When Democratic New Jersey Assemblyman Joseph Lagana decided to regulate ride-sharing companies like Uber and Lyft in the state, his main priority was making sure drivers were properly insured.
Two years later, the inclusion of fingerprint background checks to the proposal is the key sticking point in attempts to regulate the industry.
It has led to fierce backlash from Uber, including a strong lobbying effort and a threat to leave the state.
Lagana's measure requires fingerprint checks if the ride-sharing companies don't use a check approved by the New Jersey state police. An Uber spokesman says the law would allow the state to replace Uber's check with fingerprinting.
The state attorney general's office declined to comment on whether the third-party checks now used by the companies would meet state standards.
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