New Bills to Reform the Port Authority

At a park in Fort Lee with a backdrop of the George Washington Bridge, New Jersey Democrats recalled the day the Port Authority blocked off lanes to the busiest bridge in the world, and urged Gov. Christie to sign a Port Authority reform bill.

The legislation would give lawmakers in New York and New Jersey the power to require Port Authority officials to “appear before a standing committee to present testimony on any topic or subject requested by the committee." It has already passed the New Jersey legislature, and now lawmakers in New York have introduced identical bills.

“We’re hoping that with New York’s cooperation and with the growing understanding of why legislative oversight is so important that [Gov. Christie] will realize that this bill is really a better bill to sign,” said New Jersey Senate Majority Leader Loretta Weinberg.

Christie vetoed a similar bill in Dec. 2014 and has been supportive of a version introduced by Senate Republican Leader Tom Kean, which was also signed into law in New York by Gov. Cuomo in Dec. 2015. 

In an email, Governor Christie's office said: 

“While we won't comment on pending legislation until we have received a final bill to examine, the Governor has been strongly supportive of Senator Kean's legislative effort to enact the standard of reforms outlined by Governor Christie and Governor Cuomo nearly two years ago. That legislation already has been adopted in New York and has been awaiting action by New Jersey's legislature."

But Democrats in the Garden State say the reforms passed in New York are too weak. Their latest bill includes all of the provisions in the New York law — but adds more, including independent monitoring of the Port Authority on capital projects exceeding $500 million and a provision that would require the agency to hold public hearings prior to the adoption of a capital plan.

New York Assemblyman Jim Brennan of Brooklyn says the new version of the bill in New Jersey better protects taxpayers.

"There are certain legislative oversights and capital budget reforms that are absolutely vital, and strengthen the measure already passed in New York," Brennan said.  

The bills would need to pass both houses in New York and both Governors would have to sign them to go into effect.