Tracking the action when the
State Legislature takes a break
The New Jersey State Legislature has be-
gun what is expected to be a long pre-election
recess. With the exception of addressing
emergent matters, it is unlikely the Senate or
Assembly will resume significant legislative
activity prior to the election in November.
This break in the action is typical for election
years, when legislators spend the summer and
fall preparing for full-time campaign activity.
The 2017 election is significant for many rea-
sons, not the least of which will be the selection of a governor
to replace Chris Christie. With all 120 seats in the legislature
up for grabs and a new governor just around the corner, the
end of this session could match the tension and gamesman-
ship that led to the brief government shutdown in early July.
As we look ahead to the end of the session, the NJ State PBA
will remain active on bills that are of interest to the law en-
forcement community, including:
Assembly Bill 2690: The bill expands the list of retired law
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enforcement officers eligible to carry a handgun by clarifying
that the law applies to officers from all state, county, local and
bi-state agencies. The bill closes a loophole created by a mis-
interpretation of the law by the State Police. The bill is cur-
rently on the governor’s desk.
Assembly Bill 3593: The bill clarifies that civilian public
safety directors of municipal, county and state police depart-
ments do not have police powers and may not engage in law
enforcement matters, criminal investigations or internal af-
fairs cases. The bill, which is a PBA priority, was released by
the Assembly Law and Public Safety Committee in June.
Assembly Bill 4863: The bill establishes that retired law
enforcement officers may carry a firearm until the age of 80
under certain conditions. The legislation was released by the
Assembly Law and Public Safety Committee in June.
Senate Bill 596: The bill re-establishes the Sick Leave Inju-
ry Program for state corrections and law enforcement officers
injured in the line of duty. The bill was signed by the Governor
in early July.
Senate Bill 3311: The bill requires that an early retirement
incentive program must be offered to Atlantic City police of-
ficers before any layoffs are permitted under the state’s take-
over of the city. The bill, a PBA priority, was passed by the Sen-
ate and is awaiting a final vote in the Assembly.
Senate Bill 3312: The bill transfers the state lottery to TPAF,
PERS and PFRS. The $13 billion lottery becomes an asset of
the state pension fund under the bill, thereby immediately
improving the value of the three funds and providing a steady
stream of revenue to make the state’s required pension pay-
ments. The bill has only minor impact for the state portion of
PFRS, since the lottery proceeds can only be applied to state
institutions where law enforcement officers are assigned.
Since the New Jersey Constitution directly prohibits lottery
funds from being used for prison operations, the amount of
lottery assets for PFRS increases the value of its assets by only
3 percent. But the transfer of the lottery to the pension system
does dramatically increase the overall value of the entire state
pension system and its long-term actuarial health. The Gov-
ernor signed the bill into law on July 4.
Finally, it should be noted that Assemblyman Dave Rible
has resigned from the Legislature to become the Director of
the Division of Alcohol Beverage Control. Assemblyman Rible
is a retired Wall Officer and has been in the Assembly since
2008. Despite the State PBA leadership’s strained relationship
with Rible concerning his past votes in support of Governor
Christie’s agenda, Dave provided substantial behind-the-
scenes guidance and insight that were of great help on a num-
ber of serious issues over the years. This almost contradictory
reality proves that in lobbying and in relationships, things are
not always what they seem.d