NJ Legislature Has Unfinished Business in 2018-19 Lame Duck

Must Act by Jan. 14th, Can’t Afford to Wait for new 2020-21 Term

TRENTON, NJ — Critical bills with strong public, legislative and Governor’s office support and significant public health and environmental benefits urgently need final passage in lame duck as NJ can’t afford to start from scratch in the new term.

Clean Water Action calls on the State Legislature and Murphy Administration to work together and with advocates and the public to get the following measures, which have already made it most of the way through the legislative process, across the finish line before the 2018-19 legislative session ends on January 14, 2020:

• Bag Ban – S2776 (Smith, Greenstein) / A4330 (Pinkin, Kennedy, McKeon): Banning plastic and paper bags and polystyrene takeout containers, and offer plastic straws by request only;

• Electric Vehicles – S2252 (Smith, Greenstein) / A4819 (Pinkin, Benson, Kennedy): Investing in electrifying NJ’s transportation sector, prioritizing electric NJT buses and ensuring those of modest means receive their fair share;

• Environmental Justice – S1700 (Singleton, Weinberg) / A5094 (McKeon, Huttle, Timberlake): Giving NJDEP authority to just say no to new pollution in already overburdened communities;

• Existing nominations to the Pinelands Commission; and

• Railcar Safety – S18831 (Weinberg, Lagana) / A3783 (Pinkin, Calabrese, Huttle, Tully): Requiring trains to have discharge response, cleanup, and contingency plans to transport certain hazardous materials, including fracked oil, by rail.