Christie To Decide On School Elections Bill [AUDIO]

Governor Christie has to decide whether or not to sign roughly 97 bills that were passed during the final day of the legislative session last week. One of the bills he's considering would allow school elections to be moved to November.

Christie, speaking in Camden, said he doesn't believe it should have been a permissive bill, but one that forced school elections to move to the fall. "I was disappointed that it wasn't a bill that made them move their school elections to the fall. I think the special interests will try and push towns not to move their elections."

The governor said his bill would save taxpayers money by not having an additonal election and encourage more people to get out and vote. "You have anywhere from 9 to 15% of people voting in school board elections, you usually have a 50% margin of people that will come out and vote in the presidential election in November...seems to me that elections are always better when more people vote...but that argument really hasn't carried a lot of weight in Trenton for a long time."

The bill allows school boards, municipalities or a petition by 15% of the registered voters to move the election. School districts that do not move the election will not face budget votes if their plan remains at or under the state's 2% property tax cap.

Christie has until Tuesday to decide whether or not to sign the bill into law.