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Senate President Stephen M. Sweeney Wednesday said that efforts to reform the way the state's authorities, commissions and boards operate should move on a parallel track with a similar attempt a pension and benefits reform that passed the Senate unanimously on Monday.

Sweeney said the first goal for legislators should be to see the pension and benefits reform package signed into law as soon as possible so towns and school districts can plan for the anticipated savings in 2010-11 budgets.

"The most important thing must be to make these bills law so local governments can immediately begin to reap their benefits," said Sweeney (D-Gloucester). "School districts already are nearing the end of their budget process, and many towns are now beginning theirs. They need to know how they can budget now for achievable savings next year and beyond, especially where the cost of health care is concerned."

According to a state Office of Legislative Services review, county and local governments and school districts could save upwards of $310 million over the course of the next fiscal year by requiring employees to contribute 1.5 percent of their incomes towards their health benefits.

Sweeney said those savings should not be delayed. The senator said he agrees that reforms at the authorities, commissions and boards also need to be enacted. But he noted that any Assembly amendments to the pension and health benefit reform bills would require the measures to return to the Senate for concurrence votes, delaying their ultimate enactment.

"The Senate is prepared to tackle the job of reforming the authorities," Sweeney said. "Senator Loretta Weinberg has taken a leadership role in this. Let's get the recommendations of the joint session to the governor's desk now. On a parallel track, the Legislature can work with the governor to take a hard look at the authorities and adopt the necessary reforms."

Weinberg (D-Bergen), an advocate for reform measures designed to rein in abuse and waste of tax dollars at state authorities, applauded Christie for tackling some of those abuses through his executive order of Tuesday. She pledged to work with the governor to keep the pressure on.

"I haven't fully reviewed the governor's executive order yet, but I will say this: anything that makes it harder for unelected authority heads and commissioners to waste the taxpayer's money is a positive first step," Weinberg said. "For too long in New Jersey, spending at these independent authorities has gone unchecked, and taxpayers have footed the bill for lax oversight and blatant cronyism. The governor's order begins to address some of the waste perpetrated on the taxpayers of New Jersey through these ‘shadow government' agencies and authorities which have run amok at our expense."

Weinberg has reintroduced a bill (S-360) – the "State Authorities Reform Act" – specifically to address many of the problems at the authorities. The bill, which has lingered without action since the 2006-07 legislative session, would require state authorities to adopt various spending reforms, including standardized hiring practices, spending transparency, and contract reform. The bill would also give the governor veto authority over the minutes of all state authorities, an action that would give him authority to block any questionable spending.

Weinberg is also the prime sponsor of a bill (S-359), which also provides for a gubernatorial veto for the Passaic Valley Sewerage Commission and North Jersey District Water Supply Commission.

"I look forward to working with Governor Christie to advance real reform at out-of-control agencies and authorities which have been given carte blanche to abuse the taxpayer's trust," Weinberg said. "His executive order unveiled is a good first step in reining in these agencies, and Legislative approval and enactment of S-359 and S-360 would be another step in the right direction.''

The bills are pending before the upper house's State Government, Wagering, Tourism and Historic Preservation Committee.

– TOM HESTER SR., NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM