NJ Bill Would Raise Salaries, Let Christie Write Book

Lawmakers in New Jersey introduced a measure Monday night that would raise salaries for legislative staffers, judges and Gov. Chris Christie’s appointees, while also letting the governor profit from a book.

State law forbids the governor and state officers from being paid for published works. The new measure would allow it, pending approval from the state ethics commission.

Democratic state Sen. Raymond Lesniak said Christie should resign if he wants to write a book and shouldn’t “profit on the taxpayers’ time.”

The legislation is expected to come up for committee votes in the Democratic-controlled Legislature on Thursday and could potentially be approved as early as Monday, lawmakers’ final voting day of the year.

The legislation would raise the allowance for lawmakers to pay their staffers by $30,000 to $140,000. It would allow Christie to raise his department heads’ salaries from $141,000 to as much as $175,000.

Judges would get 3 percent raises in 2017 and 2018, and county prosecutors would get pay increases. They currently make $165,000, but would see that go up to $175,000 by 2018.

This article appeared in print on page 34 of the December 14th, 2016 edition of Hamodia.