| TRENTON, N.J. – The Joint Management Commission – comprising four legislative staff and four staff from the governor’s office – is considering limiting access to the state capitol complex for legislators, staff and the public if they are not vaccinated. Assemblyman John DiMaio said that infringes on the rights of the people to testify, and on the oath of legislators to represent their constituents.
“Not one elected official is on this obscure commission, but they get to tell elected officials and the public what to do? If the Murphy administration gets away with doing this to an independent branch of government, we can be sure he will be even more dictatorial on the public,” said DiMaio, the Republican co-conference leader. “Liberty has become what government limits instead of protects.”
DiMaio pointed out that the state treasurer, her director of the Division of Property Management and Construction, and the acting-director of Office of Management and Budget all have votes on the commission now attempting to dictate legislative rules.
Under the resolution, people who wish to enter the Statehouse and annex, or the legislative staff on committee days, voting sessions, or for any other meetings in the building would need to show proof of full vaccination or a negative coronavirus PCR test within 72 hours.
“For Murphy’s team and Democrats in the legislature, rights don’t matter,” concluded DiMaio. “They don’t care about disenfranchising people who want to testify in front of the legislature but couldn’t if this policy were enacted. They don’t care what anybody else thinks at all if there is disagreement.” |
