Trenton—February 26—-New Jersey Citizen Action Executive Director Dena Mottola Jaborska issued the following statement today on Governor Mikie Sherrill's press conference concerning the state budget:

“We applaud Governor Sherrill’s launch of an online portal that allows the public to see exactly where state funding goes, and for her continued commitment to a budget process that is fair, transparent, and allows everyone to give timely input.

“This tool is a much-needed pro-democracy reform that gives everyday New Jerseyans a seat at the table in vital budget decisions, making it possible for them to partner with legislators and Governor Sherrill during the budget process. This would be a massive shift from the backroom budget process of three elected officials holding information no one else has, and diverting state resources to politically connected interests without the public’s knowledge or intervention.

“For too long, corporate interests have had an outsized voice in the budget process. For this reason, we urge that the portal be further developed to share information about which companies are getting what amounts of money, and what taxpayers are getting in return for these corporate subsidies. The tool should provide the public with transparency not only about spending but on revenue and lost revenue related to tax cuts. Members of the public want to see where the state’s revenue is coming from, and who is paying their fair share and who is not.

“Our last lame-duck legislative session under Governor Murphy saw hundreds of millions of dollars in corporate subsidies pushed through with little deliberation at a time. It also saw guardrails against further corporate subsidies weakened, allowing up to $14 billion in subsidies when that amount had been previously capped at $11 billion. We can’t afford this at a time of devastating federal cuts, with millions of New Jerseyans struggling to pay for healthcare, childcare, utilities, housing, and groceries.

“We trust that this new portal will provide clarity on strategic budget decisions. We look forward to working with Governor Sherrill’s administration and our state Legislature to help millions of New Jerseyans weather the massive economic and affordability crisis they, and our entire nation, face.”

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New Jersey Citizen Action is a statewide advocacy and empowerment organization that fights for social, racial and economic justice for all.