New Jersey Pollution Settlements Amendment (2015)
| Not on Ballot |
|---|
 |
| This measure was not put on an election ballot |
The New Jersey Pollution Settlements Amendment was not on the November 3, 2015, ballot in New Jersey as a legislatively referred constitutional amendment. The measure, upon voter approval, would have guaranteed that state revenue derived from pollution settlements be allocated to environmental restoration and protection.[1]
Background
The amendment was proposed in response to Gov. Chris Christie's (R) settlement with Exxon Mobil Corporation over 1,500 acres of contaminated wetlands. Exxon Mobil was originally required to pay $8.9 billion to resolve the damages. However, Gov. Christie's administration struck a deal with the company and settled for $225 million, the equivalent of 2.5 percent of what was originally required. The governor faced harsh criticism from Democrats and environmental groups, including the Sierra Club. Jeff Tittel, who heads the Sierra Club's New Jersey branch, contended, "Instead of going after the $9 billion we are entitled to, the Christie administration settled for 3 cents on the dollar. This is an abuse of power that lets polluters off the hook and hurts our environment."[2]
Furthermore, Gov. Christie decided to allocate a significant portion of the $225 million settlement to balancing the state budget, rather than to environmental restoration.[3]
Path to the ballot
- See also: Amending the New Jersey Constitution
Proposed constitutional amendments have two ways of achieving ballot access in New Jersey. The New Jersey Legislature could either qualify it with supermajority approval of 60 percent in one legislative session or with simple majorities in two successive sessions.
The measure needed to be approved by a supermajority vote in both chambers of the legislature by August 3, 2015, to make the 2015 general election ballot.
The New Jersey Senate approved the amendment, in a 27-to-12 vote, on June 29, 2015.[4] The amendment did not come up for a vote in the New Jersey House of Representatives.
Senate vote
June 29, 2015, Senate vote
| New Jersey SCR 163 Senate Vote | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Result | Votes | Percentage | ||
 Yes | 27 | 69.23% | ||
| No | 12 | 30.77% | ||
See also
Footnotes
- ↑ New Jersey Legislature, "Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 163," accessed June 30, 2015
- ↑ USA Today, "Chris Christie's deal with ExxonMobil: first look," April 7, 2015
- ↑ North Jersey Media Group, "N.J. Senate OKs resolution on ballot question to dedicate pollution settlements to environmental efforts," June 29, 2015
- ↑ NJ Spotlight, "Senate Advances Bill to Block Diversion of Money from Pollution Settlements," June 30, 2015
 |
State of New Jersey Trenton (capital) |
|---|---|
| Elections |
What's on my ballot? | Elections in 2025 | How to vote | How to run for office | Ballot measures |
| Government |
Who represents me? | U.S. President | U.S. Congress | Federal courts | State executives | State legislature | State and local courts | Counties | Cities | School districts | Public policy |
