N.J. nears ban on offshoring of state work

NorthJersey.com
A bill to bar companies from carrying out New Jersey government contracts abroad will probably get a final vote Monday, after lying dormant for months. The bill, if approved by the state Assembly, will require all state work to be done in the United States except in those situations where a local contractor cannot supply the service. Opponents of the legislation - among them the state Chamber of Commerce and representatives of the insurance and securities industries - told the Assembly Labor Committee on Monday that the bill's passage is premature. They argued that its impact on a broad range of government contracts hasn't been determined. "There are so many unanswered questions on the ramifications," Jim Leonard, a vice president for the state Chamber of Commerce, said after the committee hearing in Trenton. "Why are we forcing the issue without due diligence?" more...