New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill is the latest Democratic governor to try to accelerate permitting and environmental reviews as the party responds to high costs by shifting toward a more pro-development posture.
Sherrill signed an executive order Tuesday, her first day in office, that envisions “shot clocks” for state agencies to complete permits within predetermined time frames — though the order says those time frames should not be legally binding. The order also calls for an online dashboard to track permit application status.
Under the order, a “Cross-Agency Permitting Team” will review the state’s permitting processes and recommend changes, including those that require legislative approval. Officials will be charged with cataloging every type of state permit, collecting data on processing times, recommending ways to standardize reviews, and acting as a “one-stop shop” for coordinating permits and answering applicants’ questions.
Sherrill also opened the door to loosening permit requirements and outsourcing some reviews, either to third parties or artificial intelligence. Her order creates a Regulatory Simplification Team charged with identifying and streamlining “outdated or burdensome regulations,” especially those that “impose significant delays or costs on new projects.”
