Assembly speaker denies any deals on controversial Christie bills
TRENTON -- Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto is pushing back against lawmakers who have suggested passage of two controversial bills being fast tracked though the Legislature are linked together.
Chris Christie's office says the one bill involving legals ads could save taxpayers money but critics warn could seriously hurt the state's newspapers because it would no longer require governments, businesses and individuals to publish legal ads in printed newspapers.
Another measure would loosen a state ethics law to allow Christie -- a Republican who is entering his second and final term -- to profit from a book deal while still in office. That same measure would allow millions of dollars in raises for legislative staffers, judges, and other government officials that proponents say are long overdue.
"Definitely not," Prieto (D-Hudson) told NJ Advance Media, when asked if there was any connection between passage of the two bills.
Read more: http://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2016/12/assembly_speaker_pushes_back_that_fast-tracked_bil.html