Lawmakers to Consider Change to Rutgers Board

TRENTON (AP) — State lawmakers are pushing ahead with plans to add four political appointees to Rutgers University's governing board despite a report questioning whether the move is constitutional.

The Senate on Thursday is expected to approve Senate President Stephen Sweeney's bill that would expand the Board of Governors from 15 voting members to 19.

Under Sweeney's proposal, he and Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto would each get one appointment. Gov. Chris Christie, who now appoints eight board members, would appoint 10.

The university's larger but less powerful Board of Trustees, which gets seven nominees, opposes the move.

Sweeney says the change allows members with medical expertise to join the board.

But the Legislature's lawyers say the proposal may be illegal.

The Assembly Budget Committee is also set to consider the measure Thursday.

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