Senate Democrats Block Republican Efforts to Help Small Businesses & Non-Profits

Pair of Motions Blocked During Senate Session Today

The Senate Democratic Majority continued to block attempts by Senate Republicans to increase financial support for struggling business and nonprofits by tabling a pair of motions during today’s session of the New Jersey Senate.

Both motions were made by Senator Michael Testa (R-1) on behalf of the entire Senate Republican caucus.

“There is a compelling need to help all of the small businesses and nonprofits across New Jersey that are struggling as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Testa. “It makes absolutely no sense for Senate Democrats to block our efforts to provide additional financial support to Main Street shops, local restaurants, and the working families they employ while the State sits on a multi-billion budget surplus that’s growing by the day. We’ve urged our Democrat colleagues to join with us to advance these efforts in a bipartisan fashion, but they continue to put partisanship ahead of the people we should be working together to serve.”

The first Republican motion sought to force a Senate vote on S-3210, a bill sponsored by the entire Senate Republican caucus to appropriate $300 million to the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (EDA) to fund emergency grants and loans to small businesses and nonprofits impacted by COVID-19.

Senate Democrats immediately tabled the motion, preventing a vote on the legislation.

The second Republican motion sought to amend S-2769, a Democrat-sponsored bill that appropriates $50 million of CARES Act funds to create a “Minority Business Development Program” in the EDA. The proposed Republican amendments would have expanded the bill to make women-owned businesses eligible, fixed the bill to ensure that funding can be provided from other surplus funds if needed, and added the additional $300 million proposed by S-3210 to support the needs of all businesses and nonprofits, not just select groups.

Senate Democrats again tabled the motion thereby preventing the proposed amendments to help small businesses and nonprofits from advancing.