SOUTH JERSEY (KYW Newsradio) — New Jersey’s budget deadline is Monday, and Democrats in Trenton aren’t releasing final details until 8 p.m. Friday at committee hearings, despite a deal being worked out earlier this week.
Republican Sen. Michael Testa is on the budget committee and said millions, perhaps billions, in spending are being kept a secret until the last minute, and it doesn’t have to be this way.
“Sunlight is nature’s greatest disinfectant. We should be able to have a light shown on the budget for a couple of weeks prior to voting for it,” he said. “This way, not only the legislature but the public can have time to analyze it to see what, in fact, is happening in their state.”
Democratic budget Committee Chair Sen. Paul Sarlo said people will have the whole weekend to take a look at it.
Gov. Phil Murphy initially proposed a $58 billion budget that raises taxes on online gambling and home sales over $1 million.
Testa said he’s hearing the final draft will be closer to $60 billion, and nobody outside of the Democratic inner circle in Trenton knows what’s included.