Correction/Update: It’s splitting hairs in terms of the final result, Save Jerseyans, but the Planned Parenthood and “undocumented”/illegal immigrant legal assistance funds referenced below were added the state’s FY 2020 spending at the last minute, via supplemental bills, instead of in the budget proper. So New Jersey is spending even more (on those items) than the actual budget legislation reflects. We wanted to make sure you understood how it procedurally went down. Our original post has been updated accordingly.
–
TRENTON, N.J. – As expected, Governor Phil Murphy signed a record-setting FY 2020 budget on Sunday, line-item vetoing $48.5 million in spending (impounding many millions more, too, with little offered in the way of firm details) and avoiding a state government shutdown but authorizing $38.7 billion overall. That’s up from the $37.4 billion New Jersey spent over the course of fiscal year 2019.
–
Murphy gave up (for now) on his fight for a millionaire’s tax increase. The Governor nevertheless doubled-down on his class warfare rhetoric, declaring that he remains “on the side of putting New Jersey’s families ahead of the wealthy, ahead of privileged insiders, and ahead of powerful special interests.”
Still, many questioned whether there was anything to celebrate as the state further solidified its reputation as a worst-in-the-country fiscal basket case incapable of bringing spending under control.
“This budget still increases state spending by $4 billion over two years,” said Jon Bramnick (R-Union), the Republican Assembly Minority Leader. “How many people have received an almost 12 percent increase over the last two years? These spending increases are driving our residents to low tax states. Real reform is needed; and Republicans are ready to pass those reforms that would bring spending down.”
Far-left priorities continue to benefit from Trenton’s generosity with taxpayers’ money.
The entire GOP Assembly caucus voted against the budget; after the procedural dust settled and supplemental bills were approved (click here to find the score sheet), New Jersey’s FY 2020 spending includes $1 million more for illegal aliens legal aid (up to $3.1 million) and $3 million more Planned Parenthood, bringing the abortion giant’s total state subsidy to $10,453,000. A select group of Democrat urban school districts also continued to receive vast sums of state aid at the expense of suburban and rural districts.
“We all know that the Murphy administration does not have its priorities straight,” said Hal Wirths, a Republican member of the Assembly Appropriations Committee and former Christie Administration official. “Our towns are going to see property taxes increase as a result of this budget and the cuts to school aid while taxpayer dollars are being funneled to groups to help illegal immigrants who are already receiving preferential treatment. Time and time again, our taxpayers have been asked to pay more out of their own pockets to fund Governor Murphy’s liberal agenda.”
–
