New Laws Signed, Changes Coming

Actions taken by New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie on Tuesday, the deadline to sign into law or veto bills adopted last week by the Legislature:

NEW LAWS SIGNED, CHANGES COMING INCLUDE:

SCHOOL ELECTIONS: Communities can move their school elections to November from April, when turnout is low. In places that switch, school budget proposals will not need voter approval unless they increase by more than 2 percent.

SPORTS BETTING: Casinos and racetracks will be able to take bets on college and pro sports — if federal law, which bans such gambling in New Jersey, can be reversed.

OVER-THE-COUNTER NEEDLES: Pharmacies can sell hypodermic needles to customers without prescriptions as long as they show IDs. The law is intended to slow the spread of blood-borne diseases by making clean needles available to IV drug addicts.

SHIPPING WINE: New Jersey vineyards and small out-of-state wineries will be able to ship their products directly to customers' homes. Small wineries can also open up to 16 New Jersey retail outlets.

SEWER RULES: Local governments will be barred from protecting areas from development by taking them out of areas approved for sewer lines. Proponents hope the measure spurs economic activity by encouraging big land development deals, but environmentalists say it will hurt water quality.

POLITICAL FUNDRAISING: Candidates for office will no longer be allowed to solicit or raise political contributions on public property.

COSMETIC SURGERY TAX: Phases out state tax on cosmetic surgery procedures. Proponents say the eight-year-old tax is not only a "burden" to patients, but to the medical offices that must collect the tax and state agencies that enforce it. Rescinding the tax will cost the state about $10.8 million in annual revenue.

GAS DRILLING: Adopts one-year ban on a natural gas drilling process known as hydraulic fracturing, or fracking. , rather than continue to pursue a permanent ban. The legislation is largely symbolic because there's not enough natural gas to drill for under New Jersey.

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BILLS THAT EXPIRED WITHOUT GUBERNATORIAL ACTION (meaning they will have to be reintroduced and moved through the Legislature again).

TEEN DRIVING: Would have altered the state's graduated driver's license program to require novice drivers to receive more supervised practice time. It would have extended the learner's permit phase from six months to a year, and mandated that drivers submit a log of at least 50 hours of supervised practice driving before being issued a probationary license permitting them to drive unsupervised.

TRAIN STATION PARKING: Would have allowed the general public to park during nights and weekends in spaces reserved for permit holders at New Jersey Transit stations. Proponents said it would help alleviate chronic parking space shortage problems experienced at the sites during off-peak hours.

WEDDINGS-WAITING PERIOD: Would have ended the state's 72-hour waiting period for couples seeking a marriage license. Proponents said the law was antiquated — it dates back to 1934 — and that getting rid of it would give New Jersey a competitive edge in the wedding tourism market.