Christie signs $34.5B budget, cutting $300M from programs

TRENTON — Gov. Chris Christie on Thursday night signed a $34.5 billion budget into effect.

Christie acted with just hours to spare on Thursday ahead of a constitutional deadline to enact a balanced budget.

Unlike previous years there was little drama between Christie and the Democrat-led Legislature over the spending plan.

Christie and lawmakers are instead wrangling over transportation funding, which has yet to be resolved.

Christie's budget leaves taxes unchanged.

He used his line item veto to cut about $300 million of funding called for by Democrats, including $25 million for preschool education expansion.

He also scolded Democrats for including $250 million in budget savings from cuts to public employee health benefits but not enacting reforms. Instead, Christie issued an executive order calling for funds to be held in reserve.

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