Gov. Chris Christie will give his annual state budget address Tuesday to unveil a $30 billion spending plan. NJToday’s Managing Editor Mike Schneider sat down with Chief Political Correspondent Michael Aron for a preview of the governor’s budget message.
According to Aron, the speech marks the the beginning of a 4 month battle that will culminate in June with a budget resolution.
This year’s budget battle is not expected to be as contentious as the previous two years, but Aron says there is still plenty of issues to fight over — the biggest one being Christie’s income tax cut proposal.
It’s a fight that is symbolically important for Democrats down the road and for the next gubernatorial election, says Aron. Three members from the state senate are projected to be possible gubernatorial nominees — Steve Sweeney, Dick Codey and Barbara Buono.
“It’s hard to imagine that they’re just going to give the governor another laurel wreath in the form of a tax cut when one of them is going to be the nominee against him in the following year,” said Aron.
And the Democrats, whatever their differences, seems to be united on this front.
“However much they may dislike one other, and it’s hard to know who dislikes who more,” said Aron, “they do have to work together if they are going to block a governor’s budget proposal or I should say reshape it.”
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