized the basic principle that in our system of government, the legislature makes laws, and the executive branch executes them," said Hetty Rosenstein, CWA New Jersey state director. "With Executive Order 7, Gov. Christie twisted this principle and attempted to, in the court's words, 'bypass the legislature and carry out what would be, in effect, an implied repealer of existing legislation.' |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #1 Trying to govern New Jersey for the voters must be like trying to swim through a sea of mud made of slime and political corruption. |
| Posted by: JohnQC 2010-05-09 11:59 |