STATEWIDE — Claiming the $30.6 billion budget passed by New Jersey Democrats has unconstitutional elements, Gov. Christopher Christie is expected to veto it within the next few days.
A spokesperson for Christie said that the budget is doesn’t have the revenue to support its spending and threatens to put the state government in a shutdown.
This budget – passed along party lines – is $1 billion more than Republicans hoped.
The state is required to have a budget in place by July 1, so a veto would require the legislature to come up with a new budget within 24 hours or override the governor’s veto.
Democratic state Sen. Nicholas Sacco defended the budget as passed.
“The Democratic budget I voted for would put New Jersey back on the right track and take us off the Republican road to nowhere,” he said. “It not only funds Abbott school districts but provides $580 million in funding for urban and suburban districts like North Bergen, Kearny and Secaucus which will result in direct property tax relief.”
Sacco said he was pleased that districts often shut out of the school funding debate finally received what they need from the state.
“The budget also restores important tax relief programs for seniors and the Earned Income Tax Credit for the working poor, supports our urban hospitals, restores Urban Enterprise Zone funding, and reverses Governor Christie’s unconscionable Medicaid cuts,” Sacco said. “I was proud to vote for a budget that reflects the core values of our state and I sincerely hope that the governor will sign it.”
Assemblywoman Joan Quigley said they are waiting for Christie to decide what to do.
“If he conditional vetos the budget or vetoes it outright, it must come back to the Legislature to consider whether or not to go along with the suggestions in the conditional veto if that is what he does,” she said. “If he outright vetoes it, the legislature can revamp it and send back a new one or it can merely say ‘No this is all you get’ and send it back as is. Frankly, I don’t think he will veto it either way because that would shut down government for a while. The biggest impact would be on the state parks during a three-day weekend. The legislature could not act for three days after a conventional veto so that takes us to Tuesday at the earliest.”
Quigley believes the governor will merely use the line item veto to veto some funding, which would likely put the Urban Enterprise Zones in danger.
“He can remove all funding or lower funding,” she said.