JERSEY RENEWS

For Immediate Release: June 21st, 2021

Legislators Push to End Raids to NJ Transit & Clean Energy Fund

Trenton, NJ — As state leaders finalize the budget in the next few days, a bipartisan, bicameral group of a dozen legislators have joined Senate Majority Leader Loretta Weinberg’s call to end raids to the Clean Energy Fund and NJ Transit’s capital budget (Sen. Weinberg’s public statement can be viewed here).

Tapping into the General Fund for a tiny (4%) slice of the $10+ billion surplus stemming from the increased state revenue and federal fund projections would stop the $442 million raid that labor, business, transportation, planning and environmental groups have long called for (a list of these unusual suspects released last month can be found here).

Governor Murphy’s campaign promise to end these raids remains unfulfilled and advocates are asking if we can’t end these raids now, when the state is now flush and the future of NJ Transit fare revenue still so troubled, when will we decide to end these raids?

Sponsors include Senators Weinberg (D-Bergen), Bob Smith (D-Middlesex), Shirley Turner (D-Mercer/Hunterdon), Kip Bateman (R-Hunterdon/Somerset), Nia Gill (D-Essex) and Troy Singleton (D- Burlington) as well as Assembly members Dan Benson (D-Mercer/Middlesex), Andrew Zwicker (R-Somerset/Middlesex/Mercer/Hunterdon), John McKeon (D-Essex/Morris), Mila Jasey (D-Essex/Morris), Gordon Johnson (D-Bergen) and Verlina Reynolds Jackson (D-Mercer/Hunterdon).

Jersey Renews, a broad-based coalition of 70 labor, environmental, faith and community organizations, thanks Sen. Weinberg and these legislators for standing up to end these budget raids and fully fund NJ Transit’s capital needs and the state Clean Energy Fund.

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