TRENTON, NJ – Senator Holly Schepisi (R-39) criticized Governor Phil Murphy’s electric vehicle (EV) policy today following Connecticut Governor’s withdrawal of a similar mandate. Schepisi highlighted the challenges posed to working and middle-class families by these mandates, citing concerns about electric grid capacity and financial implications.
Schepisi emphasized the need for policies that ease the lives of New Jerseyans rather than imposing stringent mandates. She pointed out the absence of consideration for the electric grid’s capacity and the costs associated with upgrading it, as well as how families will manage the associated expenses.
Schepisi’s statement came in response to Connecticut’s Governor abandoning his plan to mandate EV purchases by 2035 after receiving bipartisan opposition from the state’s Legislative Regulation Review Committee.
“While other Democrat governors come to their senses regarding unachievable mandates for electric vehicles, Governor Murphy continues to push his agenda to make New Jersey the California of the East Coast,” said Schepisi. “Instead of mandating policies that will inevitably hurt working and middle-class New Jerseyans, we need to make their lives easier. These policies are being implemented without regard for the capacity of our electric grid, the cost of improvements that will be required, or how the average family will afford the significant costs associated. That’s why I’m joining the call to establish the Government Efficiency and Regulatory Commission to reign in the Governor’s ever-increasing regulations being implemented through unelected boards and commissions.”
The New Jersey Senator also reiterated the importance of establishing the Government Efficiency and Regulatory Commission to monitor the Governor’s regulations, which are often implemented through unelected boards.
In 2021, Governor Murphy vetoed bipartisan legislation, A4810, which had substantial legislative support, to form a nine-member commission for this purpose. The bill had passed with overwhelming support in both the Senate (35-0) and the Assembly (72-1). Schepisi’s statement reflects growing concerns about the feasibility and economic impact of aggressive EV mandates in the region.