A bill to pull New Jersey out of the bi-state Waterfront Commission of New York Harbor now goes to Gov. Chris Christie to sign, after the state Assembly approved it 75-0 Monday afternoon following the state Senate’s overwhelming approval in December.
The author of the bill, state Sen. Raymond Lesniak (D-Union), whose district includes the Elizabeth shipping terminal complex, says the 62-year-old commission has outlived its usefulness, and has even impeded commerce. He dismissed assertions that the state could not quit the commission, which is funded by a 2 percent payroll tax paid by shipping companies that employ longshoremen.