State budget talks continue as deadline draws near

<p>New Jersey&rsquo;s lawmakers have just over a week to come to an agreement on how to fund the state government or risk the possibility of a shutdown.</p>

News 12 Staff

Jun 23, 2018, 12:52 AM

Updated 2,128 days ago

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New Jersey’s lawmakers have just over a week to come to an agreement on how to fund the state government or risk the possibility of a shutdown.
But lawmakers say that talks between Gov. Phil Murphy, Senate President Steve Sweeney and Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin continue to break down.
The Legislature passed a $36.6 billion budget on Thursday, despite Murphy’s promise to veto the plan. The governor says that he wants to see the budget include a tax on millionaires.
But Sweeney says that he would like to put more of the burden on corporations, which he says have gotten relief from the Trump administration’s federal tax overhaul.
Sweeney says that it is Murphy’s turn to compromise.
“The budget itself is 98 percent of what he asked for. We just disagree on how to fund it. He wants to tax the people of New Jersey. We don't,” Sweeney told News 12 New Jersey’s Eric Landskroner.
Sweeney went on to say that what the Murphy administration is doing is like what the Christie administration did during Bridgegate.
The governor also spoke of former Gov. Chris Christie when addressing the budget stall. Murphy said Thursday that he's "disappointed" that deal-making that occurred under his predecessor "hasn't been rung from the system."
Lawmakers have until June 30 to pass a budget.


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