Doherty: “We Have a Governor, and Not a King”
Senator Michael Doherty (R-23) issued the following statement:
We have a governor, and not a king.
On a daily basis, Governor Phil Murphy continues to eviscerate the New Jersey Constitution.
Governor Murphy’s executive order of April 24, 2020, in which he tears up private contracts between tenants and landlords is clearly unconstitutional.
The New Jersey Constitution specifically bars the state from changing the terms of a private contract.
The terms of a private contract cannot be changed by law, and it certainly cannot be done by executive decree.
His executive order violates Article IV, Section VII, paragraph 2 of the New Jersey Constitution, which states:
- The Legislature shall not pass any bill of attainder, ex post facto law, or law impairing the obligation of contracts, or depriving a party of any remedy for enforcing a contract which existed when the contract was made.
Shame on Governor Murphy for trashing the New Jersey Constitution. The Constitution was put in place to protect the rights of individuals and to serve as a check on unlimited government power.
Murphy’s actions show little regard for his oath of office, or the Constitution which he swore to uphold.
Recently, he stated that he didn’t consider the Constitution before issuing an executive order shutting down churches, and that constitutional considerations are “above my pay grade.” Our Founding Fathers would have winced in despair.
The residents of New Jersey need to stand up to King Murphy and end this recklessness. His shut down of the state’s economy has to end, and that is the best way to help renters and homeowners pay their bills. We need to let renters and homeowners go back to work in order to earn a living and support their families.
