N.J. legislators scramble to ensure budget deal support

Lawmakers hit snags when two conservative Assembly members threaten to withhold votes without changes

TRENTON — A state budget deal didn’t stop the dealmaking here Wednesday.

Two days after Republican Gov. Chris Christie and Democrats who run the Legislature announced an agreement, the state Senate’s budget committee Wednesday night approved the bill for the $29.4 billion spending plan, moving it along to the full house.

But the vote, taken just before 8 p.m., followed a fitful day for the panel as lawmakers considered the budget and a series of related bills. Senators scuttled in an out as leaders tried to make sure both parties could provide enough votes to hold it all together.

Meanwhile, Assembly Republicans had to contend with the defection of two members.

"I guess deals are not set in stone," said Sen. Paul Sarlo (D-Bergen), chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, referring to a change agreed to Wednesday that made veterans exempt from an increase in civil service fees.

In back rooms and in stairwells, senators brought up concerns with a number of the bills necessary to implement Christie’s first budget. Several senators became visibly frustrated, using expletives in side conversations, demanding answers and votes.

Legislative committees are scheduled to work through the week to approve the budget and set up final floor votes on Monday. The budget would take effect July 1 and slices a revenue shortfall by cutting spending on schools, cities and hundreds of programs and departments across the state.

The terms of the deal were that all Republicans would vote for the budget, while Democrats provided the minimum votes needed to avoid a government shutdown. But there were snags Wednesday as lawmakers considered related bills that would, among other things, raise taxes on hospitals, hike some fees on businesses and sweep several watchdog agencies into one.

Two of the Assembly’s conservative members threatened to withhold their votes without drastic changes to the budget.

Assemblyman Michael Patrick Carroll (R-Morris) and Assemblywoman Alison Littell McHose (R-Sussex) both pressed for changes in how school funding and aid cuts are distributed.

Carroll said he won’t vote for the budget without across-the-board, 7 percent to 8 percent cuts of school aid, rather than the current cut of up to 5 percent of each district’s budget, which completely eliminates funding from some districts.

"I suppose if the governor or any of his staff thought there was something that would address my concern, they would have called me already," Carroll said. "My guess is they consider me a lost cause."

McHose was not as adamant, saying she would introduce an amendment to cut $613 million from public pre-school to pay for cuts in suburban districts.

"If it passes, I would be thrilled to vote for the budget. If it fails, I will be looking at what I’m faced with in terms of the document," she said. "I want to keep my options open."

Assembly Majority Leader Joseph Cryan (D-Union) would not say whether Democrats would add votes if Republicans pull out. "We’ll be providing eight votes, and we expect the governor can deliver the members of his party," Cryan said.

Christie said in a radio interview last night he believed the budget would pass both houses of the Legislature Monday with full GOP support.

"I believe that all Republicans will be voting for this budget," he said. "This is going to get done."

By Lisa Fleisher and Matt Friedman/Statehouse Bureau

Claire Heininger contributed to this report.