TRENTON — A state senator today introduced a proposed Constitutional amendment that would require the Senate to act on gubernatorial nominations within 60 days — or they will automatically be approved. “The Constitution entrusts the Senate with the authority to pass upon the merits of the governor’s appointments, and it expects that they will take that role seriously, ”...
Sen. Michael Patrick Carroll (R-Morris) in this 2008 photo.TRENTON — A state senator today introduced a proposed Constitutional amendment that would require the Senate to act on gubernatorial nominations within 60 days — or they will automatically be approved.
“The Constitution entrusts the Senate with the authority to pass upon the merits of the governor’s appointments, and it expects that they will take that role seriously, ” Sen. Michael Patrick Carroll (R-Morris) said in a press release. "The Senate is well within its rights to oppose a nominee, or refuse to confirm. But that august body should be above the kind of childish shenanigans we’ve seen of late with gubernatorial appointments, most notably a Supreme Court nominee."
Carroll was referring to Mendham attorney Anne Patterson, who Gov. Chris Christie nominated to fill the seat of Justice John Wallace Jr. The governor declined to reappoint Wallace in May, instead naming Patterson to the state's highest court.
Senate President Stephen Sweeney (D-Gloucester), a Wallace supporter, has refused to put Patterson up for a confirmation hearing. Sweeney, along with several retired Supreme Court justices and current Chief Justice Stuart Rabner, said Christie dismissed six decades of judicial tradition and threatened the judiciary's independence when he ousted the respected and moderate Wallace as a first step in remaking the court.
Carroll’s proposed amendment says the Senate must act upon a gubernatorial nomination within 60 days of its submission, or it will be considered approved.
“A nominee is entitled to a timely vote and the Senate has embarrassed itself, and the people of the state of New Jersey, by refusing to do its job,” the senator said. “This amendment would ensure that such a travesty never happens again.”
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