The New Jersey Supreme Court has upheld a lower-court ruling that ordered the reopening of the state's affordable housing agency.
The Philadelphia Inquirer reports that the court issued a one-page order that ruled against Gov. Chris Christie's decision to shut down the 12-member Council on Affordable Housing. The council was created by the state legislature in the 1980s, but was terminated by the governor in June 2011. An appellate court ruled against Christie last year, saying that his action violated ‘New Jersey's constitutional separation of powers’ and that the governor ‘exceeded his authority.’
‘Gov. Christie simply does not have the power to unilaterally abolish independent agencies he doesn't like,’ says Kevin D. Walsh, associate director of the Fair Share Housing Center in Cherry Hill, N.J., which spearheaded the lawsuit against Christie.
The governor's office did not issue a comment on the court's ruling.