DiFrancesco chose the New Jersey Builders Association Convention, currently underway in this gaming mecca, to put his signature on Assembly Bill 2403, which amends current law by requiring municipalities to act on requests for zoning permits within 10 business days. Failure to act within the 10 days will result in automatic approval of a zoning request. The bill, which will take effect in early July, applies only to requests conforming to existing zoning that doesn't require any variances. Before reaching the acting governor, the bill had substantial support in Trenton--it was approved by a 38-1 vote in the state senate and 68-2 in the state assembly.

"Ten days is a reasonable amount of time to make a decision," DiFrancesco said as he signed the bill in front of hundreds of convention attendees. "It's only fair that you get efficient turnaround on projects when more time means more expense."

The New Jersey League of Municipalities was against the legislation, a sign of that fact that home rule is alive and well in New Jersey, perhaps more than anywhere else. William Dressel, executive director of the group, has openly urged communities that feel they can't issue approvals within those 10 days to go ahead and reject such requests outright. That portends some nasty local fights.

Environmentalists were opposed. DiFrancesco extended them an olive branch: "I am committed to smart growth and smart preservation," he told attendees, "I'm committed to bringing all sides of these vital issues to the table." DiFrancesco recently came out in opposition to the proposed Mills Corp. mega-mall project in the Meadowlands region of North Jersey.