Sweeney & Senate Colleagues Pledge Support for Democratic Budget Priorities

Will Restore Programs & Funding That Address the Needs of the Most Vulnerable

TRENTON – Senate President Steve Sweeney, Senate Budget Chairman Paul Sarlo and Senator M. Teresa Ruiz today pledged to restore state support for an array of services and programs that address the needs of the most vulnerable, aid those experiencing hardship and expand opportunity for the disadvantaged. Joining in support were representatives from a broad array of advocacy groups and service organizations.

These Democratic priorities were funded in the current budget after a determined fight last year with then Governor Christie, but were cut out of the spending plan submitted by Governor Phil Murphy.

“These investments were cut out of the governor’s proposed budget,” said Senator Sweeney. “They embody New Jersey values and if you cut them out, you change the shape of New Jersey. You make it less than it was. That’s not what we were elected to do. We should not be debating about our values, about what defines each of us as New Jersey residents.”

The budget restorations include funding for Court Appointed Special Advocates who work with abused and neglected children, Direct Support Professionals who aid those with physical and intellectual disabilities, Hispanic Women’s Resource Centers that provide counseling, health-care and job-training for women and families, cancer research, re-entry programs to reduce recidivism, autism and behavioral health care assistance, and help for the homeless.

Senator Sweeney said that the Democratic Legislature will also insist on providing increased state aid to underfunded school districts, as it did last year to ensure that all of New Jersey’s public school students are provided the opportunity for a quality education. Increased school funding and reforms in the allocation of state aid are critical to ensure that New Jersey’s education system is fair and equitable.

“The budget is not just a balance sheet, it impacts the lives of the people in very direct ways,” said Senator Ruiz (D-Essex). “At the same time that we invest in our future we also must care for the disadvantaged and those suffering from neglect. Supporting social services, respecting and defending the elderly, protecting vulnerable children and adults, providing services that raise people out of poverty and addiction are a part of the Democratic Party tradition.”

Senator Sarlo (D-Bergen) said that fiscal discipline and the pursuit of cost-saving efficiencies are not incompatible or inconsistent with the need or ability to fund vital programs.

“We are confronting difficult fiscal challenges that have to be settled but we cannot allow the Democratic priorities we fought so hard for to be lost,” said Senator Sarlo. (D-Bergen). “These are not big ticket expenditures in the context of the larger budget, but they are critically important in the lives of the needy and most vulnerable. We will restore funding for these programs and services that were cut out of the governor’s budget proposal.”

Senator Sweeney also talked about the need and the opportunity to identify and capture budget savings.

“We have been working cooperatively with the public sector unions to capture savings in health care costs, from patient centered medical homes to the out-of-network savings adopted by the State Health Benefits Plan to the Pharmacy Benefits Manager program,” said Senator Sweeney. “These programs will save hundreds of millions of dollars, and there are hundreds of millions of dollars to be saved elsewhere in state government, but I don’t hear anything about cost savings from the Governor.”

Joining in support at today’s news conference were Frank Freyre and Chris Estevez,  the Latino Action Network; Pat Brannigan, NJ Catholic Conference;  Liza Kischenbaum, CASA of NJ; Nydia Monagas, NJ Children’s Alliance; Tom Baffutto, ARC of NJ;  John Indyk, Health Care Association of NJ; Dan Lombardo, Volunteers of America; Mark Boyd, ACCES NJ; Natasia Rosario, Camden Coalition; Chuck Goldstein, DCF Behavioral Health Care Managers; Superintendent Racco Tomazic; Andrea Katz & Jennifer Cavallaro, FFAC;  Jill Nadison, Reed Academy.

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Supporting Democratic Priorities – Restoring Funds To Budget Cut Outs

• Fair funding for New Jersey’s underfunded school districts to continue the funding reforms for fair and equitable school aid.

• $20 million to raise wages for direct support professionals who assist people with physical and intellectual disabilities, helping them with specialized services and personal needs.

• $5 million for Child Advocacy Centers that support victims of child abuse.

• $850,000 to support Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) who work with abused and neglected children, helping them navigate the family court system.

• $7 million to support behavioral health for children.
• $5.25 million for New Jersey nursing homes.
• $5 million for sheltered workshops that enable people with developmental disabilities to work in supervised environments.
• $2 million for the New Jersey Commission on Cancer Research and $2 million for the Rutgers Cancer Institute.

• $8 million to support prisoner re-entry services that help reduce recidivism across the state.

• $5 million for hospice and palliative care.
• $3 million to increase personal needs allowance for low-income nursing home residents.
• $1.8 million for assistive technology for students with reading disabilities.
• $1 million for an autism services pilot program.
• $1 million for college education for members of the NJ National Guard.
• $8.7 million for non-public school transportation.
• $500,000 for Camden’s Housing First pilot program.

• $250,000 for Hispanic Women’s Resource Centers to provide counseling, health-care and job-training to women and families.

• $250,000 for the ALS Association.
• $200,000 for the Adler Aphasia Center.
• $145,000 for Boys and Girls Clubs for at-risk programs.

• $125,000 for Project S.A.R.A.H. to provide services and resources for Jewish victims of domestic violence.

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