TOMS RIVER, NJ – New Jersey Democrats are pushing a new law to force local school boards and county colleges to buy only electric vehicles, removing local and home rules on vehicle purchases. The rule also covers ‘local contracting units’, including municipalities.
The law, sponsored by Assemblyman Clinton Calabrese, seeks to prevent the state’s local school boards and county colleges from buying gas-powered vehicles, effective immediately, a decade ahead of Governor Murphy’s 2035 ban on gas-powered vehicle sales.
That would mean school districts must purchase electric school buses, maintenance vehicles, and security vehicles. The same goes for the county colleges in New Jersey.
“This bill would require that after its effective date, local contracting units, boards of education, and county colleges shall only purchase vehicles that are either hybrid electric vehicles or electric vehicles unless no such vehicle exists and is commonly available in the vehicle class being purchased,” the bill states.