Assembly Version Of Atlantic City Takeover Never Comes Up For A Vote
TRENTON, N.J. (CBS) - The day of reckoning for Atlantic City has been put on hold by the New Jersey Assembly.
A scheduled vote on a state takeover favored by Speaker Vincent Prieto never happened.
Prieto needed 41 votes to get his version of a state takeover passed. After a day of delay, Prieto abruptly cancelled the entire voting session, a clear sign he could not get to that number.
"I told you all weeks ago that the Speaker would not have the votes to pass this bill," Governor Chris Christie said. "Could not have the votes for this bill because it's bad public policy."
Christie called for the legislative drama to end and for action to be taken on a senate alternative that passed months ago, one that he has promised to sign.
For his part, Prieto did not address his failure to come up with the necessary votes for his plan. But he says he offered the senate alternative he's blocked to members of his party caucus:
"I asked each and every member. Can any of you vote for the Senate bill today? Not one hand went up."
Prieto has scheduled another voting session for Wednesday, May 11th, and expressed hope he could work out a compromise by then:
"I'm looking for a bill that protects Atlantic City's civil liberty, protects the workers that are there, protects their self-governance."
Differences remain over how city operations would be taken over by the state and whether union contracts would be protected.
Christie urged legislators to reach a compromise because when it comes to Atlantic City's financial situation:
"Time is running out. By my guess, based on all the information we have from Local Government Services, they've got about 10 days of cash left."