Speaker Prieto: More Christie Broken Promises

Christie Breaks Vow to Spend $25M to Expand Pre-School Education & Boost Tuition Aid Grants by $6.5M

            (TRENTON) – Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto (D-Hudson/Bergen) released the following statement Tuesday on Gov. Christie again breaking his promise to implement the state budget as-is, this time by diverting money to expand preschool education and tuition aid grants:

            “This is further proof that Gov. Christie cannot be trusted. Gov. Christie immediately broke his promise to sign the budget as-is with his line-item vetoes, and now he’s breaking his promise to spend $25 million to expand preschool education and enact Democratic plans to boost tuition aid grants by $6.5 million.

“Gov. Christie is not a man of his word.

            “I fought to include $25 million in the state budget to expand preschool education across the state because it’s sorely needed and is among the best investments we can make in our children. Democrats fought to expand tuition aid grants by $6.5 million because they represent another investment in our children. Gov. Christie promised to spend this money, and his excuses ring hollow. It’s his job to find creative ways to expand these programs effectively. It’s what he promised to do.

“The opioid epidemic is a crisis that everyone supports confronting, but leaving at-risk children behind and making college less affordable should not be options.

            “Fortunately, New Jersey gets a new governor soon. Unfortunately, it’s not soon enough, but at the very least we should put to rest this much-hyped notion – by some – that Gov. Christie is a man of his word.”