As New Jersey voters prepare to choose our next governor, the stakes could not be higher. Even while federal environmental protections are being rolled back at each turn, the impacts of climate change are hitting New Jersey harder than ever. The floods keep getting worse, the summers keep getting hotter and the wildfires have been out of control. It is crucial New Jersey voters go to the ballot box in November with the environment in mind - and despite the misinformation and lies the Jack Ciattarelli campaign is trying to sell you, the bottom line is that the Republican candidate is bad for the environment.
Ciattarelli may be trying to sell New Jersey residents a false bill of goods, but we did the homework and reviewed his record in the state Legislature. He says what he thinks people want to hear, but the voting record doesn't lie - and, time and again, he voted to enrich oil, gas and coal CEOs and put the interests of billionaire corporate polluters ahead of the health of New Jersey's working families.
With an abysmal 38% lifetime voting record on environmental issues, Ciattarelli opposed open space preservation, opposed clean renewable energy development and even opposed safe drinking water legislation. No candidate in New Jersey with Ciattarelli's record should be allowed to come anywhere near the governor's office at the Statehouse. Ciattarelli has opposed open space preservation
Despite positioning himself as a champion against development, in fact Ciattarelli voted to oppose the most important measure the Legislature has advanced in recent years to preserve our open space and prevent sprawl. ACR130/SCR84 gave voters the chance to weigh in on an amendment to New Jersey's constitution that permanently dedicates a portion of the corporate business tax to finance open space.
This was a stunning vote against a constitutional amendment that in the years since has allowed the state over $2.5 billion to preserve critical open space, protect previous farmland, improve parks and remediate contaminated sites.
His position was repudiated by an overwhelming majority of voters at the ballot box, where 65% of voters supported making land preservation a priority in the most densely populated state, but Ciattarelli was so against preservation - and so out of touch with the voters - that he didn't even want to give them the chance to decide for themselves.
Ciattarelli flipped on wind power
On energy policy, Ciattarelli has opposed advancing clean solutions that would lower electricity bills for working families while creating union jobs right here in New Jersey - or at least he says he opposes them now.
Before Ciattarelli's buddy, President Donald Trump, turned against offshore wind, Ciattarelli supported offshore wind development in 2016, joining a bipartisan consensus dedicated to unlocking this critical, cost-saving, natural resource to benefit our state.
He seems to have forgotten that, saying, "I've always said that wind farms off our Jersey Shore are bad economic policy, bad environmental policy, and bad energy policy."
Always?
Again, he can say what he wants to pander to a MAGA base, but his voting record says otherwise. He would rather eliminate thousands of union jobs and a cheaper source of energy than defy Trump.
Is someone who flip-flops at the drop of a hat the person you would trust to serve as your governor?
Ciattarelli has at least been more consistent in his opposition to solar energy - the cheapest source of electricity. He voted against S2276, which would have expanded solar energy development in New Jersey.
And he repeatedly opposed New Jersey's joining the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, or RGGI, to align energy policy with neighboring states in the Northeast. RGGI has provided our state with billions of dollars of investments in programs that lower energy costs for working families by boosting clean energy, improving energy efficiency and providing direct relief to ratepayers. These cost-saving benefits would all end if Ciattarelli is elected as New Jersey's next governor.
Ciatterelli is bad for New Jersey’s environment
While he may not be worried about protecting New Jersey's working families, Ciattarelli has certainly been protecting mega-corporations and oil CEOs. He supported a giveaway pushed by former Gov. Chris Christie that allowed Exxon Mobile to settle a landmark lawsuit against it for pennies on the dollar - allowing the company mostly to duck responsibility for some of the most egregiously contaminated sites in our state and foisting the responsibility for cleanup onto taxpayers.
At the same time, he opposed putting fines from polluters into a lockbox, allowing the funds to be used to close budget holes rather than making sure Big Oil and other corporations clean up the pollution and the impacts contamination has caused for New Jersey's families.
Ciattarelli has even missed the mark on issues as fundamental as clean drinking water, when he voted against Boil Water Transparency legislation intended to protect families from bacteria and contaminant exposure. On flooding, Ciattarelli voted to weaken flood protection rules. And the list goes on.
When it comes to the environment, it’s impossible to trust Ciattarelli on issues that impact the health of our environment and our communities the most. He can say what he wants, but the voting record doesn’t lie.
A vote for Jack Ciatarelli is a vote against the environment and the people of New Jersey.
Ed Potosnak is the executive director of the New Jersey League of Conservation Voters. The organization advocates for politics and laws to protect clean air, safeguard clean water, and ensure equitable access to preserved open spaces and parks. He is also a member of the Franklin Township Council in Somerset County.