NJ Gov. Phil Murphy Vetoes 'Dramatic' Increase In Parking Tickets

TRENTON – New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy vetoed a measure Friday that he says would have "dramatically" increased the number of parking tickets issued across the state. He said the state Legislature should pass a tax on those who make more than $1 million a year instead instead of "extracting" revenue from lower income residents.

Murphy vetoed the bill, A4135, along with 10 others while also signing 23 resolutions and bills into law (see below).

Murphy said the parking-ticket bill would have made it easier for local governments to issue parking tickets by allowing the use of digital meters or other electronic parking compliance devices. The technology would allow communities to better monitor parking compliance within their jurisdictions.

The bill passed by the Assembly by a 55-20 vote earlier this year, while also getting the Senate's stamp of approval by a 23-12 vote.

Because digital parking meters "increase the efficiency of parking enforcement," Murphy said he was "concerned that the proliferation of these meters would dramatically increase the number of parking tickets issued across the state."

Those tickets would then increase the amount of fines paid by New Jersey residents, he said.

Murphy, in his veto statement, pointed to a 2016 case involving Palisades Park, which installed 20 digital parking meters as part of a pilot program. Those 20 digital meters averaged about 125 violations each, compared to an average of 40 tickets among non-program meters, he said.

The pilot program led to a 190 percent increase in parking tickets over a five-month period, and in the first year, revenue rose to about $200,000 – about $50,000 more than the year before the meter overhaul, he said.

"If we are going to seek additional revenue to support important public priorities, I firmly believe that we should first ask those at the very top, such as those with incomes in excess of $1 million, to pay their fair share," Murphy said. "I do not believe it is appropriate to protect the tax breaks enjoyed by the wealthiest New Jerseyans while extracting additional money from low- and middle-income New Jerseyans, many of whom are struggling to make ends meet.

Murphy said he will not allow technological advances to multiply the likelihood of an unexpected parking ticket, which can "devastate a resident or family living paycheck-to-paycheck.

"Moreover, relying on the notifications provided by mobile applications as a motorist-protection measure would disadvantage motorists who do not have smartphones, which usually include low-income and elderly New Jerseyans," he said. "Digital parking meters thus may result in the disproportionate issuance of parking tickets to low-income and elderly motorists, who are already particularly vulnerable to financial hardship."

Here are the other bills Murphy vetoed:

• A3717 (Mukherji, Downey, Houghtaling/Greenstein, Gopal) - Prohibits pharmacy benefits managers from making certain retroactive reductions in claims payments to pharmacies; requires pharmacy benefits managers to disclose certain product information to pharmacies. Copy of Statement on A3717
• A5363 (Burzichelli, Benson, Murphy/Gopal) - Requires carriers that offer health benefits plans to provide new or existing subscribers with notification of certain hospital and health system contract expirations. Copy of Statement on A5363
• S834 (Scutari, Greenstein/Jones, Pintor Marin) - Prohibits resale of non-prescription diabetes test devices by pharmacists. Copy of Statement on S834
• S2804 (Ruiz, Turner/Lopez, McKnight, Verrelli) - Requires young children entering public schools or Head Start Programs for first time to have comprehensive eye examination completed. Copy of Statement on S2804
• S3075 (Weinberg, Ruiz/Lampitt, Mukherji, Vainieri Huttle) - Requires DOH to regulate and license embryo storage facilities. Copy of Statement on S3075
• S3309 (Vitale, Greenstein/Greenwald, Pintor Marin, Reynolds-Jackson) - Establishes New Jersey Violence Intervention Program to fund violence reduction initiatives. Copy of Statement on S3309
• S3330 (Addiego, Singleton/Jones, Vainieri Huttle, Lampitt, Murphy) - Establishes pilot program in DCF to study impact of child care services provided by community providers operating in public school facilities; requires community providers to meet certain criteria. Copy of Statement on S3330
• S3661 (Singleton, Oroho/Jasey, Wirths, Webber) - Clarifies assessment payment and election participation requirements in planned real estate developments. Copy of Statement on S3661
• A4135 (Land, Taliaferro/Sweeney, Andrzejczak) - Concerns use of digital parking meters to monitor parking compliance; establishes fund to encourage designated drivers. Copy of Statement on A4135
• AJR158 (Houghtaling, Downey, Mosquera/Gopal) - Establishes New Jersey Task Force on Medicaid Financial Resource Limits. Copy of Statement on AJR158
• S1364 (Andrzejczak/Land, Milam) - Provides funding from the General Fund to the Greater Wildwoods Tourism Improvement and Development Authority; appropriates $4 million. Copy of Statement on S1364

