Too much spending in Murphy’s budget plan, GOP leader says

Interview: Sen. Declan O'Scanlon (R-Monmouth)

Briana Vannozzi, Anchor | February 25, 2025 | Budget

The Republican Party is once again sounding the alarm on a record-setting budget proposed by Gov. Phil Murphy, who delivered his final budget address on Tuesday.

Murphy unveiled a $58 billion spending plan. In his budget address, the governor touted strategic initiatives to strengthen the economic security of New Jerseyans, including $28.5 billion in direct and indirect property-tax relief, an additional $386 million in aid to fully fund public schools at $12 billion, and nearly $815 million to support New Jersey Transit through the corporate transit fee.

Shortly after the governor’s budget address, Republican Budget Officer Sen. Declan O’Scanlon (R-Monmouth), in an interview with NJ Spotlight News, said, “I could find a billion dollars in this budget that we could cut … and it’s not hard to do.”

He added that he fully backs the funding of NJ Transit, but said, “There’s billions of dollars that shouldn’t be happening at a time where we have a structural deficit like this.”

WATCH 7:09