NEW JERSEY (KYW Newsradio) — Lawmakers in Trenton passed Friday a $54.3 billion budget for the next fiscal year.
It’s the biggest budget in state history, and Senate Budget Chair Paul Sarlo said it makes historic investments in every corner of the state.
“In law enforcement, infrastructure, hospitals and health care, open space, parks and recreation, local school districts, property tax relief.”
Republican Michael Testa says they had to vote on a bill that he didn’t even see Wednesday night, as hundreds of line items were added in “secret deals.”
“None of these projects, not a single one, was ever explained during the budget process by the governor who proposed them,” Testa explained. “He refused to identify who asked for the money or to share requests for that money when they were OPRA’d.”
He says Democrats added a billion dollars to the governor’s initial proposal and didn’t explain a penny of it.
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“The 9.3 million New Jerseyans deserve transparency and accountability. Rushing through a $54.3 billion budget in the final hour, without having the actual budget document, is not the way this should be done.”
Sarlo acknowledged the chaotic process and said both the Senate and Assembly should look into changes to prevent a mad scramble at the last minute in future years.
He added that the budget not only spends wisely but also maintains the state's $10 billion surplus.
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