Proposed Bill Would Ban LIV Golf in NJ

Controversy continues to surround the new LIV golf league, which is backed by the Saudi Arabian government.

The league recently held a tournament at Donald Trump's golf club in Bedminster.

If two New Jersey State Senators have their way, it will be the last time a LIV event is played in the Garden State.

Sens. Andrew Zwicker, D-Princeton, and Richard Codey, D-Roseland, have sponsored a bill (S3032) that, "prohibits professional sports organizations operated utilizing funds primarily received from sovereign wealth funds from hosting sport or athletic events in this State."

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While the legislation could apply to any sports league, both Zwicker and Codey made it clear they were targeting the Saudi-backed LIV Golf.

Codey said holding a LIV event in New Jersey was disrespectful to 9/11 families.

"No one would have believed that after that terrible day that we would be allowing foreign governments to hold events in New Jersey in an attempt to clean up their image after centuries of human rights abuses and connections to terrorists," Codey said in a statement to NJ Globe.

The Saudi government has repeatedly denied any involvement in the attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon, although the FBI has claimed the men who hijacked the airliners flown into the buildings had the support of Saudi nationals.

Saudi Arabia has often been sighted for human rights violations. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is also believed to have ordered the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, although the Prince denies it.

Zwicker tweeted, "We do not need competitions in NJ that are bankrolled by repressive governments in a shameful ‘sports-washing’ endeavor."

The bill has yet to be scheduled for a hearing or a vote.

Gov. Phil Murphy has not commented on the pending legislation.