Veto Stands on New Jersey's Anti-Icahn Bill

Carl Icahn Jr.’s foes in the New Jersey state house were delivered a blow this week when their efforts to overturn a veto of an anti-Icahn bill fizzled out.
Governor Chris Christie vetoed the bill (S2575) last week and didn’t hide his displeasure with the lawmakers who passed it. In remarks to the press, as reported on at NJ.com, Christie said the bill showcased New Jersey, “at its worst.”
Under the terms of the bill, which was clearly aimed at Icahn, casino owners who, “substantially closed” a casino during 2016 would be barred from owning or operating a casino of any kind for five years. NJ.com and other Garden State media outlets have reported that Icahn and the Trump Taj Mahal would be the only operators impacted by the bill.
The war against Icahn, however, is far from over.
State Senate President Stephen Sweeney pulled the bill before the veto override vote was entered into the record. This little piece of legislative voodoo allowed the bill’s supporters, mostly Democrats, to marshal their forced and fight another day.
Sweeney and his allies plan on reintroducing the veto-override sometime in the near future. According to local media reports, several Democratic senators including Ray Lesniak, were not present at this week’s vote.
Both Icahn and Christie are big supporters of American leader Trump’s administration and both men have met with him within the last week.
For his part, Icahn has stated that he is willing to sell the Trump Taj Mahal at a loss and that the senate’s actions will discourage other investors from putting their money in New Jersey. .