Gov. Chris Christie recently vetoed legislation that would have made rentals via Airbnb and similar online marketplaces subject to the same state and local occupancy taxes as hotel and motel rooms. According to the Governor, he would not support imposing additional taxes on “already overly taxed New Jersey property owners.”
On July 21, 2017, Governor Christie signed Senate Bill 3067, which establishes new protections for transgender students and requires the Commissioner of Education to develop guidelines for school districts. The legislation is intended to ensure that transgender students are protected from discrimination and have a safe learning environment. “All of our
New Jersey Governor Chris Christie recently approved the “New Jersey Library Construction Bond Act.” The bi-partisan legislation authorizes the issuance of $125 million in State general obligation bonds to provide grants for the construction, expansion, and equipping of New Jersey’s public libraries. For the library funding to become a reality,
The Supreme Court of New Jersey recently held that the public has the right to access recordings from the mobile video recorders (MVRs) in police vehicles under the common law right of access. The court further held in North Jersey Media Group, Inc. v. Township of Lyndhurst that unredacted Use of
Gov. Chris Christie recently signed legislation aimed to make it easier for New Jersey communities to pursue municipal consolidation. Senate Bill 956 authorizes special emergency appropriations for the payment of certain expenses incurred to implement a municipal consolidation. Consolidations are governed by the Uniform Shared Services and Consolidation Act, which
In Trinity Lutheran Church of Columbia, Inc. v. Carol S. Comer, Director, Missouri Department of Natural Resources, the U.S. Supreme Court held that the State of Missouri violated the U.S. Constitution when it denied a playground resurfacing grant to the Trinity Lutheran Church of Columbia based solely on its status
Local governments should be aware that the two percent cap on interest arbitration awards is set to expire at the end of the year. The cap limits how much compensation arbitrators can award police and firefighters who have reached a contract negotiation impasse with New Jersey municipalities. Under existing law, any
In Stop & Shop Supermarket Company, LLC v. County of Bergen, the Appellate Division affirmed the dismissal of a declaratory judgment action arising from a records dispute under the state’s Open Public Records Act (OPRA). Because the OPRA requestor had received the documents at issue prior to filing the suit,
