Bill passed unanimously but Senate could not muster the votes to override Christie’s veto, dashing hopes for accountability at Port Authority of New York and New Jersey

The ACLU-NJ expressed disappointment with the New Jersey State Senate today for failing to override Governor Chris Christie’s veto of a bill to transform the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ) that passed the Senate unanimously.

The legislation, S2181, sponsored by Senators Robert Gordon and Loretta Weinberg, would have established critical independent transparency standards for the bi-state agency, whose failures of accountability garnered national attention in the wake of the 2013 George Washington Bridge lane closures.

New Jersey lawmakers voted on an override of the veto on March 16 but failed to secure enough votes, with 25 in favor and 14 voting against. In order for laws pertaining to the bi-state agency to be enforceable, New York and New Jersey must each enact parallel versions of the legislation. The New York legislature has already reintroduced its counterpart to S2181 following a veto from New York Governor Andrew Cuomo during that state’s 2014 legislative session.

“Time is long past for dragging the Port Authority out of its own muck and directing some disinfecting sunshine at it. History has shown that we cannot trust the Port Authority to police itself,” said ACLU-NJ Executive Director Udi Ofer. “The legislature unanimously supported bringing the Port Authority into the 21st Century by passing transparency and accountability measures. The Senate needed to show that same conviction now by overriding the governor’s veto, and it fell far short of what the people of New Jersey need. This nearly $8 billion agency impacts the daily lives of millions of New Jerseyans and we cannot afford to allow it to continue to avoid oversight. Today’s vote constitutes a sad day for transparency and accountability in New Jersey.”

As a bi-state agency, the PANYNJ is not subject to the governmental transparency laws of New Jersey or New York, despite operating with a budget that surpasses most states’. Among other accountability provisions, S2181 would take significant steps to addressing this loophole by applying important open public meetings rules to the Port Authority.

“S2181 would have been a critical first step for the Port Authority and we support override of the Governor’s veto,” said ACLU-NJ Transparency Law Fellow Iris Bromberg. “But the legislature today let the people of New Jersey down. We need accountability, both through S2181 and through follow-up legislation to ensure New Jerseyans can effectively enforce the open meetings requirements for the Port Authority in court. We will continue to push for accountability at the Port Authority.”

S2183, a companion bill supported by the ACLU-NJ and conditionally vetoed by Governor Christie in January, would subject the Port Authority to New Jersey’s Open Public Records Act and New York’s Freedom of Information Law.

The longstanding issue of transparency failures at the Port Authority drew widespread public attention in late 2013, when news of the Christie administration’s involvement in the closure of traffic lanes on the George Washing Bridge emerged. However, lawmakers and transparency advocates have attempted to shine a light on the workings of the Port Authority for years. In July 2012, Governor Christie conditionally vetoed legislation that would have given the public greater access to financial and procedural dealings at the Port Authority, among other reforms.

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