The bill was co-sponsored by state Sen. Steven Oroho, R-Warren/Sussex. Vote in the NEWS POLL.
View full size
N.J. Gov. Chris Christie
The bill, co-sponsored by state Sen. Steven Oroho, R-Warren/Sussex, will also give government entities like counties, municipalities, school districts and county colleges the ability to mandate that their employees also switch over to direct deposit, a measure Oroho supports.
"Governments must get the most out of every public dollar," Oroho said today in a statement. "All local government entities should join in this overdue initiative to save New Jersey taxpayers millions of dollars a year in unnecessary costs."
The law also requires that public employers make information on net pay and W-2 forms available to employees only online, a change that the state Office of Legislative Services predicts will save the state about $250,000 per year.
The bill received wide bipartisan support both in the state Assembly and Senate, and the only legislator to vote against it was state Sen. Michael Doherty, R-Warren/Hunterdon.
View full size
State Sen. Steve Oroho
"I just don't like government mandates like that that are all-encompassing," Doherty said.
Regardless of what the state thinks, Doherty said there's nothing wrong with people who still prefer to receive their checks in-hand. He noted that some people might not have bank accounts set up to receive direct deposit.
"People should have the option of receiving a check," he said.
Though he disagrees with the assertion that the law will cut costs, Doherty said he doesn't think Oroho had any ulterior motives for sponsoring it.
"I think Sen. Oroho has the best intentions of saving money but I just don't really see it being a big cost-saver," Doherty said.