By C1 Staff
TRENTON, N.J. — A bill that would have provided full benefits to corrections officers injured in the line of duty was vetoed by the governor Monday.
According to NJ.com, the measure would have allowed corrections officers who are injured on duty to receive full pay and benefits while in recovery. Police officers in the state already receive similar benefits. Currently, corrections officers injured on the job receive workers compensation, which is less than their salary.
Gov. Chris Christie said he vetoed the bill because he was looking to “strike an appropriate balance between fiscal responsibility and providing for those who have been seriously injured while helping to ensure the public remains safe.”
He recommended limiting benefits to “serious” injuries and covering only up to six months of recovery time, the publication reported.
The corrections officers union and a sponsor of the legislation said they were “confident” they could work out a compromise. Assemblyman Dan Benson said the government will work to push a new bill forward.
“We owe it to them to have their back,” Benson said.