TRENTON — Senate Democrats will attempt to override Gov. Chris Christie’s vetoes line by line, starting Monday. Democrats are putting up 39 of Christie’s cuts to their $30.6 billion budget, according to a Senate board list released this afternoon. They include restorations to a Newark center for sexually abused children, tuition aid grants and an AIDS drug distribution program....
TRENTON — Senate Democrats will attempt to override Gov. Chris Christie’s vetoes line by line, starting Monday.
Democrats are putting up 39 of Christie’s cuts to their $30.6 billion budget, according to a Senate board list released this afternoon. They include restorations to a Newark center for sexually abused children, tuition aid grants and an AIDS drug distribution program. The cuts went beyond Christie’s original budget proposal from February.
Democrats have 24 votes in the Senate but would need 27 votes to override — a goal they are unlikely to reach because Republicans are not expected to vote against Christie.
“They were elected to office to exercise their judgment,” Senate President Stephen Sweeney told The Star-Ledger’s editorial board today. “And if they are being told — and they have up to this point — that you will not vote for this, then why don’t you just resign? Why don’t you just leave?”
Republicans called the votes “scare tactics.”
“Not only are they playing election-year politics, they are doing so in a manner that misleads the public about specific programs, as well as the state's finances,” said state Sen. Joseph Kyrillos (R-Monmouth). “Democrats overstate the surplus while ignoring that education funding has gone up $850 million over last year, funding for the AIDS Drug Distribution Program has been protected at the same level as last year, and hospital funding has gone up by $20 million.”
Previous coverage:
• Senate President Sweeney, Democrats plan to override Gov. Christie's vetoes early next week
• Assembly Democrats plan hearings to examine Christie budget cuts
