Assembly Republican Leader Jon Bramnick (R-Union) theoretically doesn’t have the votes to avert a budget crisis, Save Jerseyans.
Or does he? Bramnick could join with the South Jersey Machine-affiliated bloc of Democrats and topple Speaker Vincent Prieto, the sole force preventing a Horizon vote contingency arbitrarily attached to the FY 2018 budget’s passage.
For now, the long-time Christie ally is throwing stones at the dysfunctional Democrat caucus.
Bramnick wants a new state law to fine lawmakers $250 a day, indefinitely, for every day after the June 30th budget deadline that they fail to pass a budget.
“When there is no budget and no compromise, lawmakers should pay a penalty,” said Bramnick in a statement obtained by Save Jersey. “When residents are penalized by a government shutdown, legislators should also be penalized for failing to agree on how to meet the financial obligations of the state.”
The Leader said he’d start drafting the legislation today. He’ll likely have the time to do it since, according to our sources in the State House, lawmakers didn’t appear close to a deal as of mid-morning Saturday.
___
