Gov. Phil Murphy is trying to entice Democratic lawmakers to approve his plan to raise rates on millionaires by pledging to spend an additional $250 million on property tax relief. 

At a town-hall-style meeting in Ewing on Monday night, Murphy announced that the state has seen "somewhat more revenue" than anticipated, "which is a pleasant surprise." He did not offer any specifics but made a promise to lawmakers who have so far resisted his plan to raise taxes. 

The clock is ticking down and the legislature’s July 1 deadline to approve a new state budget is approaching.

With Gov. Phil Murphy and Democratic legislative leaders still far from an agreement on a spending plan, Murphy is now offering property tax relief in exchange for support for his push to raise tax rates on millionaires, according to a report by The Record. The governor has also offered to put an additional $250 million in the budget for property tax relief, saying he thought the measure would “sweeten the pot” on the millionaires’ tax.

After coming up just a couple of votes short a month ago, the New Jersey Legislature is now on the verge of regulating the cannabis market in the Garden State. Now is the time for the majority of New Jerseyans who support legalization to contact their legislators and urge them to vote “yes” on Senate Bill 2703 and Assembly Bill 4497.

SAN FRANCISCO — David Dancer is a 48-year-old marketing executive who has worked for big brands like Charles Schwab and Teleflora. A year ago, he got a call from a recruiter for a different kind of company: MedMen, a cannabis retailer that has been called “the Apple Store of weed.” The opening was for a chief marketing officer. He took it.

Governor Murphy and Senate President Sweeney Visit West Deptford School District to Discuss Benefits of Pre-K Funding in State Budget

Governor’s FY2020 Budget Includes an Additional $68 Million for Preschool Programs

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WEST DEPTFORD – Governor Phil Murphy, Senate President Steve Sweeney, and Department of Education Commissioner Lamont Repollet today visited pre-K classrooms at Oakview Elementary School in the West Deptford School District to discuss the benefits of expanding pre-K education. West Deptford has been underfunded since the School Funding Reform Act of 2008 was enacted, but the school funding agreement reached by Governor Murphy and the Legislature last year has increased funding in the district, giving West Deptford additional resources to provide a high-quality education for students in pre-K through grade 12.

New Jersey Republicans are united in their opposition to marijuana reform. According to a NJ.com article,  (“Here’s how your N.J. lawmaker is leaning on legalizing weed,”) of the 15 Senate Republicans, 14 of them plan to vote “No” on marijuana legalization, with one Undecided. In the Assembly, there is only one Republican who is willing to vote Yes. Why are the Republicans so opposed to marijuana reform?

Governor’s FY 2020 Budget Proposed Includes $15.4 Billion to Support K-12 Schools – A Record Level of State Education Aid Across Union County, 19 of 21 School Districts Will See Increases in State Aid

CRANFORD – Governor Phil Murphy today visited Cranford School District to spotlight how an additional $206 million in state K-12 aid in his proposed budget would continue moving New Jersey toward fully funding public education after years of inadequate funding from the prior administration.

WHO: Medical marijuana patients and advocates
WHAT: Protest to raise awareness to the need of home cultivation emergency relief
WHEN: Thursday, April 4, 2019 at 1:00 pm
WHERE: Gloucester County District Office 935 Kings Hwy #400, West Deptford, NJ 08086(We’ll be on the sidewalk facing the highway)
WHY: Failure to allow common sense, affordable home cultivation access to the Compassionate Use Medical Marijuana Act

With the withdrawal of the marijuana legalization vote in Trenton, advocates from the ACLU-NJ and allies redoubled their efforts to pass a marijuana legalization bill that places racial and social justice at the fore.

“With each day without legalization, we grow more committed to ending prohibition. We will get it done,” said ACLU-NJ Executive Director Amol Sinha. “As legalization comes closer within reach, every stride forward in the Legislature only demonstrates the urgency of ending the harms of prohibition now. We will stand even stronger, knowing that the lives of 30,000 people arrested each year for marijuana possession hang in the balance.”

Jersey City, New Jersey March 25th, 2019 – I started a petition to help Legalize Marijuana in NJ. It has already surpassed 100 signatures. I am a 20+ year resident of NJ, a college graduate, and a contributing citizen of our society.

Recreational marijuana legislation, medical marijuana reform, and expungement legislation was up for a vote today in the Senate and Assembly. However, the vote was cancelled due to not having enough votes in the senate.

TRENTON – Mayors and elected officials from across New Jersey today lauded Governor Murphy’s plan to boost school funding in his proposed Fiscal Year 2020 budget. The Governor’s proposed budget would provide $15.4 billion to support schools, a record level for New Jersey education funding.
 

See below for reactions to Governor Murphy’s school funding announcement:

Democratic State Chairman John Currie was quick to support Gov. Phil Murphy’s proposed state budget.“

Governor Murphy’s budget provides critical investments, cost savings, and tax fairness that demonstrate his commitment to middle-class families, while also restoring fiscal responsibility,” Currie said.  “Under the Governor’s leadership, our state is on a path to stronger, fairer economy for everyone.”