Here are the bills and resolutions signed by Murphy:

• A3118 (Burzichelli, Schepisi, Jasey/Bucco, Thompson) - Establishes licensure for master hearth specialists.
• A4420 (Holley/Scutari) - Modifies certain fees charged by check casher licensees.
• A4482 (Verrelli, Murphy, Downey/Greenstein) - Establishes "Task Force on the Prevention of Sexual Violence Against Persons with Developmental Disabilities" in DHS.
• Makes various changes to laws governing remediation of contaminated sites.
• A5390 (Tucker, Mukherji, Timberlake/Gopal, Oroho) - Provides in-State tuition at public institutions of higher education to individuals living in NJ who are entitled to educational assistance under US Department of Veterans Affairs' Vocational Rehabilitations and Employment Program.
• S499 (Vitale, Madden/Downey, Houghtaling, Zwicker) - Provides for improved system for eligibility determination for Medicaid and NJ FamilyCare
• S785 (Sarlo, Lagana/Calabrese, Mukherji) - Requires Police Training Commission to develop supplemental training course for certain county corrections officers.
• S1014 (Rice/Wimberly, Mukherji) - Changes composition of State Employment and Training Commission.
• S1126 (Bucco, Doherty, Bucco/Coughlin, Webber) - Requires public school districts to provide instruction on "New Jersey Safe Haven Infant Protection Act" as part of New Jersey Student Learning Standards.
• S1403 (Diegnan, Singleton/DeAngelo, Mazzeo, Sumter) - Permits service credit transferred from another State-administered retirement system to apply toward creditable service requirement for retirement in SPRS.
• S1887 (Singleton, Greenstein/DeAngelo, Wirths, Space) - Directs Commissioner of Labor and Workforce Development to establish pilot program to assist certain unemployed and underemployed individuals to complete industry-valued Credentials in 12 months.
• S1948 (Vitale/Quijano, Holley, Lopez) - Makes Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Employment and Training Provider Demonstration Project permanent and renames program.
• S2507 (Singleton, Pou/Danielsen, DeCroce) - Prohibits sale or lease of access to certain dental provider network contracts.
• S2538 (Singleton, Pennacchio/Kean, Murphy, DeCroce, Armato) - Makes New Jersey National Guard members with NGB-22 form eligible for certain veterans' benefits.
• S2660 (Gopal, Sarlo/Downey, Houghtaling, Schaer) - Establishes grant program and tuition reimbursement program for certain teachers of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics; appropriates $5 million to DOE. Copy of Statement on S2660
• S2690 (Ruiz, Cryan, Beach, Turner, Andrzejczak/McKeon, Dancer, Land) - Prohibits pharmacy benefits managers and carriers from engaging in "clawback" and "gag clause" practices; requires certain disclosures by pharmacists; requires Director of Division of Consumer Affairs to conduct public information campaign.
• S2691 (Kean, Cunningham/Quijano, Vainieri Huttle, Reynolds-Jackson) - Makes supplemental appropriation of $100,000 to Commission on Human Trafficking. Copy of Statement on S2691
• S3100 (Weinberg, Addiego/Benson, Vainieri Huttle, Mukherji) - Revises definition of hemophilia and expands hemophilia treatment program.
• SJR73 (Singleton/Murphy, Verrelli, Dancer) - Urges U.S. Congress to pass "Military Hunger Prevention Act."
  
• S2690 (Ruiz, Cryan, Beach, Turner, Andrzejczak/McKeon, Dancer, Land) - Prohibits pharmacy benefits managers and carriers from engaging in "clawback" and "gag clause" practices; requires certain disclosures by pharmacists; requires Director of Division of Consumer Affairs to conduct public information campaign.
• S2691 (Kean, Cunningham/Quijano, Vainieri Huttle, Reynolds-Jackson) - Makes supplemental appropriation of $100,000 to Commission on Human Trafficking.Copy of Statement on S2691
• S3100 (Weinberg, Addiego/Benson, Vainieri Huttle, Mukherji) - Revises definition of hemophilia and expands hemophilia treatment program.
• SJR73 (Singleton/Murphy, Verrelli, Dancer) - Urges U.S. Congress to pass "Military Hunger Prevention Act."