New Jersey’s pay-to-play laws are perhaps the most stringent in the country, with a web of overlapping laws, executive orders, and ordinances covering procurement contracts and redevelopment agreements with all levels of government. As the law stands now, labor union collective-bargaining agreements are not covered by any of these pay-to-play restrictions. (Governor Christie issued an Executive Order in 2010 that would have expanded existing pay-to-play restrictions to cover labor unions, but this Executive Order was struck down because it didn’t advance any then-existing legislative act or constitutional mandate.)

But there have been renewed calls in recent days to enact Senate Bill 341, which would limit the political contributions of those labor unions that enter into collective negotiations agreements with the State of New Jersey, or with New Jersey counties and municipalities.  Unlike current statewide Executive Branch pay-to-play restrictions, the proposed legislation provides for monetary penalties for violations. This legislation raises the possibility of a future amendment of New Jersey’s current statewide Executive Branch pay-to-play restrictions to provide for monetary penalties in the traditional procurement context as well. If passed, these new union pay-to-play restrictions would represent a profound transformation in New Jersey’s pay-to-play regime and for New Jersey politics as a whole.