TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie
will sign a hard-won higher education restructuring bill Wednesday.
The Associated Press has learned the bill signing will be in New Brunswick,
but the governor also plans stops in Newark and Camden — the three cities most
affected by the measure.
The bill gives Rutgers University a coveted medical school and elevates Rowan
University to a research university.
The legislation paves the way for shifting the University of Medicine and
Dentistry of New Jersey to Rutgers and Rowan.
It also links Rowan and Rutgers-Camden for joint science collaborations, but
does not merge the two, which was a deal-breaker for some.
Christie promoted the changes for months before the Democrat-led Legislature
agreed.
South Jersey Democratic Party leader George Norcross III added his muscle to
the bill.
