‘Make Polluters Pay’ Act gets pressure from business groups, GOP

As the “Make Polluters Pay Act” moves closer to a floor vote, opposition from Republicans and New Jersey’s business community is escalating, while growing signs of Democratic division are raising new questions about whether the legislation has enough support to pass.

Senate Minority Leader Anthony Bucco criticized S-2338 after it cleared the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee on Sunday, arguing the measure would increase costs and weaken New Jersey’s economy.

“For a party that claims to stand with organized labor, Democrats ignored the very people who build up the Garden State every day,” said Bucco. “I’m proud to stand with our friends in the trades and the business community and oppose this terrible bill because lowering the cost of living starts with a strong economy and policies that encourage investment instead of driving it away.”

Opposition has extended beyond Republican lawmakers. The New Jersey Business & Industry Association has intensified its campaign against the bill since it began advancing through the Legislature, arguing it would impose new costs on employers and further undermine the state’s business climate.

“As businesses and jobs continue to leave the state and we remain mired in an affordability crisis, it is incumbent upon our leaders to ask themselves: Is this what we want New Jersey to be? A place where ideology takes priority over costs, jobs, our future job creation, and millions of dollars in legal challenges,” said NJBIA Deputy Chief Government Affairs Officer Ray Cantor.

Business groups and Republicans have sought to frame the legislation as inconsistent with Gov. Mikie Sherrill’s and legislative Democrats’ emphasis on affordability.

The bill advanced out of the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee on Sunday by a narrow margin after Democratic Sens. Paul Sarlo (D-Wood-Ridge) and John Burzichelli (D-Paulsboro) joined Republicans in voting against it.

The Assembly version cleared the Assembly Appropriations Committee last week without any Democratic “no” votes, although several Democratic lawmakers voiced significant concerns during the hearing.

The split in the Senate, coupled with reservations expressed by Assembly Democrats and sustained opposition from the business community, has cast uncertainty over the bill’s prospects as it heads toward potential floor votes.

Although more than half of the Assembly and nearly half of the Senate are listed as prime sponsors or co-sponsors, that does not necessarily mean they will vote for the legislation in its current form.