Gov. Chris Christie criticized Sen. Ron Rice of Newark Monday for upholding the appointment of Christopher Cerf as Education commissioner.
“He is going to be the commissioner for as long as I’m here unless he decides he wants to go someplace,” Christie said of Cerf’s ongoing status as an acting commissioner. “This is the ridiculous practice of senatorial courtesy,” Christie said.
“Never saw this happen under Don DiFrancesco,’’ he said. He said there was respect for the fact governors had prerogative in such appointments, and he accused Rice of having other agendas.
Cerf’s appointment has been held up as Rice has exercised the right of senatorial courtesy.
Reached late Monday afternoon, Sen. Ron Rice, (D-28), Newark said that his dispute is not a personal one with either Cerf or the governor. He said this is about drawing attention to hedge funds making private donations to public education as well as Cerf’s involvement in the company hired in Newark to work as a consultant on that city’s schools.
Senatorial courtesy allows a lawmaker to block the nomination of an appointee from their home county, and Rice defended the practice as being the Legislature’s version of a gubernatorial veto, part of the checks and balances between the Executive and Legislative branches.
He wants Cerf to appear before the Joint Committee on Public Education.