Lawmakers Upset Over Civil Service Rules

Some New Jersey lawmakers say that new Civil Service Commission rules are unfair to workers and possibly illegal.

The commissioner approved new rules on Wednesday to incorporate "banding," which allows managers to promote state employees within certain categories without relying on results of Civil Service exams.

The rule change has long been a point of contention between Republican Gov. Chris Christie's administration and the Democrat-controlled Legislature.

Lawmakers adopted a resolution in December opposing the changes and some say Wednesday's adoption is defiant and could be illegal. They say that it could lead to cronyism and discrimination.

Senate President Steve Sweeney says lawmakers may take legal action to prevent the changes from being put into practice.

Commission chairman Robert Czech says the program was modified in response to lawmakers' concerns.

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