TRENTON — Trying to move away from their fight with Gov. Chris Christie over property tax reform, Democratic leaders Wednesday unveiled a set of proposals they say will spark the job market and provide crucial training for unemployed New Jerseyans. The 30-bill package includes overhauling the corporate business tax, providing breaks for small business owners and creating a program...
Senate President Stephen M. Sweeney and Assembly Speaker Sheila Y. Oliver hold a press conference in the speaker's office to announce job creation initiatives.TRENTON — Trying to move away from their fight with Gov. Chris Christie over property tax reform, Democratic leaders Wednesday unveiled a set of proposals they say will spark the job market and provide crucial training for unemployed New Jerseyans.
The 30-bill package includes overhauling the corporate business tax, providing breaks for small business owners and creating a program in which residents of the receive training for six weeks, up to 24 hours a week.
Senate President Stephen Sweeney (D-Gloucester) and Assembly Speaker Sheila Oliver (D-Essex) promised a "flurry" of committee meetings in December to clear the legislation for votes by the full chambers in January. Many of the bills have already been filed, Sweeney said, and additional pieces will complete the package.
"We have to invest money in order to expand business opportunity in this state," Oliver said.
One big part of the package, modeled after a program in Georgia called "Georgia Work$," would allow residents to continue to collect unemployment while getting on-the-job training with a private sector employer, Oliver said.
The Democrats are also proposing changes to tax only the products a business sells in the state, not what is manufactured here, Sweeney said. They would also create tax breaks for small business owners, he said.
Sweeney said while the change in tax law may reduce how much the state collects, it will produce more tax dollars by having more people working, paying income taxes and shopping at local retailers.
The Democratic measures also change the subject in Trenton after weeks of harsh criticism by Christie that lawmakers are not quickly taking action on his proposed "tool kit" designed to help municipalities deal with the impending 2 percent cap on property tax collections.
On Tuesday, Sweeney and Oliver announced a compromise on arbitration reform, a crucial piece of the tool kit. But Christie immediately shot it down, calling the plan "watered down" and threatening to veto "fake reform."
On Wednesday, the governor’s office said Democrats should be able to handle jobs and took kits.
"Addressing job creation and passing the tool kit are not mutually exclusive, and a little multi-tasking by the legislature at this late stage would go a long way toward helping New Jersey taxpayers and our state’s economy." Christie spokesman Michael Drewniak said in an e-mail.
Oliver said she’s still optimistic there will be cooperation on the jobs proposals. "I anticipate broad, bipartisan support," sher said.
But while Senate Republicans had no disparaging words for the proposal, Assembly Republicans were quick to criticize it.
"Today’s proposal is more rhetoric that we’ve heard over and over," Assembly Republican Leader Alex DeCroce (R-Morris) said. "The repackaged job creation initiative outlined today is another attempt to divert attention away from the fact that the Democrat majority has done virtually nothing on advancing key property tax reform legislation."
Oliver said her outlook on the job creation plan will not be affected by Tuesday’s tool kit disputes, including one with Christie over whether or not she had sought a meeting to talk about the plan.
"I’m here to talk about jobs," Oliver said, "not the next episode of the Jerry Springer show at the Statehouse."
Previous coverage:
• N.J. Republicans push GOP-backed proposals in response to Democrats' job package
• N.J. Democrats announce package to spark job creation, train unemployed
• N.J. Democrats, Gov. Christie spar over tool kit compromise
• N.J. Democrats to offer compromise on Christie's proposed arbitration reform
• N.J. Democrats to offer compromise on Christie's proposed arbitration reform
• Municipal officials accuse N.J. lawmakers of stalling on passing key 'tool kit' measures'