With Gov. Phil Murphy and Lt. Gov. Tahesha Way both in Chicago for the Democratic National Convention, Senate President Nicholas Scutari has taken the reins as acting governor, signing a handful of bills Thursday afternoon.
Scutari, an injury lawyer, signed four bills and renamed an interchange by 4 p.m. Thursday, including a bill that raises the cap on attorney fees in workers’ compensation cases. Another bill signed by Scutari will increase salaries for many judges and county prosecutors in the state.
The attorney fee cap, which was raised from 20 percent to 25 percent, has been in place since 1927.
“We are committed to protecting New Jersey’s workers and ensuring fair wages,” Scutari said in a release. “Today’s legislation makes a meaningful adjustment to the contingency attorney fee cap, ensuring fair compensation for attorneys and providing workers with the accessible, quality legal representation they deserve.”
A bill signed by Scutari will designate the “Ensign John R. Elliott Memorial Interchange” at the interchange between State Highway 42 and Interstate 295. Elliott, a Naval Academy graduate from Egg Harbor Township, died in 2000 after a head-on collision with a drunk driver. Elliott was 22.
“On behalf of our son, we are honored by this legislation in his memory. John was preparing to serve his country as a Naval Flight Officer when a drunk driver ended those dreams. The lives saved by this new interchange will now serve as his permanent legacy, along with the John R. Elliott HERO Campaign for Designated Drivers and its goal to end drunk driving tragedies,” said Bill Elliott, John Elliott’s father.
The acting governor also signed a bill that directs the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs to establish a self-certification program to certify architects and engineers to be “qualified design professionals.” Another bill allows members of the Police and Firemen’s Retirement System to purchase credit for service as a class two special law enforcement officer.