NJ Government Shutdown Likely

Governor Murphy, Senate President Steve Sweeney and Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin were unable to agree on how much pain to impose on New Jersey taxpayers after four hours of negotiating today, meaning that New Jersey’s state government will very likely shutdown at midnight tomorrow.

InsiderNJ is reporting that Sweeney and Coughlin cancelled the legislative sessions that were to have occurred on Saturday, and schedule session for Monday. Senator Declan O’Scanlon told MMM that he had not yet been informed of a schedule change.

Sweeney and Coughlin told the press that they offered a compromise on the proposed millionaires tax and that Murphy turned them down, according to InsiderNJ:

“The Governor believes negotiation consists of one side,” Sweeney added. “This is extremely frustrating to me. We have proven our budget meets all constitutional requirements. He has not compromised. We provided the revenues, he said they were not real. But when we presented them side by side [he acquiesced].

A short shutdown is almost guaranteed, according to NewJerseyGlobe who is reporting that Assembly Minority Leader Jon Bramnick said that his Republican caucus will not provide the necessary votes to allow legislation that raises any taxes to be fast tracked. The NJ Constitution requires legislation be introduced for 48 hours before being voted on, unless a super majority votes to declare an emergency.

“I’m assuming they’re going to have to put up new tax bills, because the way Gov. Murphy ‘says I’m not signing a budget without new taxes,’” Bramnick said. “New taxes require a bill. A bill requires a day layover, so I’m happy to be an obstructionist if it has to do with new taxes in the state of New Jersey.”

“The budget that sits on the Governor’s desk meets our constitutional duty,” said @SpeakerCoughlin announcing that Governor Murphy has still not agreed to a compromise. pic.twitter.com/g0YP7dO32t

— NJAssemblyDemocrats (@njassemblydems) June 29, 2018

Also, @JonBramnick said Republican lawmakers would not support an emergency vote on a new budget if it includes tax increases. “I’m happy to be an obstructionist when it comes to this kind of nonsense.” #NJBudgetDrama pic.twitter.com/m8E6f7gze0

— Brent Johnson (@johnsb01) June 29, 2018