TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — New Jersey's Republican governor and Democrat-controlled Legislature have long agreed it's time to stop large end-of-career payouts to government employees for unused sick days, but there's been less agreement on how to legislate an end to the payouts Gov. Chris Christie mockingly calls "boat checks."

An Assembly committee advanced the latest proposal Thursday. The measure would end payouts that can reach six figures from now on, but would allow employees to keep what they've lawfully accrued to date.

"We will finally end the outrageously large cash payments to public workers that don't exist in the private sector and have burdened taxpayers for far too long," said Assemblywoman Pam Lampitt, a Voorhees Democrat who is sponsoring a two-bill package to cover union and non-union employees. "We'll be implementing a reasonable and responsible system that in the long run benefits everyone by putting an end to these unacceptable cash payouts."