TRENTON — The state Assembly debated into the early morning before passing Gov. Chris Christie's $29.4 million budget, dissecting it along party lines. "It is a Republican budget because it is responsible and a new beginning," Assembly Minority Leader Alex DeCroce (R-Morris) said before the lower house approved the spending plan in a 41-37 vote. That vote came at...
The Assembly begins their session at the Statehouse this afternoon.TRENTON — The state Assembly debated into the early morning before passing Gov. Chris Christie's $29.4 million budget, dissecting it along party lines.
"It is a Republican budget because it is responsible and a new beginning," Assembly Minority Leader Alex DeCroce (R-Morris) said before the lower house approved the spending plan in a 41-37 vote.
That vote came at 1:13 a.m., after nearly three hours of debate. The Senate passed the budget Monday night. It now goes to the governor for his signature.
“I am proud that after working with the Legislature we were able to fulfill our commitment to New Jerseyans not to raise taxes, while still closing an unprecedented $11 billion budget gap and protecting our most vulnerable citizens," Christie said in a statement at 1:20 a.m. "As difficult as this process was, we are not done – not by a long shot. Without more excuses or further delay, we must move to lock in real, lasting reforms, including a constitutional cap on property taxes without loopholes or exceptions. New Jersey is tired of half measures and empty promises. Now is the time to finish the work we started and give the people a vote in controlling their property taxes."
During the Assembly debate, DeCroce said Democrats had "brought New Jersey to its knees" in the past eight years.
"It's true there are going to be people who feel pain in this budget -- seniors, homeowners," he said. "We tried to warn you, but nobody paid attention. We tried to work with you, but we weren't allowed to do that."
Assemblywoman Caroline Casagrande (R-Monmouth) said the bill is "clearly written by adults making adult choices."
But on the Democratic side, Assemblyman Charles Mainor of Hudson County noted cuts to the school lunch program, which subsidizes meals for lower-income children.
"It's a crying shame when we have to balance the budget by taking food from our children's mouths," Mainor said.
Assemblyman Albert Coutinho (D-Essex County) said he had reservations, but he would be voting for the budget. He then said he had a message for Christie and evoked the imagery the governor used when he introduced the budget in March.
"I am jumping off the cliff," Coutinho said, "and I am asking that he come with me."
In a deal reached last week, Democrats -- who hold majorities in the Assembly and Senate -- had vowed to supply only the minimum number of votes needed for the budget to pass in both houses. Those slimmest of margins required four votes in the Senate and eight in the Assembly.
The eight votes came from Coutinho, Assembly Speaker Sheila Oliver (D-Essex), Assembly Majority Leader Joe Cryan (D-Union), and members Matt Milam (D-Cumberland), Nelson Albano (D-Cumberland), Upendra Chivukula (D-Middlesex), Caridad Rodriguez (D-Hudson) and Ruben Ramos (D-Hudson).
In addition to the budget, the Assembly approved a number of bills in a session that began Monday evening. That legislation included voting 41-37 to raise the fee for taking a test for a civil service job from $15 to $25. Before the vote, Democrats spent nearly an hour grilling the sponsor, Assemblyman Joseph Malone (R-Burlington), about the fairness of charging potentially unemployed people more money to look for a job.
Malone said the increase would generate $360,000 in new revenue.
Assemblywoman Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-Mercer) criticized the proposal for "generating so little income that creates such a burden" on the test-taker.
On Monday night, the budget passed 21-19 in the Senate with Sens. Teresa Ruiz (D-Essex), Brian Stack (D-Hudson), Sandra Cunningham (D-Hudson) and Jeff Van Drew (D-Cape May) voting for it, along with 17 Republicans.
With all of the Legislature's Republicans needed to pass the GOP governor's budget, there was some drama over the weekend when two party members, Assemblywoman Alison Littel McHose (R-Sussex) and Sen. Michael Doherty (R-Warren), wavered.
Freshman member Doherty on Monday said he was appeased when the governor agreed to drop a proposal to raise $5 million by increasing incorporation fees on businesses. Democrats were incredulous that the governor was "suddenly" able to find more than $4 million unused money in employee benefit accounts.
No one said the pain-laden budget was a work of beauty, but commentary during the Senate debate primarily split along party lines as one senator called it "truth" and another said it's a compilation of "the wrong choices."
"I've heard what this budget isn't, but let's talk about what it is," said Sen. Kevin O'Toole (R-Essex). "For the first time in a very, very long time, it's truth. We are on the front page of Time magazine. The world is watching us."
But Senate Majority Leader Barbara Buono (D-Middlesex) lamented items that were scratched, including cuts to school aid.
"The governor's got the right idea when it comes to cutting," Buono said. "He just made the wrong choices."
Another senator compared the Statehouse slashing to a horror movie.
"You've all heard of 'Nightmare on Elm Street,'" said Sen. Shirley Turner (D-Mercer). "Well, this budget is 'Nightmare on State Street.'"
Turner noted layoffs loom and said nothing has been set aside for the endangered state workers pension fund. Evoking Christie's mantra of "shared sacrifice," she added, "it's not shared sacrifice when people who are making the least are paying the most."
By state law, the fiscal year 2011 budget must be in place by Thursday. Democrats have derided the spending plan as unfair because of its cuts to programs for seniors, the poor and disabled, but most Republicans have praised it as tough but necessary to close a $10.7 billion deficit. It cuts $848 million in property tax rebates for seniors and the disabled, $820 million in school aid and almost $450 million in municipal aid.
On Monday, the Senate also passed a 2.9 percent cap on property tax growth. That cap is a Democratic alternative to Christie's proposed 2.5 percent constitutional cap, but with exceptions for pension, health care and utility costs.
Unlike most years, when budget day means the end of lawmaking for the summer, legislative leaders say there will be more action in Trenton during the hot months.
While they haven't set schedules yet, Senate President Stephen Sweeney (D-Gloucester) and Oliver (D-Essex) said legislative committees will start meeting again either later this week or next week.Both houses plan hearings on Christie's 33-bill "tool kit" package to reform civil service and collective bargaining.
Another big initiative to abolish the state Council on Affordable Housing, which has passed the Senate, will not advance in the Assembly this summer, Oliver said.
"It will not get a vote in committee ... but we hope to get it to a point where we can vote on it in the fall," she said.
By Peggy Ackermann and Matt Friedman/Statehouse Bureau
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