The man who was once supposed to solve New Jersey’s state Transportation Trust Fund (TTF) crisis just ate a complaint by the U.S. Attorney’s Office as the state’s TTF fund decays, with a deal only now apparently in the offing. Max Pizarro, PolitickerNJRead more
Democrats in the political world gasped at the news earlier today that the U.S. Attorney’s Office had charged alleged go-between Jamie Fox in connection with David Samson’s United Airlines debacle. Max Pizarro, PolitickerNJ Read more
A retooled income-tax withholding policy for lottery jackpots just went into effect at the beginning of the month in New Jersey that should help the state collect more money upfront from those winning big payouts. John Reitmeyer, NJSpotlight Read more
Fill ‘er up – for now. The Senate isn’t expected to take any action on either of the proposed bills that would raise the state’s gasoline tax by 23 cents overnight. If legislators passed and Christie signed a gasoline tax bill on Thursday, gasoline that costs $2.06 per gallon would have cost $2.29 per gallon on Friday morning. Mike Davis, Asbury Park Press Read more
By Brent Johnson | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
on June 30, 2016 at 7:00 AM, updated June 30, 2016 at 7:27 AM
TRENTON — Four days after a marathon session that didn’t end until after midnight, the state Legislature on Thursday could be in for another crazy day.
Here is a look at what state lawmakers may — and may not — tackle:
1. The gas tax/sales tax deal could be finalized. Or not at all.
Gov. Chris Christie and the state Assembly orchestrated a surprise deal Monday: one that would raise New Jersey’s gas tax 23 cents a gallon to replenish the state Transportation Trust Fund that pays for road projects in exchange for cutting the state’s sales tax by 1 penny by 2018. The Assembly passed the proposal just after 1 a.m.
But even though the fund expires Friday, Democratic leaders in the state Senate say they are not on board with the plan. Some Republicans have also expressed reservations.
The constitutional amendment requiring quarterly pension payments to public employees (ACR109) was passed by the New Jersey Assembly on Monday. Alyana Alfaro, PolitickerNJ Read more
The Senate this afternoon voted in favor of the reappointment of Paul Escandon of Monmouth to a superior court judgeship, over the objections of state Senator Gerald Cardinale (R-39) of Bergen County. Max Pizarro, PolitickerNJ Read more
“Go west, young man,” were those inimitable words attributed to Horace Greeley unheeded in the Garden State by generations of swampland denizens content to dig in by the docks. Max Pizarro, PolitickerNJ Read more https://politickernj.com/2016/
Lawmakers in Trenton have begun hashing out the details of a plan to raise $2 billion a year for construction projects on New Jersey’s crumbling highways, bridges and rail lines by increasing the gas tax for the first time in 28 years. Christopher Maag, The Record Read more
A Wall Street credit ratings agency has warned that Atlantic City’s financial problems are unlikely to be solved by rescue legislation signed by Gov. Chris Christie earlier this month. Brent Johnson, NJ.com Read more
After a bill to constitutionally mandate that the state make quarterly public pension payments advanced in committee Monday, Republican lawmakers and business groups are calling for the legislature to reject the plan in favor of cuts and reform. The bill, which cleared the Assembly Judiciary committee today, would require half-payments toward the state’s $83 billion pension shortfall starting in 2017, then full payments in 2021. JT Aregood, PolitickerNJ Read more
Atlantic City breathed a sigh of relief last month when Governor Christie signed a badly needed and long-delayed financial rescue package for the resort town. Salvador Rizzo, The Record Read more
New Jersey beats only Massachusetts, Connecticut and a hurting Puerto Rico in a new state-by-state comparison of fiscal solvency by the Mercatus Center at George Mason University. Samantha Marcus, NJ.com Read more
The clock is ticking on city officials, who have five months to draft a five-year plan that includes a 2017 balanced budget or else face a state takeover. Christian Hetrick, Press of Atlantic City Read more
Gov. Chris Christie sought to put an end to the raging culinary debate over whether what to call the Garden State’s beloved breakfast sandwich. Claude Brodesser-Akner, NJ.com Read more
