Assemblywoman Mila M. Jasey, one of the sponsors of recent legislation to overhaul the state’s COAH law, today lamented the Governor’s conditional veto, which will prevent New Jersey from finally putting in place a constitutionally workable plan to provide statewide affordable housing:
“A year has gone by and we are no further along on eliminating COAH then when the Governor took office. The Governor has once again shown that he is unwilling to compromise.
“A broad coalition with an active stake in this law has supported the legislation we sent to the Governor – legislation that would eliminate the burdensome COAH process, help create employment opportunities by eliminating a job-killing commercial real estate fee, and build new housing to help New Jersey residents afford to live where they work.
“Instead, the Governor chose to support a measure that has been shown to be unconstitutional and has an even higher fee than the bill he just vetoed. Sadly, this move could put New Jersey years away from our goal if it gets tied up in a costly court fight.”