Although the State Senate Budget Committee did not vote on a budget bill Tuesday as expected, the spending plan legislation should still be put to bed far in advance of the midnight June 30 constitutional deadline.
Backroom negotiations continue today as lawmakers in the State Senate and General Assembly work with Gov. Chris Christie’s Administration to reach a deal on a State Budget. The Senate Budget Committee was expected to approve a budget bill today, but that’s now on hold for up to two days according to Sen. Paul Sarlo, the panel’s chairman.
In February, Governor Chris Christie proposed a $32.9 billion State Budget, and hearings on the spending plan have been going on for months and closed-door negotiations have been taking place for weeks.
Today would have been arguably the third most important day of the year in New Jersey's State budget process behind only the Governor's budget address and the signing of the spending plan into law.
The New Jersey Assembly voted on dozens of bills yesterday, but it was the inclusion of one piece of legislation that had Republicans blasting their Democratic colleagues.