Chris Christie 'Pocket Vetoed' These 50 Bills Just Before Leaving

Former Gov. Chris Christie took no action on 50 bills just before leaving - including bipartisan legislation that could get new life under Gov. Phil Murphy. The legislation Christie rejected includes the "Superstorm Sandy clawback bill," which was supposed to assist Sandy victims who are required to refund overpayments in aid.

Each member of the 9th District delegation – Sen. Christopher J. Connors, Assemblyman Brian E. Rumpf and Assemblywoman DiAnne C. Gove, all R-Ocean – criticized the former governor for the "pocket veto."

“As representatives of a legislative district in which thousands were displaced by the catastrophic damage, we are outraged that Governor Christie pocket vetoed the clawback bill and failed to extend this needed lifeline to affected Sandy victims," they said in a joint statement.

A "pocket veto" happens when a governor leaves office without taking action on a bill. The legislation process begins anew on each bill.

The bill would have:

• Require the state to notify a Sandy-impacted homeowner that has received an overpayment of funds that must be repaid to the state.
• Provide that a Sandy-impacted homeowner may pay the debt in full in one lump sum or, if there are insufficient assets, apply for a repayment plan.
• Provide that if a Sandy-impacted homeowner does not have sufficient income, assets, or resources to make payments, the debt will be compromised and considered paid in full.
• Permit a Sandy-impacted homeowner to appeal, in writing, the state's determination that they received an over-disbursement of funds.

“For those Sandy victims who’ve had too many sleepless nights contending with an endless bureaucratic nightmare, we worked together with the New Jersey Organizing Project to advance this legislation with the intent of providing the necessary assistance, including mediation, to help resolve clawback cases," the three GOP legislators said in a statement.

Christie did sign 109 new bills into law just before leaving office on Jan. 16, including one that places additional restrictions on gun ownership. He also signed a bill that takes power away from the New Jersey SPCA after recent concerns about the organization's management practices became public.

Read more: Chris Christie Signs 109 Bills Into Law, New Gun Restrictions

Here are the bills he did not sign, or pocket-vetoed:

