TRENTON — State Senate lawmakers plan to hold a hearing Wednesday on the 2011 state budget, two days after a deal was reached Monday on Gov. Chris Christie's $29.4 billion budget. Christie's budget remained largely unchanged, including $820 million in cuts to local school districts and $848 million in reduced property tax rebates. About $180.7 million in changes —...
View from above the Senate chamber dais in this January 2010 file photo.TRENTON — State Senate lawmakers plan to hold a hearing Wednesday on the 2011 state budget, two days after a deal was reached Monday on Gov. Chris Christie's $29.4 billion budget.
Christie's budget remained largely unchanged, including $820 million in cuts to local school districts and $848 million in reduced property tax rebates. About $180.7 million in changes — less than one percent of the total budget — were agreed to on Monday, including restorations of Bergen County's "blue laws," which close retail stores on Sundays, and funding for programs for the blind, disabled and elderly.
The Senate committee will also consider a proposal to dissolve the tiny Bergen County town of Teterboro and a bill that would delay a medical marijuana program, the Senate Democrats announced today.
A proposal from Senate President Stephen Sweeney (D-Gloucester) to cap property taxes at 2.9 percent will also come up. With his proposal, Sweeney, the Legislature's most powerful Democrat, is challenging Christie's push for a 2.5 percent constitutional cap on property tax increases. The text of the proposed bills were not immediately available.
The committee will meet on Wednesday at 10 a.m. The Assembly had not immediately announced corresponding plans to meet. Both houses must pass the budget, and Christie must sign it, by the July 1 deadline.
Previous Coverage:
• N.J.'s $29.4B budget compromise softens cuts to poor, disabled, students
• N.J. budget compromise is reached between Gov. Chris Christie, lawmakers
• Christie's cabinet is ordered to prepare for state shutdown in case of budget standstill
• N.J. Republicans request $10.5M in budget toward healthcare for homebound adults
• N.J. legislators negotiate budget cuts as July 1 deadline approaches
• Complete coverage of the 2010 New Jersey State Budget
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