TRENTON - After relatively little discussion between entrenched sides, heavy criticism by the minority party about spending, process, and lack of transparency, and heavy accent notes on StayNJ and Medicaid, the Assembly this afternoon moved the $60.7 Billion FY2027 State Budget Bill on a party line vote, backboned by Democrats, over vociferous objections by the GOP.

The vote tally was 58-20-0.

Assemblywoman Eliana Pintor Marin (D-29), chair of the Budget Committee, pictured above, made her case for the bill. "It reduces structural deficit, provides school funding, and maintains a $6 billion surplus," she said.

Assemblyman Brian Rumpf (R-9), minority budget officer, rejected the bill.  "We set another record in the State of New Jersey," he griped, citing the size of the budget. "We have a new governor who came in with the promise of affordability. What we have is anything other than affordability. Same old, same old. We have the same old with respect to a tax and spend mentality. It's like Governor Murphy never left.

"This budget does not adequately address the needs of the residents of New Jersey," he added.

"Loaded with Christmas Tree items," concurred Assemblyman Michael Inganamort (R-24).

"It was business as usual this year," said Assemblyman John Azzaritti (R-39), who cited a budget that has increased by $26 billion since Chris Christie was governor, and increased taxes by $23 billion. "With this budget expect to see more of a corporate exodus, and with it, more jobs."

"The New Jersey budget process is anything but transparent," decried Assemblyman

Gerry Scharfenberger (R-13), a common Republican complaint.

"Institutional corruption," condemned Assemblyman Brian Bergen (R-26), objecting to the law firm of Speaker Craig Coughlin (D-19), for example, doing contract work for the City of Plainfield and the city receiving $4.5 million in aid in the budget. "It's not about what's really best for the people. It's about what's best for the people in this room.

"The budget is awful - a corrupt act orchestrated by two people in power," Bergen added, apparently referring to Coughlin and Senate President Nick Scutari (D-22).

Then he took a shot at Coughlin's signature initiative.

"The StayNJ program was and is a gimmick," said Bergen. "It was never intended to succeed. It was done to salvage votes. It will ultimately fail."

Assemblyman Roy Freiman (D-16) defended the budget.

"I agree that it is frustrating to work right up to the end of time," he acknowledged. "I think to sit and listen to the hundreds of individuals who come before the budget committee, it's very sobering.

"We are doing phenomenal things here," added the Assemblyman. "We are funding a

pension system. We have a huge amount of years with financial mismanagement and now we are hitting that obligation. That is a promise made to people who are retired. And I will tell you, there are people who are retired who need cost of living adjustments made. We are funding education and infrastructure. There is so much being accomplished in this overall. Individually, we would make different choices. This is a collective body. No one likes running up to the very end. [But] I'm going to be voting yes."

"This is not a perfect process, but one we should be very, very proud of."

Assemblyman Al-Abdelaziz (D-35) also argued in defense of the budget.

"This budget protects that $6,500 property tax relief to those seniors who need it most," he said, referring to StayNJ.

Assemblyman Greg McGuckin (R-10) criticized Governor Sherrill for not delivering what she promised. "I hope next year you do better," McGuckin said, directing his comment at the Governor. "The losers of this budget process are the people of New Jersey."

With regret, Assemblyman Gregory E. Myhre (R-9) agreed, eschewing the Trenton-centric hoop jumping of programs like StayNJ at the expense of real numbers-crunching. "The real solution is just to make the state more affordable in the first place," he said.

SUMMARY OF FY2027 APPROPRIATIONS

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SUMMARY OF APPROPRIATONS BY DEPARTMENT

ALL FUNDS

($ thousands)

FISCAL IMPACT:

      This bill is not certified as requiring a fiscal note.