A Republican lawmaker from Bergen County expressed dismay today with Governor Chris Christie, a day before the GOP governor drags out of office with a low approval rating. “Today, I feel what so many others have felt over the past eight years with Governor Christie — sheer disappointment,” Assemblywoman Holly Schepesi (R-39) wrote on her Facebook page.

Schepisi said she sponsored A-536, a bill that helps volunteer firefighters, ambulance corps workers and others remain as volunteers without fear of losing their state pension after retiring.

“I worked for two years to get A-536 passed through a Democratically-controlled legislature.  It finally passed UNANIMOUSLY through both the Senate and Assembly,” Schepisi said. “We called the Governor’s office to ensure he would sign my bill. Today, with no explanation, no phone call, no heads up, on his last day as Governor, he pocket vetoed the bill meaning the entire process must start again.”

The assemblywoman said the impact of this pocket veto is that good people cannot continue to volunteer as firefighters, EMTs if they retire from a municipal job without fear of losing their pension.

“It makes no sense whatsoever to veto this bill,” Schepisi said. “For my volunteer friends, I promise that the first thing I will do with our new Governor is to push this bill forward.”