Gov. Chris Christie is expected to sign N.J. budget into law after legislature passes plan

After marathon session, Democrat-controlled Assembly passes governor's $29.4B plan that eliminates property tax rebates and enacts large cuts state aid to schools, services

Tim Farrell/The Star-LedgerAssemblyman John Amodeo (R-Atlantic) votes yes on a bill. The N.J. Senate and Assembly considered the budget during a marathon session in Trenton from Monday into early Tuesday morning.

TRENTON — Gov. Chris Christie is expected to sign his first budget into law this afternoon, as he continues the final push for a sweeping property tax overhaul.

The Democrat-controlled Legislature passed the Republican governor's $29.4 billion spending plan early this morning, following a long and arduous night of debate at the Statehouse. Christie has scheduled a signing ceremony in South River for 1 p.m., about 12 hours after the Assembly approved his plan.

"This budget deals responsibly with the fiscal nightmare we inherited and makes the tough and necessary choices to restore fiscal sanity to our state and begin fundamental reform," Christie said in a prepared statement released just after the Assembly's 1:13 a.m. vote. .

The budget cleared both houses with bare majorities under a deal in which the Democrats provided just enough votes for the Republican-sponsored measure to pass.

"Whether it's Republican or Democrat, these are not votes that any of us really like," Senate President Stephen Sweeney (D-Gloucester) said. "We did some good things to change the governor's budget, but no one's going to run around and say, 'It's a great bill, it's a great budget,' because it hurts a lot of people."

Sweeney said he expects Christie to summon the Legislature back to Trenton later this week for a special session on the governor's proposed 2.5 percent constitutional limit on annual property tax increases, and 33 related measures.
"I presume he’s going to call us in every day until the 7th," Sweeney said after a brief visit with Christie in the governor’s private office. Christie faces a July 7 deadline for his plan to pass out of committees to advance to a full vote and then the November ballot.

"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," Christie said in his statement.

Sweeney, author of the Democrats’ competing proposal limiting annual increases to 2.9 percent, vowed he would not let the governor dictate the special session agenda. The governor can take the rare step of ordering lawmakers into session — as then-Gov. Jon Corzine did in 2006 during the government shutdown — but cannot force them to vote on a measure.

Assembly Majority Leader Joseph Cryan (D-Union) called the special session an example of Christie's "arrogance" and said he doesn't expect it to be productive. The Assembly on Monday assigned specific pieces of Christie's 33-bill "toolkit" for local governments to be studied, but not passed, over the summer.

"It might be a mistake for him, because it will highlight the faults of this budget and his inability to listen," Cryan said. "I hope we all bring back seniors who didn't get their rebates. I hope we bring back students who have lost their teachers."

Christie's budget rejected major tax increases and cut 2.2 percent of state spending — or 8.6 percent including federal funds — from Corzine’s final budget. It marked a big milestone for the rookie governor, who campaigned on a platform of cutting spending and shrinking state government after a decade of Democratic control.
The budget cuts hit programs big and small, from the state’s largest expense — $10.3 billion in local school aid — to items such as the $7.5 million anti-smoking program, which will get nothing. Economic development grants have been curtailed, the Public Advocate Office was disassembled and the State Police will go without a new recruit class for another year.

Christie sliced $848 million from property tax rebates — which he said he’d cut as a last resort — and eliminated rebates for renters, while shirking a $3.1 billion pension-fund payment, ensuring next year’s required payment will be even bigger.

Sen. Kevin O'Toole (R-Essex) said the "world is watching" as New Jersey tackles its budget crisis.

"I've heard what this budget isn't, but let's talk about what it is," O'Toole said. "For the first time in a very, very long time, it's truth."

By Claire Heininger and Lisa Fleisher/Statehouse Bureau

Josh Margolin and Matt Friedman contributed to this report.

Related coverage:

• N.J. GOP Assemblyman remains undecided about Gov. Chris Christie's proposed budget

• N.J. Assembly Democrats to analyze Gov. Chris Christie's 2.5 percent tax cap, 33-bill 'toolkit'

• Last minute N.J. budget change scraps filing fee increase for businesses

• N.J. Legislature is set to vote on $29.4B budget proposed by Gov. Chris Christie

• N.J. Gov. Chris Christie's budget follows five administrations of increased spending