TRENTON — The chairman of the state senate budget committee postponed a presentation by the state treasurer after he and another lawmaker left for a redistricting meeting. The abrupt postponement sparked a brief but heated argument between Budget Committee Chairman Paul Sarlo, (D-Bergen), and state Sen. Anthony Bucco, (R-Morris). “This is ridiculous,” Bucco told Sarlo just minutes after the...
TRENTON — The chairman of the state senate budget committee postponed a presentation by the state treasurer after he and another lawmaker left for a redistricting meeting.
The abrupt postponement sparked a brief but heated argument between Budget Committee Chairman Paul Sarlo, (D-Bergen), and state Sen. Anthony Bucco, (R-Morris).
“This is ridiculous,” Bucco told Sarlo just minutes after the hearing was postponed. “There is something wrong with this type of politics.”
Sarlo was talking to a small group of reporters when he was confronted by Bucco, who was not present when Sarlo postponed the hearing.
Sarlo told Bucco that he “wasn’t going to fight in front of the press.” He then reminded him that he had the authority to postpone the hearing because he was the chair of the committee.
The argument lasted less than one minute and ended when Sarlo and an aide left the room.
Sarlo and Sen. Kevin O’Toole, (R-Morris) had tried to get State Treasurer Andrew P. Sidamon-Eristoff to present the governor’s spending plan at 11 a.m., two hours prior to his scheduled 1 p.m. appearance.
The hearing was postponed at about noon.
Every year, the state treasurer kicks off the legislative portion of the budget season by appearing before the senate budget committee. Sidamon-Eristoff is scheduled to appear before the assembly budget committee tomorrow.
Sarlo and O'Toole serve on the state redistricting committee that is nearly finished with redrawing legislative districts
