Budget Votes Will Be There, Democratic Leaders Say

Democrats who chair the New Jersey Legislature's budget committees are confident they've got enough votes to send their spending plan to the governor's desk.

Sen. Paul Sarlo and Assemblyman Vincent Prieto say most Democrats will support the budget when it reaches the floor or the Senate and Assembly on Monday. The $32 billion budget gets its first legislative hearings Thursday.

The measure differs slightly from what Gov. Chris Christie proposed. It includes $25 million in nursing home aid and $50 million to restore the Earned Income Tax Credit.

Democrats will introduce separate legislation to reinstate a surcharge on millionaires. That revenue would go directly to property tax relief.

Democrats will also set aside $183 million to fund a tax cut. But they won't release the money unless tax collections improve.