TRENTON (KYW Newsradio) — New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy delivered his final State of the State address in Trenton on Tuesday, saying he delivered on promises to make New Jersey “stronger and fairer.”
“We were who we said we would be and we did what we said we would do,” Murphy told New Jerseyans. He said he set out to fix the state’s finances and provide more opportunities for families to thrive.
While Murphy said he didn’t achieve every goal he set for himself and the state, he is proud of what his administration was able to accomplish, citing credit rating upgrades, lower crime, and historic investments in industry of the future.
“The way I see it, the steps we have taken to supercharge our state’s innovation economy will be our salvation,” said the governor.
He also mentioned the state making a run at Hollywood, with several film production studios opening in New Jersey, including facilities from Netflix, Lionsgate and Paramount.
Speaking about the coronavirus pandemic, Murphy called it the challenge of a lifetime and admitted he still mourns the 35,000 residents who died.
“Though the pandemic may thankfully be behind us, the memory of the New Jerseyans we lost will live on forever,” he said.
Finally, Murphy urged Governor elect Mikie Sherrill and the legislature to continue investing in the priorities that make New Jersey great.
“To my colleagues on my left, I say this: fiscal responsibility is not an option, it’s an obligation,” he said, “and to my colleagues on the right, I say this: fiscal responsibility also means paying up where it counts. Some things, it turns out, are worth paying for.”