UNION TWP. — Prompted by complaints from a Libertarian Party leader, Township Committee may decide to repeal sections of a disorderly conduct ordinance that could be contrary to state law.

The committee adopted an ordinance in June to combine township prohibitions against throwing objects at cars, streets or houses; riots; loitering; profanity; obstructing sidewalks; annoying others in public; false fire alarms; excessive honking of vehicle horns; interfering with religious worship; harassing phone calls; malicious destruction of property; and trespassing.

John Paff, chair of the state Libertarian Party’s Open Government Advocacy Project, claims that sections of the ordinance that prohibit “disorderly assemblages” and “loitering” are contrary to state criminal code.

At the July 6 meeting, committee members voted unanimously to introduce an amendment to the ordinance which would delete the parts that currently forbid anyone to “engage in any riot, public disturbance or disorderly assemblage,” or to “loiter, lounge or sleep in any street,” “utter loud and offensive or indecent language, or make offensive remarks to or about any person passing along” or to “interfere with any person lawfully being in or upon any street.”

“That is what Mr. Paff was complaining about,” said Mayor Bill Bischoff in an interview. Bischoff said he has not spoken with Paff about the ordinance, but has seen a copy of Paff’s letter to the state.

According to Paff, the state declared in 1979 that loitering is not a crime in New Jersey, and other court decisions have ruled that most “street conduct” ordinances are not valid, he said.