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 calls on Murphy to intervene in budget showdown

Kim Guadagno

With New Jersey’s state government on the verge of shutting down because the Democrat controlled legislature has failed to pass a budget, Lt.Governor Kim Guadagno, the GOP nominee for Governor, has called on her Democrat opponent, former Goldman Sachs banker Phil Murphy, to intervene in the impasse.

“What is happening with the state budget is a disgusting display of Trenton politics that threatens to grind our state to a halt,” Guadagno said. “With so many problems in New Jersey from property taxes to healthcare, our leaders should be communicating with each other to pass a budget that puts the taxpayers of New Jersey first and separate the Horizon bill from negotiations so it can be thoroughly reviewed. Phil Murphy – as the head of his party – should immediately call his political bosses who are orchestrating this and tell them to stop playing politics with the lives of the people who will be hurt by a government shutdown.”

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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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Increasing Fiscal Transparency by Tracking, Reporting on Unspent Funds

While Democratic legislative leaders are negotiating a budget with Gov. Chris Christie this week, lawmakers are also moving toward final passage of a bipartisan bill that would bring a new level of transparency to how taxpayer dollars are spent by state government each year. Both houses of the Legislature are expected to approve later today a… Read the rest of this entry »

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NJ Lawmakers reach $171M deal on school funding

TRENTON — Top Democratic lawmakers who have been pushing competing plans to repair education funding in New Jersey said Wednesday they have agreed to a deal that would increase state funding by $125 million. Senate President Stephen Sweeney (D-Gloucester) and Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto (D-Hudson) said their plan that would add $100 million in new K-12… Read the rest of this entry »

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O’Scanlon: Trenton Dems to blame for NJ’s credit downgrades

Assemblyman Declan O’Scanlon, the Republican Assembly Budget Officers responded to Democrats’ suggestion the New Jersey’s declining credit rating is solely the fault of the Christie Administration by suggesting Democratic leadership look in the mirror.

O’Scanlon cited downgrade reports from Moody’s and S&P:

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N.J. lawmakers want to reinstate death penalty in ‘extreme’ cases

TRENTON — Two state lawmakers are looking to reverse New Jersey’s landmark ban on the death penalty and restore the punishment for serious crimes. On Monday, Senators Steve Oroho (R-Sussex) and Jeff Van Drew (D-Cape May) introduced a bill that would restore capital punishment in certain murder cases, citing recent terror attacks and fatal ambushes of… Read the rest of this entry »

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How Monmouth’s Legislators voted on the gas tax

The New Jersey Legislature approved a $.23 per gallon sales tax increase today, accompanied by a phase out of the estate tax, a gradual fractional reduction in the sale tax and tax breaks for veterans and the working poor.  The Senate vote was 28-14.  The vote in the Assembly was 44-27.

Monmouth County’s Legislators voted as follows:

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Votes by N.J. lawmakers on 23-cent gas tax hike deal stalled until Friday

TRENTON — Planned votes on measures to raise the gasoline tax 23 cents a gallon to raise money for road improvements and cut $1.4 billion in taxes were put off two days after proponents ran into a procedural hurdle in the state Senate on Wednesday. Senators said Wednesday the upper chamber was short the 30 votes… Read the rest of this entry »

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O’Scanlon: If Pensions are on the ballot, delay TTF until after the election

Assemblyman Declan O’Scanlon, the Republican Assembly Budget Officer, said today that no New Jersey legislator can responsibly vote on a bill to replenish the state’s Transportation Trust Fund (TTF) if a constitutional amendment requiring the state to make specified annual payments to state employees pensions funds is on the ballot this November.

“No legislator from either party can cast a responsible vote on any TTF plan until we know if the disastrously flawed Democrat constitutional amendment will be on the ballot.  If the Senate Democrats irresponsibly vote to place the amendment on the ballot they are voting to put any TTF decision off until after November – at least.

O’Scanlon said that the constitutional amendment proposed by the Democratic majority has three fatal flaws:

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