LEGISLATIVE ADVISORY:
State Budget Signed Into Law
Four Pro-Labor Bills Advance Prior to Summer Legislative Recess
While the State Budget – which included a full payment into the public employee pension systems – captured most of the headlines of the final voting session of the legislature prior to the summer recess, four bills supported by the New Jersey State AFL-CIO also advanced.
S-3612 (Cryan / Lagana) & A-4085 (Onyema / Quijano): Prohibits predatory pricing on groceries and enacts a one-year moratorium on electronic pricing labels. The bill passed both houses, mostly along party lines by a vote of 22-14-4 in the Senate and 51-20-8-1 in the Assembly. To see how your Assembly representatives voted, please CLICK HERE. To see how your state senators voted, CLICK HERE.
The New Jersey State AFL-CIO supported the bill on behalf of our affiliated union, the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW). Electronic Pricing Labels (EPLs) could be used for predatory pricing practices and will also eliminate the jobs of our members that currently do this work in supermarkets. The bill also requires that a study is conducted to determine ESLs impact on pricing and jobs.
Two energy bills, spearheaded and sponsored by Assemblyman Wayne DeAngelo, member of IBEW Local 269, also advanced.
S-4296 (Burzichelli / Smith / Scutari / Diegnan / Tiver / Singleton / Amato) & A-4881 (DeAngelo / Bailey) Power NJ Act: Allows for the development of new nuclear power. The bill passed both houses unanimously.
A-1072 (DeAngelo / Egan) establishes a program to increase battery storage. The bill passed the Assembly mostly along party lines by a vote of 59-20. To see how your Assembly representatives voted, CLICK HERE. The Senate version is pending in the Senate Appropriations Committee.
Both bills will create jobs for building and construction members and will also help to increase the supply of green energy and bring down the cost of electricity for consumers.
A-4072 (Reynolds-Jackson / Miller): The bill establishes minimum qualifications for workers constructing public works projects and passed the Senate by a vote of 37-3 with Republicans O’Scanlon, Pennachio and Testa voting against. The bill has already passed the Assembly and is now on the Governor’s desk.
The New Jersey State AFL-CIO thanks the sponsors of these bills for their leadership and the affiliated unions that advocated for them. We also thank the legislators that voted to advance these pro-worker pieces of legislation.