ANTI-NJPIRG BILL PASSES AND IS SIGNED INTO LAW ON MARCH 31

(from Jersey Coast Anglers Association April 1995 Newsletter)

The member delegates of JCAA voted unanimously at the March regular meeting to oppose the passage of bill A-380/S-605. The bill was designed to effectively weaken New Jersey Public Interest Research Group by altering a major source of funding.

The JCAA has worked with NJ-PIRG on many environmental issues and will continue to do so in the future. Please read the following release by NJPIRG and remember, the same forces that worked to pass this legislation have opposed many positions taken by the JCAA in the past and will do so in the future.

Dear Friend,

On Friday March 31, less than 16 hours after the Senate narrowly passed A-380/S-605, Governor Whitman signed the bill into law. This law makes it illegal for student groups to use their funds to influence legislation and lobby the legislature unless they raise their funds through an individual contribution scheme. This law, while aimed at PIRG, will have a profound impact on the ability of college students to collectively petition state government.

A-380/S-605 was the brainchild of powerful anti-environmental and anti-democracy special interests who view citizen advocacy in Trenton as an intrusion on their turf. Big interests like the New Jersey Business and Industry Association, the Chemical Industry Council, Jersey Central Power & Light, Beneficial Management, the Fuel Merchants Association, and the Chamber of Commerce were openly lobbying for the bill.

Arrayed against the bill were over 200 state and local groups, ranging from the Sierra Club to United We Stand and the Industrial Union Council to Hands Across New Jersey and the Jersey Coast Anglers to Pax Cristi. At least 7 newspapers including, the Bergen Record, the Asbury Park Press, the Philadelphia Inquirer, the News Tribune, the Courier News, the Glouster County Times and the Atlantic City Press editorialized against A-380/S-605. At Rutgers, the University President, every student government, the faculty governing body, and union and every campus newspaper opposed the bill. Your support was critical to this coalition.

Despite formidable opposition, A-380/S-605 squeaked through the Senate. Only last minute arm twisting by the Senate President Donald DiFrancesco ensured passage of the bill. This vote was a victory for special interests and a testament to the corrupting influence of money in our political process. It is, however, our hope that this vote has galvanized others to take action to reduce the influence of money in the legislature and/or protect the environmental reforms of the last ten years.

NJPIRG is very grateful for the effort you contributed to the campaign to stop A-380/S-605. With your support we demonstrated the A-380/S-605 was a special interest bill designed to silence our organization.

We do not plan to cease our advocacy efforts. We will continue to work to preserve the environment., to protect consumers, and to revitalize democracy in the state of New Jersey.

Sincerely,

Kenneth Ward David Rosenfeld
Executive Director Chair., Board. of Directors

PS: Please contact your legislator and thank them if they opposed the bill or let them know they voted against democracy, if they supported the bill.

Members of the N.J. Legislature present and their vote on the bill (N - No Y - Yes X - Not Voting ).

SENATE: A-380

ASSEMBLY: A-380

[Contents] [Top]