District 10 Lawmakers React to Gov. Murphy’s State of the State

Senator Jim Holzapfel, Assemblyman Greg McGuckin, and Assemblyman John Catalano (all R-10) conveyed disappointment and concern upon listening to Governor Phil Murphy’s 2021 State of the State Address.

“The State of the State would have been stronger if Governor Murphy did not cripple our economy unnecessarily,” said Holzapfel. “Unfortunately, the Governor echoed the same rhetoric during his address that he has for years. And due to his careless policies—especially related to the COVID-19 pandemic—he drove two million New Jerseyans into a broken unemployment system, sat on billions of dollars in federal CARES Act relief funds, and repeatedly blocked Republican legislation that would have helped small businesses and nonprofits keep their lights on during their time of need.”

“Governor Murphy continues to talk about working together and reaching across the aisle,” said McGuckin. “Yet, just recently, he vetoed a bipartisan bill that passed both houses of the Legislature unanimously that would have helped our struggling restaurant industry survive during this pandemic. This is just the most recent example of Governor Murphy continuing to ignore the Legislature and the needs of the people he was elected to serve.”

“The Governor still has not taken responsibility or expressed regret concerning his administration’s disastrous response to the pandemic,” said Catalano. “Whether it’s missing a deadline to file simple paperwork for vaccine orders or prioritizing inmates over the elderly for vaccine distribution, the administration has consistently failed to inspire confidence in New Jerseyans. Instead, the Governor continues to pursue his own agenda by issuing harmful executive orders in an effort to avoid Legislative oversight.”