The bill hit committees in both chambers a week ago, and were brought to the full Assembly and Senate this week with some changes, or compromises. The major change was that while the original bill would have extended old and new permits dating from the end of 2006 and set to expire this year if not utilized, through Dec. 2012, the final version puts the expiration date at Dec. 21, 2010.

Proponents of the bill cited economic conditions and the possible impact on getting projects done within the time limit imposed by existing and new permits as the reasoning behind the legislation. "It takes several years and an average of 157 permits to get a major project off the ground," Ted Zangari, a member of the Newark-based Sills Cummis Law firm and founder of the advocacy group behind the legislation, told GlobeSt.com a week ago. "I would argue that a number of projects would never survive another round of approvals.

"I'm gratified that the bill was approved by such overwhelming majorities," Zangari tells Globest.com. "I think legislators heard our message that extending permits is about economic development, that it makes no sense to require developers whose projects have been exhaustively reviewed and approved by multiple agencies to begin the process anew, especially when many of those agencies have experienced lay-offs and have hundreds of untouched development applications sitting on desks.