• S-377/A-918 (Codey, Rice/Vainieri Huttle, Benson, Holley, Danielsen, DeAngelo, McKnight, Sumter) - Requires hospital patient's medical record to include notation if patient is at increased risk of confusion, agitation, behavioral problems, and wandering due to dementia related disorder
• S-447/A-2352 (Allen, Ruiz/Vainieri Huttle, Muoio, Singleton, Caputo, Jasey) - Requires Commissioner of Education to include data on chronic absenteeism and disciplinary suspensions on School Report Card and requires public schools to make certain efforts to combat chronic absenteeism
• S-654/A-3490 (Turner, Ruiz/Muoio, Sumter, Pintor Marin, Gusciora, Wimberly) - Establishes restricted use driver's license endorsement for certain motor vehicle offenders with suspended license
• S-1390/A-5268 (Gill/Prieto, Jimenez) - Requires health benefits coverage for orthotic and prosthetic appliances from licensed podiatrists
• S-2107/A-536 (Sarlo, T. Kean/Schepisi, A.M. Bucco, Auth, Danielsen, DiMaio) - Provides that PERS or PFRS member who continues to be volunteer firefighter or emergency services worker after retirement with employer from whom member retires has bona fide severance for compliance with State and federal law
• S-2276/A-3918 (Smith, Bateman/DeAngelo, Eustace, Johnson) - Modifies State’s solar renewable energy portfolio standards
• S-2397/A-3870 (Ruiz, Diegnan/Singleton, Barclay, Jones, Caputo, Quijano, Wimberly) - Directs State Board of Education to authorize computer science education endorsement to instructional certificate
• S-2469/ACS for A-1115 (Sweeney, Rice, Weinberg, Cunningham/Oliver, Conaway, Tucker, Sumter, Holley, Wimberly) - Provides that AG handle investigation and prosecution of crime involving person’s death by law enforcement officer while acting in officer’s official capacity or while in custody; requires trial in venue outside county where incident occurred
• S-2471/A-4536 (Beach, Cruz-Perez/Barclay, Jones) - Establishes Service Dog Pilot Program for inmates in Camden County; appropriates $150,000
• S-2508/A-4386 (Lesniak, Cruz-Perez/Mukherji, Zwicker, Conaway) - "Nosey's Law"; prohibits use of elephants and other wild or exotic animals in traveling animal acts
• S-2704/A-4318 (Diegnan, Ruiz/Benson, DeCroce, McKnight, Pintor Marin) - Establishes grant program for school districts and charter schools to develop dual language immersion programs
• S-2853/A-4296 (Sweeney/Muoio, Mukherji, Oliver, McKnight, Gusciora) - Allows individual to receive additional lifetime emergency assistance under certain circumstances
• S-2872/A-4510 (Pou, Bell, Van Drew/Mazzeo, Singleton, Wimberly) - Provides certain incentives to qualified businesses in Garden State Growth Zones; creates Garden State Growth Zone at Atlantic City International Airport and surrounding area
• S-3012/A-2753 (Lesniak, Oroho/Mukherji, Benson, Downey) - Allows NJ gross income tax deduction for charitable contributions of food made from business inventory
• S-3102/A-4926 (Whelan/Mazzeo, Johnson, DeAngelo, Wimberly) - Provides tax credit eligibility for qualified businesses for certain persons employed as independent contractors under Grow New Jersey Assistance Program
• S-3218/A-4972 (Cunningham, Pou/Mazzeo, Vainieri Huttle, Jasey, Jones, Lampitt, Schaer, Wimberly, Downey) - Requires Higher Education Student Assistance Authority to establish repayment assistance program for borrowers under New Jersey College Loans to Assist State Students Loan Program who suffer material loss of income
• S-3317/ACS for A-5040, 5043 (Smith, Greenstein, Diegnan/Mukherji, Zwicker, Vainieri Huttle, Eustace, Downey, Kennedy, McKeon, Pinkin, Gusciora) - Requires NJ to join U.S. Climate Alliance to uphold Paris Climate Accord
• S-3395/A-5152 (Scutari/Caputo, Tucker) - Prohibits sale of certain alarm business signs and decals
• S-3447/A-5254 (Turner, Greenstein/Benson, Quijano, DeAngelo, Burzichelli) - Allows public schools to let certain students not enrolled in school participate in high school interscholastic athletics; allows public high schools in same district to enter into cooperative sports programs under certain conditions
• S-3458/A-5076 (A.R. Bucco/Wisniewski, A.M. Bucco, DeCroce) - Increases membership of fire safety commission in DCA
• S-3499/A-5250 (Rice, T. Kean/Greenwald, Burzichelli) - Authorizes certain local government utilities to impose additional connection fees; requires certain new credits and reductions for these fees
• S-3534/A-5163 (Cunningham, Bateman/Lampitt, Vainieri Huttle, DeAngelo, Danielsen, Benson, Sumter) - Commits $3 million from Supplemental Workforce Fund for Basic Skill to NJ Community College Consortium for Workforce and Economic Development
