Mayor, Council May Spar Over Electronic Recycling
A legal battle between Mayor Bloomberg and the City Council could be on the horizon, with Mr. Bloomberg poised today to veto a bill that would require electronics manufacturers to set up recycling programs for the goods they sell.
Mr. Bloomberg says he will not enforce the law if the council overrides his veto, arguing on his radio show on Friday that it is illegal. Supporters of the bill could challenge his decision in court.
A senior attorney for the Natural Resources Defense Council, which supports the bill, Katherine Sinding, indicated that the dispute might end up in court, saying in a statement: "This law is constitutional and we fully expect that it would survive any legal challenge."
The sponsor of the bill, Council Member Bill de Blasio, said in a statement that he is disappointed with the mayor's stance on the recycling legislation and is hopeful a compromise can be reached.
"The trouble with this law that the City Council passed is that you hold the manufacturers responsible for the public to recycle, and the manufacturers can't do that," Mr. Bloomberg said on Friday.
A spokesman for the mayor, John Gallagher, argued last week that the legislation places an unfair financial burden on manufacturers and would lead to job cuts.
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Correction from February 20, 2008: Thirty days from February 13, the date the City Council passed legislation to require electronics manufacturers to set up recycling programs for goods they sell, is the period in which Mayor Bloomberg may veto the bill. The timing of the expected veto was misstated in an article on page 2 of yesterday's New York Sun. |
