The notoriously opaque budget process that seemingly plays out annually in Trenton is once again moving forward amid heavy criticism for a lack of transparency. Senate and Assembly budget committees voted to advance the spending bill in a session that started Wednesday evening and lasted into early Thursday morning. The bill would set a record-setting $54.3 billion budget for the state, but the bill’s text wasn’t even available for review until just before the votes were held.
“Has your side of the aisle seen a full budget document at this point in time, because my caucus hasn’t seen a full budget document. We’ve only seen score sheets which we were told may not be 100% accurate at this point in time,” said Sen. Mike Testa (R-Cumberland).
Lawmakers must pass the bill and have it signed into law by Gov. Phil Murphy before July 1, or the state government may briefly shutdown.
