New Jersey Senate May Delay Votes on Gas-Tax Hike, Pension Amendment
Originally appeared in NJ Spotlight
By John Reitmeyer
August 1, 2016
The New Jersey Senate is holding its first voting session in over a month this afternoon, but legislation seeking to renew the state Transportation Trust Fund with a gas-tax hike may not make the final agenda. The same goes for a resolution to put a pension-funding question on the ballot this fall.
Any delay would be considered a setback for Democratic legislative leaders, who back the pension amendment and are also hoping to secure enough votes to override Gov. Chris Christie and end a shutdown that’s brought projects to a halt during the summer construction season.
Transportation industry experts say that stopping road, bridge, and rail projects is directly leading to layoffs while transportation advocates warn that the prolonged detours are now posing a safety issue for motorists.