It's typical for the New Jersey Legislature to break for the summer, but this year that will not happen. The leaders of both houses said there is important work to do and there's no reason to put it off until the fall.

NJ Legislature
New Jersey Legislature (Tim Larsen, Governor's Office)
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"We will definitely work this summer and we have to start thinking about many things," said Assembly Speaker Vinnie Prieto (D-Secaucus). "We need to start thinking about our Transportation Trust Fund. Our road infrastructure is in sore need of repairs. We do not have a revenue stream to fund that. That's something we have to work on."

The Select Committee on Investigation, the legislative panel probing the Bridgegate scandal, is also scheduled to hold public hearings in July.

Prieto said other issues remain outstanding as well. "We still need to work on bail reform that we have not gotten done. We may come back for that," Prieto said.

Another perennial work in progress is addressing New Jersey's high property taxes. The speaker said he hopes to explore that crucial issue over the next few months.

"I've said it time and time again - they were the highest when I got here 10 years ago and we have to do something about it. First in the nation in property taxes is not acceptable so we have to do a better job as legislators and do the tough things," Prieto said.

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