NJ Spotlight published the following article on 6/13/2014. To read the full article, click here.

Bills to Expand Rutgers’ Board of Governors Make Progress in Legislature

Chase Brush | June 13, 2014

A controversial endeavor to expand Rutgers University’s board of governors made headway yesterday when two identical bills — one in the assembly, sponsored by Speaker Vincent Prieto (D-Hudson), and one in the senate, sponsored by Senate President Steve Sweeney — were advanced and amended, respectively. The first (A-3046) was passed by during the Senate Budget Committee hearing, and amendments to the second (S-1860) were approved on the Senate floor.

What’s more, the measures were advanced and amended despite – or because of — a legal opinion by the Office of Legislative Services released Wednesday, which found that the bills could violate both state and U.S. Constitution.

Both bills, which have served as the subject of serious debate among university administrators and top lawmakers over the past two weeks, would increase the total number of governors on the state university’s main governing board to 19, up from 15, by adding four politically appointed members.

As spelled out by the original versions of the bills, two of those additional members would be appointed by the governor, with each of the remaining two appointed directly by the Senate president and the Assembly speaker.

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