Chris Christie Signs 4 Bills Into Law, Vetoes Unemployment Compensation Bill

Gov. Chris Christie signed four bills into law Monday while vetoing an unemployment compensation initiative.

Christie said he vetoed a bill that would extend the availability of unemployment benefits to all workers engaged in a strike or other concerted work stoppage. He noted that current law already does much of that, allowing striking workers to receive unemployment benefits where the strike does not substantially curtail the operations of the business.

"Striking workers, no matter what effect their actions have on the operations of their employer, by definition, cause their own unemployment by choosing not to work," he said. "This bill adds insult to injury by imposing its expansion of unemployment benefits beginning April 10, 2016, which makes clear that the sponsors’ main intention is to compensate Verizon workers who went on strike in April amid contract negotiations and reached a contract agreement approximately six weeks later."

Here is what Christie signed this week:

BILL SIGNINGS:

SCS for S-1967, 1749/A-3707 (Cardinale, Scutari, Gordon/Eustace, Mukherji, Holley) - Authorizes current and retired administrative law judges to solemnize marriages and civil unions

S-2004/A-3606 (Beach, Madden/Eustace, DeAngelo, Webber, Mukherji, Downey, Space) - Requires DOLWD to permit veterans and other groups to apply for UI benefits online

A-766/S-1386 (Andrzejczak, Mazzeo, Lampitt, Wimberly, Pintor Marin, Downey/Gill, Greenstein) - Allows certain National Guard and United States Reserve members to temporarily defer mortgage loan payments and property tax payments

AS for A-3401/SCS for S-2136 (Greenwald, Downey, Phoebus, Space/Oroho, Sarlo) - Concerns electronic medical bills for workers' compensation claims

BILL VETOED:

S-2160/A-3819 (Vitale, Sweeney/Quijano, DeAngelo, Giblin, Benson, Zwicker, Danielsen, Houghtaling, Sumter) – CONDITIONAL - Concerns unemployment compensation and labor disputes

Patch file photo