They said the budget deal was done. It isn’t. Now the clock is ticking.

💰 State leaders say they have a budget deal, but negotiations are still underway just days before the June 30 deadline.
📄 Lawmakers may not receive the final budget bill until shortly before voting, leaving little time for review.
👀 New Jersey residents may not know what's in the $60+ billion spending plan until after it becomes law.

Gov. Mikie Sherrill, Senate President Nicholas Scutari and Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin all declared victory this week, announcing they had reached agreement on a new state budget ahead of New Jersey's June 30 constitutional deadline.

The three issued a joint statement that said the deal called for a budget of $60.7 billion dollars, the same amount initially proposed by Sherrill, but also including additional funding for programs like Stay NJ. No other details were announced.

But as it turns out, a budget deal isn't necessarily a finished budget.

Behind the scenes, negotiations are continuing on key details. That leaves only days to convert a broad agreement into the hundreds of pages of legislation lawmakers must approve before the new fiscal year begins on July 1.

NJ Gov. Mikie Sherrill's first budget keeps spending at historic highs as STAYNJ gets a last-minute boost. (NJ Legislature/Getty Images/TSQ illustration)

Budget negotiations continue behind closed doors

Legislative leaders have acknowledged that work continues on spending details and language that will make up the final appropriations bill. The New Jersey Globe reported that negotiations are continuing over spending requests from lawmakers while Gov. Sherrill has agreed to include some legislative priorities in the final package.

Even with a broad framework in place, the actual legislation has yet to be publicly released.

That means rank-and-file lawmakers—and the public—remain largely in the dark about what will ultimately be included in a spending plan expected to exceed $60 billion.

Little time for lawmakers to review the bill

The calendar is now working against the Legislature.

Once negotiations conclude, attorneys and budget staff must draft the appropriations bill and any related legislation before it can be introduced and brought up for a vote.

That means the legislature will likely be working all weekend to finalize and approve the spending plan and that work could extend beyond the June 30 deadline. If that happens, technically there would be a government shutdown.

NJ lawmakers are pushing to restore $700M in spending Gov. Mikie Sherrill cut from her first state budget proposal. (Gov. Mikie Sherrill via X/Canva/Townsquare Media illustration)

Neither Sherrill nor legislative leaders have discussed that possibility publicly.

This has become a familiar end-of-June ritual in Trenton, where lawmakers have often complained they receive massive budget bills only minutes before they are asked to cast votes.

The public faces an even greater challenge. Without a released bill, taxpayers have little opportunity to review the final spending plan or weigh in before it becomes law.

Transparency questions remain

Democratic leaders have said they remain confident a budget will be approved before the constitutional deadline, avoiding a government shutdown.

Declan O'Scanlon in Trenton (New Jersey Senate Republicans)

Still, the latest developments underscore a recurring criticism of New Jersey's budget process: major spending decisions involving billions of taxpayer dollars are often finalized behind closed doors and voted on with little public scrutiny.

When the Legislature gavels into session next week, we may finally learn what's in the budget—but only after lawmakers have already decided its fate.

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