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Christie Might Still Get Some Priorities Through Legislature

Chris Christie
Phil Gregory

Despite some setbacks this week, political analysts say don't count out Governor Christie when it comes to getting some priorities enacted in the final year of his term.

Christie couldn't get lawmakers to pass a bill allowing towns to put legal notices on their websites instead of paying to publish them in newspapers. And a measure that would have allowed him to profit from a book deal was declared dead.

Fairleigh Dickinson political science professor Peter Woolley says Christie's lame duck status and his low 18 percent voter approval rating erode his political leverage.

"I think he can still accomplish things because he has enormous bargaining power given his powers of appointment, given his veto power. It's just a matter of what he chooses to advance on the agenda."

Rider University political scientist Ben Dworkin says Christie still has the ability to be effective, but it could be harder than in the past to advance his agenda.

“Democrats control the legislature. If they want a better deal, they’re going to try and see if they hold out for a year and get a Democrat in the front office in order to be able to do what they want to do.”

Senate President Steve Sweeney says Christie might be able to get some things through the legislature.

"It's just a matter of what he wants to address going forward.  People say well he's a weakened governor, he's this, he's that. He's still the governor with the strongest powers of any governor in the United States of America. So you can decide you want to accomplish some things where you're just going to fight for a year."

Sweeney says he'll work with Christie on issues he believes will move the state forward.