TRENTON – Governor Phil Murphy today issued a response to Senate President Steve Sweeney’s (D-3) working group findings.

“We thank the Senate President for his working group findings and look forward to reviewing the group’s recommendations. My Administration stands ready to listen to any and all ideas on how to build a stronger and fairer New Jersey without unfairly burdening the middle class.

“This Administration inherited a fiscal mess, taking office after eight years when the conventional wisdom in Trenton was to keep millionaires and billionaires from paying their fair share while slashing benefits for middle-class workers. Our problem isn’t simply how much state government spends — it’s how. Protecting tax breaks for the wealthiest and special interests while asking the middle class to shoulder more and more of the burden isn’t fair and is the wrong approach to getting our fiscal house in order.

“We have a bold, smart, and inclusive economic vision for how New Jersey’s future can work for everyone. This includes reliable and efficient mass transit as both an economic engine and a way to improve the daily lives of hundreds of thousands of commuters, a thriving innovation economy with good-paying jobs in tech and the life sciences, a fast-growing clean energy economy, affordable higher education, and a plan to fully fund our public schools. The Murphy Administration has already made a historic pension payment of $3.2 billion to help meet our long overdue obligations and is committed to finding savings and cost efficiencies across state government. We have established a State Health Benefits Quality and Value Task Force and reconvened the Plan Design Committees to find efficiencies in the state health care benefits system, provide the best value for both consumers and taxpayers, and reduce the overall cost of health care. In addition, we are promoting shared services across localities and reviewing the state’s tax incentives programs to find meaningful long-term cost-savings. My Administration believes in building an economy that can lead the way in the 21st-century — and does so by growing and protecting the middle class.”

“Over the next few months, we welcome the conversation about how best to jumpstart the economy and secure a better future for New Jersey’s middle class and working families.”