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. Read the rest of this entry »

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O’Scanlon legislation would keep road work going, keep Monmouth Park open, in the event of a NJ shutdown

Senator Declan O’Scanlon (R-Monmouth County) announced that he will introduce two bills tomorrow in the NJ Senate tomorrow that, if enacted, would lessen the destructive aspects of a state government shutdown.

Governor Phil Murphy and the Democrat leaders in the legislature, Senate President Steve Sweeney and Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin, are thus far deadlocked over their competing proposals to raise taxes on New Jersey residents, tourists and businesses.   If they are unable to come to an agreement, and get the legislature to concur, by midnight tomorrow, the government will shutdown.

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NJ Shutdown Is Over

Governor Christie signs the budget. Photo by Tim Larsen

Both houses of the New Jersey Legislature passed a budget last night which Governor Chris Christie signed, ending the three day shutdown of non-essential government services.

New Jersey state parks and beaches will be open today, the 4th of July.  Courts, MVC offices and all other state operations will return to their normal operating hours tomorrow.

At at 10pm press conference announcing a deal on legislation to change the State’s oversight of Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield, Senate President Sweeney and Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto said that would ask Christie to support their desire to pay state employees for their forced day off on July 3.

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Guadagno to Christie: Get the hell off the beach, end the shutdown

Kim Guadagno meets with busnesses owners at Bum Rogers Tavern, which is at the entrance to Island Beach State Park

Lt. Governor Kim Guadagno, the GOP nominee to be the next summer tenant at Island Beach State Park, met with business owners impacted by the New Jersey government shutdown today blasting Governor Chris Christie, Senate President Steve Sweeney and Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto.

“If I were governor, I sure wouldn’t be sitting on the beach if taxpayers didn’t have access to state beaches. It’s beyond words,” Guadagno said on facebook and twitter.

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Guadagno offers shutdown compromise

Lt Governor Kim Guadagno. Photo credit: Tim Larsen/Governor’s office

Lt. Governor Kim Guadagno today called on Governor Chris Christie, Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto and Senate President Steve Sweeney to set aside the Horizon bill that is causing the deadlock in Trenton and instead take up a bill sponsored by Assembly Members Declan O’Scanlon and Nancy Muñoz that freezes existing government employee unused sick time payouts at the amounts already accumulated while eliminatinating the practice of lump sum payouts for unused sick time for new employees.

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NJ State Government Shuts Down

Without a budget from the Democrat controlled State Legislature, Governor Chris Christie ordered non-essential government operations to cease.

In an Executive Order issued at the midnight June 30 deadline for a State Budget, Christie declared a state of emergency and ordered that State Police, state correctional facilities, key child welfare services, state hospitals and treatment facilities, NJ TRANSIT, and operations linked to the health, safety, and welfare of the public, including certain environmental and health monitoring will continue to operate.

Gambling is essential to the operation of New Jersey. The state lottery will not be affected by the closure. Atlantic City Casinos and racetracks will remain open with state oversight.

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Legislature won’t pass budget Thursday as Assembly speaker digs in

TRENTON — The state Legislature won’t pass a budget on Thursday as talks over key components of a deal remain deadlocked. That brings New Jersey right up against the midnight Friday deadline for a state budget. Without a spending plan, Gov. Chris Christie has the option to shut down state government. More than half of the… Read the rest of this entry »

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Christie says there’s no reason for a government shutdown

TRENTON — The clock is ticking for lawmakers and Gov. Chris Christie to hash out a compromise on a state budget by the end of the week or else New Jerseyans will be staring down the barrel of the first state government shutdown since 2006. At odds are the differences within the Democratic-controlled Legislature over a… Read the rest of this entry »

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Sweeney again says state government could shut down without a deal on school funding

TRENTON — Senate President Stephen Sweeney on Monday said he plans to meet with Gov. Chris Christie this week on the state budget — a negotiating session that could deliver a small dose of school reform or a messy government shutdown. If Christie won’t play ball on a school funding deal Democratic leaders reached last week,… Read the rest of this entry »

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