The Ed Durr revenge bill advances

By MATT FRIEDMAN 

 

03/24/2023 06:55 AM EDT

Good Friday morning! 

Is it just a coincidence that not long after a Republican truck driver ousted Democratic Senate President Steve Sweeney, Democrats in the Assembly introduced a bill to expand New Jersey’s law prohibiting trucks in the left lane in some circumstances and toughen penalties?

Well, yeah, it probably is. That would be a ridiculously complicated — if funny — way to get revenge at the truck driver, state Sen. Ed Durr. But I called him about it anyway.

“I find that to be outrageous at the very least, and discriminatory. Just because they’re trucks they can’t pass a car, when a car is going too slow they have to stay in the right lane?” Durr said.

I wrote about this bill when it was introduced last summer. On Thursday, the Assembly Transportation Committee approved it 9-1 despite the passionate objections from trucking and food industry lobbyists. While the bill might help some annoyed drivers, they said it was unworkable and unfair.

New Jersey already bars vehicles weighing 10,000 pounds or more from the left lane of highways with three or more lanes in each direction. Under this bill, NJ A4470, trucks would be barred from the left lane even on two-lane highways, with some exceptions. Penalties for the offense would also double, from up to $300 to up to $600. And, at least under the current version of the bill, the truck drivers would have to show up to court in person to pay the fine, rather than online or by mail.

“I’m a truck driver from Utah and I’m unaware of a stupid New Jersey law, and I have to come back to pay a fine?” said Eric DeGesero, a lobbyist for the New Jersey Motor Truck Association, who added that a farmer’s F350 pick up truck can weigh over 10,000 pounds. “It’s punitive on top of punitive on top of punitive on top of punitive and it’s unsafe.”

TIPS? FEEDBACK? HATE MAIL? Email me at mfriedman@politico.com.