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Governor Phil Murphy

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Statement from Governor Murphy on U.S. Supreme Court Unanimously Affirming New Jersey’s Right to Withdraw from the Waterfront Commission

04/18/2023

"I am thrilled that the United States Supreme Court has unanimously ruled that New Jersey has the right to withdraw from the Waterfront Commission. Since the first hours of our time in office, my Administration has steadfastly pursued the dissolution of the Waterfront Commission because it was the right thing to do. Over 90 percent of commerce at our ports happens on the New Jersey side, and the New Jersey State Police, one of the finest law enforcement agencies in the nation, is more than capable of taking on the Commission’s law enforcement and regulatory responsibilities. For many years, frustration over the Commission’s operations has been building. I am proud that after a five-year battle in the federal courts, where my Administration used every legal tool at our disposal, New Jersey’s sovereign right to govern our ports has been vindicated.
 
"I must extend a special thanks to all of the attorneys who worked on this effort in the Attorney General’s Office under the leadership of Solicitor General Jeremy Feigenbaum, whose outstanding argument before the Court made this day possible. I am also grateful to the U.S. Department of Justice for arguing in support of New Jersey before the Court as well.
 

"I also want to thank Senate President Scutari and Assembly Speaker Coughlin for standing firmly with my Administration in this fight, as well as all of the stakeholders in labor and industry alike who supported our efforts. We look forward to working with New York to ensure a swift and orderly dissolution of the Commission in a way that ensures security and uninterrupted business at New Jersey’s ports."