New Jersey makes headway in withdrawing from Waterfront Commission

The state of New Jersey has been trying since 2018 to withdraw from the Waterfront Commission of New York Harbor, a bi-state commission in which it has been partnered with the state of New York since the 1950s. The commission was created to tackle organised crime at New York City area ports.

Legislation signed in 2018 by then-Governor of NJ Chris Christie was blocked by a federal judge, who said that the two states would need to jointly amend the agreement. An appeals court disagreed with that decision last year.

The Waterfront Commission then filed a lawsuit to prevent NJ from leaving, which the US Supreme Court has this week declined to hear. Unless the state of NY files a legal challenge, the Supreme Court has effectively brought an end to the commission.

“The Governor is pleased with the Supreme Court’s decision to reject the Waterfront Commission’s appeal,” said Michael Zhadanovsky, a spokesperson for NJ Governor Phil Murphy. “The Commission has long outlived its original mission and, today, only stands as a roadblock to hiring and operations at our ports. We look forward to an orderly transition from the Commission to the New Jersey State Police.”