Hard Words for Murphy from Coughlin, as Legislature Prepares for Budget Vote

As the NJ Legislature now awaits Governor Phil Murphy’s actions on the 2020 budget, a veteran statehouse source admitted to being confused about front office gamesmanship. The source also predicts the state government will shut down for a day or two.

Once viewed as that mild-mannered, potentially pliable recourse for Governor Phil Murphy, Speaker Craig Coughlin (D-19) had some tough words for the Governor today as the Legislature prepares to move forward tomorrow with a budget vote in defiance of Murphy’s budget.

“Campaigning is easy. Governing is hard,” Coughlin said in a statement to NJ Advance Media. “That’s why it would be better for the governor to actually get in the room and meet face to face to be productive.”

Two sources – one from the Senate side and one from the Assembly – reported zero movement toward a budget compromise as the business day ended.

“Nothing. No conversation, to repeat the speaker, the governor is campaigning, not governing,” one source said.

Asked if there was any movement among the parties, the second source added, “Pressing forward with passing our budget.”

Murphy all week reiterated his plans to veto the Legislature’s budget when they set it on his desk. Today, while continuing to acknowledge the corporate tax – which in Sweeney’s plan contains a sunset provision – as a less than preferable option, he said he is open to any conversation that prioritizes recurring revenues.

 

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3 responses to “Hard Words for Murphy from Coughlin, as Legislature Prepares for Budget Vote”

  1. Does Murphy have any friends in the Senate or Assembly? He’s quickly turning into New Jersey’s version of Donald Trump.

    • I don’t care much about our governor having “friends” in the Legislature. I just hope he can smilingly convince his Democrat “friends” to support his democratic notion of our state’s millionaire friends, finally paying their fair share of our tax burden – permanently!

  2. We value friendship in our society. But in government, I value elected officials making good on then stances they held during elections! And In the case or Gov. Murphy – who EASILY won MY vote- he vowed to FINALLY work at a much fairer tax system – a system in which our state’s millionaires will pay their fair share of our tax burden. Gov. Murphy making good on this fair, democratic vow, would be MUCH nicer than him just playing nice with his Democratic “allies,” who seem much more loyal to former Gov. Fatso, than to Newly Elected Gov. Murphy!

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