Currie faces a stiff challenge later this year to retain his state party post against Essex County Democratic Chairman LeRoy Jones, Jr.

Democratic leaders in the state legislature are hopefully eyeing the budget handed to them by Gov. Phil Murphy.

“When we were briefed yesterday, we saw a different tone,” Assembly Budget Committee Chairwoman Eliana Pintor Marin said at a press conference following Murphy’s budget address. “We saw a tone of an extension of wanting to work together, of compromise, and I think what he presented to us is really him listening to what the legislature had to say from last year to this point.

”But while Murphy has succeeded in making a good first impression on his counterparts in the legislature, Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin, Senate President Steve Sweeney and others in Democratic leadership aren’t completely satisfied.

Statement of Milly Silva, Executive Vice President of 1199SEIU, on Gov. Phil Murphy’s FY2020 budget address:

“1199SEIU agrees with Governor Phil Murphy’s vision for a stronger and fairer New Jersey. As the largest union of healthcare workers, we uphold the principle that every person, young and old, is able to access the care they need to remain healthy. It is our collective responsibility to support the most vulnerable among us, and as the Governor pointedly observed, expanding and protecting access to healthcare is also a matter of racial and gender justice.

TRENTON, N.J. – Mayor Reed Gusciora on Tuesday expressed his support for Governor Phil Murphy’s proposed budget, calling it “a great step forward” for Trenton and praising his commitment to restore the Capital City Line Item.

“I’m excited about additional investments in crucial services such as education and transportation,” said Gusciora. “His commitment to invest more in schools and expand pre-K will help ensure access to quality public education for Trenton students. Additionally, Trenton is a transportation hub for the region, and investing more in NJ Transit means improving quality of life for our residents and those who work in our City.”

Better Choices for New Jersey Coalition Statement on Gov. Murphy’s Budget Address 

Trenton - In response to the Gov. Phil Murphy’s Budget Address, NJ Working Families interim director and Better Choices for New Jersey Coalition spokesperson Rob Duffey said:

“Governor Murphy just laid out a clear vision for getting New Jersey out from years of misguided trickle-down economics and reckless budget gimmicks. Tax cuts for wealthy heirs and heiresses, yacht owners, and big corporations have dinged New Jersey’s credit ratings, made a mess of its finances, and kept us from making smart investments to move this state forward. The governor’s proposal would be a big step towards restoring the public’s broken trust.

In response to Governor Murphy’s FY 2020 budget address, NJPP Senior Policy Analyst Sheila Reynertson commends the proposal for setting a foundation for shared prosperity and fiscal health. See below for NJPP’s full statement.

SHEILA REYNERTSON, SENIOR POLICY ANALYST, NJPP:

TRENTON, March 5 — New Jersey Future Executive Director Peter Kasabach released the following statement in response to Governor Murphy’s 2019 budget address:

“New Jersey Future is encouraged by the governor’s commitment in his budget address to investing in critical infrastructure upgrades, particularly NJ Transit. Reliable public transportation is vital to the success of our cities and to meet the increasing demand for housing near transit, but this is not the only type of infrastructure in need of investment. Our water infrastructure is in desperate need of repair and we hope to see funding for this in the next budget.”

New Jersey Democratic State Committee Chairman John Currie Statement on Gov. Murphy’s Budget Address

TRENTON, N.J. — On Tuesday, Governor Phil Murphy announced his Fiscal Year 2020 budget proposal, which includes investments to public schools, providing a path to a better NJ Transit for commuters and responsible investments to strengthen the middle class. New Jersey Democratic State Committee Chairman John Currie is releasing the following statement:

AFSCME New Jersey Executive Director Steve Tully on Governor Murphy’s Proposed Budget: 

Trenton, NJ – AFSCME New Jersey Council 63 supports the budget proposal that Governor Murphy unveiled today. The Governor’s proposal continues to move New Jersey in the right direction by making investments in public services like education, transportation, higher education, and health care, while continuing to meet the State’s pension obligations to public employees. We strongly support his plan to invest in crucial programs and create new revenue sources to help provide quality public services that the people of New Jersey rely on.

Highland Park — New Jersey Main Street Alliance released the following statement today in response toGovernor Phil Murphy’s Fiscal Year 2020 budget address.

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“This budget brings our corporate tax incentive programs back in line with reality and levels the playing field for small business owners who pay their fair share of taxes,” said Raj Bath, Business Representative for New Jersey Main Street Alliance. 

Murphy Budget Step in Right Direction, Legislature Needs to Better Support NJT, BPU, DEP

Fiscal Responsibility, Tax Fairness and the Environment Go Hand in Hand

Trenton, NJ — Clean Water Action’s NJ State Director, Amy Goldsmith, released the following statement in response to Governor Murphy’s proposed budget released this afternoon.

“Fiscal responsibility is a key component to environmental protection. Funding key environmental and public health safeguards has suffered over years of fiscal irresponsibility and it will take years to undo the damage done. Governor Murphy inherited this mess and his proposed budget is moving New Jersey in the right direction. This budget is demonstrably more fiscally responsible than years past – fewer one shots, over $1 billion in budget cuts, less diversion of dedicated funds and increased tax fairness.