From NJ.COM: “Let’s say you’re a state lawmaker, passionate about charter schools, and you want to turn this passion into laws that create social change. What you need are bills. And you want them fast — ready-made, just add water, written in language that can withstand partisan debate and legal scrutiny.
“There is a place that has just what you want.
“It’s called the American Legislative Exchange Council, a little-known conservative group headquartered in Washington, D.C., and funded by some of the biggest corporations in the United States — most with a business interest in state legislation.”
Cute, huh?
But it doesn’t stop there. Christie has now lashed out at the state’s own non-partisan bill writers, the Office of Legislative Services:
“For four decades, the OLS has been revered in Trenton by lawmakers who say its professional staff keeps the Legislature on par with the governor’s office. The nonpartisan office is also so far behind the scenes that most New Jerseyans have never heard of it.
“But last week, Republican Gov. Chris Christie thrust it into the spotlight when he launched a broadside at David Rosen, the office’s longtime chief budget officer, for tamping down Christie’s rosy projections of 7.4 percent revenue growth.
“Christie called the OLS a ‘tool’ of Democrats who control the Legislature and said Rosen’s testimony before the Senate budget committee — which predicted state revenue would fall $537 million short of Christie administration projections during the next 15 months — was ‘dead on arrival.’ ”
For cutting-and-pasting legislation from conservative websites, while attacking New Jersey’s own budget experts, Christie can BIte Me.
Some of Christie’s biggest bills match model legislation from D.C. group called ALEC | NJ.com.
and
Little-known N.J. Office of Legislative Services shrugs off claims of partisan slant