• S-3614/A-5316 (Sweeney, Oroho/Greenwald) - Requires State to pay full cost of health care benefits coverage in retirement for SPRS members who retire at mandatory retirement age of 55 with more than 20 but less than 25 years of service
• S-3622/A-5269 (Pou/Prieto, Wimberly) - Increases value of Economic Redevelopment and Growth Grant program residential tax credits to $926 million; restricts $103 million of tax credits to certain qualified residential projects and mixed use parking projects
• A-191/S-2313 (Caputo, Tucker, Quijano, Vainieri Huttle, Sumter, McKnight/Rice, Ruiz) - Requires school buildings to be equipped with emergency light and panic alarm linked to local law enforcement
• ACS for A-224/S-1922 (DeAngelo, Giblin, Singleton/Beach, Stack) - Provides for licensing of pool and spa service contractors, and pool and spa builders and installers
• A-311/S-439 (Singleton, Caputo, Jasey, Lagana, Quijano/Allen, Gordon) - Requires disclosure of breach of security of online account
• A-389/S-2649 (Benson, Mukherji/Greenstein, Cruz-Perez) - Requires health insurance coverage for certain amino acid-based elemental formulas
• A-783 (Andrzejczak, Johnson, Benson, Muoio, Land, Mukherji, Wimberly) - "Music Therapist Licensing Act"
• A-1130/S-2102 (Sumter, Wimberly, Singleton, McKnight/Turner) - Requires DHS to give priority to temporary rental assistance over use of hotels or motels in emergency assistance to Work First New Jersey recipients
• A-1670/S-3198 (Schaer, Quijano, Mukherji, Holley, Danielsen/Cunningham, Beach) – Establishes Office of Student Loan Ombudsman; regulates student loan servicers
• A-2220/S-1729 (Benson, Webber, Singleton, Wimberly/Oroho, Bell) - Authorizes local units of government subject to "Local Public Contracts Law” and “Public School Contracts Law" to use electronic procurement technologies
• A-2374/S-1154 (McKeon, Prieto, Wimberly, Zwicker, Greenwald/Cruz-Perez, Greenstein) - Requires Attorney General to establish Statewide gun buyback program
• A-2477 (McKeon, Vainieri Huttle, Jasey, Mukherji) - "Drama Therapists and Dance/Movement Therapists Licensing Act"
• A-2523/S-1903 (DeAngelo, Houghtaling, Thomson/Scutari) - Establishes an apprenticeship requirement to qualify for an electrical contractor’s license
• A-2991 (Conaway, Mukherji, Karabinchak) - Requires Attorney General to provide identity theft passport to certain victims of identity theft
• A-3047/S-2127 (Andrzejczak, Taliaferro, Land, Space, Dancer/Van Drew, Allen) - Creates viticulture trail tourist directional signs
• A-3105/S-3004 (Caputo, Tucker, Wimberly/Codey, Rice) - Provides that limitation on hours of retail sale of alcohol be consistent throughout licensed premises
• A-3295/S-985 (McKeon, Benson, Kennedy, Johnson/Smith, Bateman) - Concerns low emission and zero emission vehicles; establishes Clean Vehicle Task Force
• A-3396/S-2885 (McKnight, Chiaravalloti, Pintor Marin, Holley, Wimberly, Quijano/Addiego, Rice) - Requires financial literacy instruction to pupils enrolled in grades kindergarten through eight
• A-3421/S-2295 (Singleton, Lampitt, Holley, A.M. Bucco/Sweeney, Madden) - Establishes animal abuser registry
• A-3523/S-1930 (Muoio, Gusciora, Mukherji, Quijano/Lesniak, Turner) - Requires Division of Parole to offer parole services to certain defendants who have served their maximum sentence
• A-3612/S-2118 (Greenwald, Lampitt, Mosquera, Holley, Benson, Downey/Beach, Cruz-Perez) - Jake’s Law; Incentivizes counties to design and construct completely inclusive playgrounds as a priority for State funding for recreational and conservation purposes
• A-3732/S-2822 (Space, Andrzejczak, Phoebus/Oroho, Cruz-Perez) - Directs Dept. of Agriculture to authorize and advise food hubs
• A-3783/S-2408 (Zwicker, Benson, Barclay/Greenstein, Bateman) - Allows county and municipal police departments to establish designated safe areas for Internet purchase transactions; establishes public awareness campaign
• ACS for A-3891/S-3247 (Eustace, Johnson, Jasey, Vainieri Huttle, Gusciora, Downey/Weinberg) - Creates certain assistance programs for businesses owned by lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender persons, by persons with a disability, and by veterans
• A-4439 (Eustace, McKeon, Gusciora) - Prohibits sale and distribution of mercury relays and switches under certain circumstances
• A-4784/S-3149 (Gusciora, Muoio, Eustace, Wisniewski/Turner) - Establishes process for recovery of Superstorm Sandy aid overpayments and makes General Fund appropriation
• A-4814/S-3487 (Rooney, Johnson, Schaer, Moriarty/Allen, Beach) - Prohibits investment of pension and annuity funds by State in entities that avoid Superfund obligations to State
• A-4846/S-3617 (Houghtaling, Taliaferro, Andrzejczak/Van Drew, Allen) - Revises and expands laws on trespass and vandalism on agricultural and horticultural lands

Chris Christie veto