State Senator Joe Pennacchio (R-26) offered the following appraisal of Governor Phil Murphy’s 2020 budget address:

“Governor Murphy is trying to manage the budget with phantom numbers. This isn’t monopoly money. Governor: get your hands out of our pockets. Taxpayers have had enough and state spending is out of control.

“New Jersey has the worst business climate and the highest property taxes in the nation and these new taxes will push even more job creators out of state. Last year, Governor Murphy’s proposed tax hikes were so egregious, that even his fellow Democrats couldn’t stomach them. Nothing has changed. Don’t be surprised if the government shuts down.

“To help taxpayers, we need to enact major reforms, like platinum-to-gold pension and health benefit reform, and our new Senate Republican School Funding Plan, which will finally give special education students and property taxpayers the support they deserve. It’s time to give the people of New Jersey what they want: a fiscally-responsible government and lower taxes.”