LEGISLATION to withdraw New Jersey from the Waterfront Commission of New York Harbour has been conditionally vetoed by New Jersey governor Chris Christie, who argues the move would be unlawful unless New York contemplates a similar move.
NJ governor vetoes bill to withdraw New Jersey from Waterfront CommissionLEGISLATION to withdraw New Jersey from the Waterfront Commission of New York Harbour has been conditionally vetoed by New Jersey governor Chris Christie, who argues the move would be unlawful unless New York contemplates a similar move.
"While I am not unsympathetic to the merits of the bill, I am advised that federal law does not permit one state to unilaterally withdraw from a bi-state compact approved by Congress," Mr Christie said. "As a result, it is premature for New Jersey to contemplate withdrawing from the Waterfront Commission until New York considers similar legislation."
The bill had passed unanimously in both chambers of the New Jersey Legislature, reported American Shipper.
"Given this concrete constitutional hurdle, I am recommending this bill be amended to direct the Waterfront Commission to promulgate regulations substantially similar to the jurisdictional definitions proposed by this bill," he added.
This is an apparent reference to efforts by legislators to limit the commission's regulation of warehouse near the docks.
Executive director of the Waterfront Commission, Walter Arsenault, said there were two groups supporting the bill - the New York Shipping Association and International Longshoremen's Association, and the commercial real estate industry.
Mr Arsenault was quoted as saying: "This legislation was just one more desperate attempt by the ILA and NYSA to attack the Waterfront Commission's efforts to drive out the influence of organized crime from the port, and to ensure that hiring on the waterfront is done in a fair and non-discriminatory manner.
"Now that all of their lawsuits against us have been dismissed, their last hope was to try to abolish the agency. Today's veto is a significant victory for the Commission and, more importantly, for the port."
President of the ILA's Atlantic Coast District, Dennis Daggett, said he was "extremely disappointed" with the governor's veto, "if he (Chris Christie) really cared about the State of New Jersey, the people of New Jersey, and creating over 10,000 jobs then he would've stood next to the business community and the working class and did the right thing!"