SENATE, No. 970

 

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

 

INTRODUCED MARCH 18, 1996

 

 

By Senator SINAGRA

 

 

An Act concerning political contributions and supplementing Title 19 of the Revised Statutes.

 

    Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

 

    1. No corporation or other entity engaging in the manufacture or wholesale distribution of tobacco or tobacco products and no corporation or other entity, person, trustee or trustees, owning or holding the majority of stock in any such corporation or other entity, shall pay or contribute money or thing of value in order to aid or promote the nomination or election of any person, or in order to aid or promote the interests, success or defeat of any political party.

 

    2. This act shall take effect immediately.

 

 

STATEMENT

 

    This bill prohibtis corporations and other entities engaged in the manufacture or wholesale distribution of tobacco products from contributing money or anything of value to promote the interests, success or defeat of any political party. This prohibition on political contributions is similar to that imposed on various regulated industries pursuant to R.S.19:34-45.

    In view of the adverse health effects tobacco products have on the citizens of the State, it is in the public interest that political contributions of corporations or other entities engaged in the manufacture or wholesale distribution of tobacco products should be restricted in the same manner as various regulated industries.

 

 

 

Prohibits manufacturers and wholesale distributors of tobacco products from making political contributions.