Kean’s Response to Murphy’s State of the State

Senate Republican Leader Tom Kean issued the following statement following Governor Murphy’s State of the State address:

“If you ask many New Jerseyans if they believe we have a state that is ‘stronger and fairer’ than a year ago, I think you’ll find the answer to be ‘no.’

“For the past year, Governor Murphy has ignored basic fiscal reforms that would lower the cost of government and make New Jersey more affordable for residents and taxpayers.

“It’s not surprising, but it is disappointing, that he failed to demand action on any of those reforms today, too. The result of this ongoing failure is repeated over and over in headlines that highlight the continued flight of residents and employers from New Jersey.

“He said a culture that encourages innovation and entrepreneurship is what attracts businesses and creates jobs. He’s not wrong with that, but he’s wrong in believing that raising taxes will create that culture.

“He cites Massachusetts as an example of a high-tax state that has a successful economy. He’s missing that much of their success is due to a stable tax environment that provides predictability for employers year in and year out.

“Governor Murphy’s various tax-increasing proposals are the antithesis of the Massachusetts model.

“On tax incentives, it’s clear to everyone that our programs run by EDA need better oversight.

“While we’d prefer low business taxes across the board for everyone, our tax incentive programs are an unfortunate necessity that help us to compensate for a difficult business environment and compete for jobs and economic growth.

“He spent much of his speech focused on those programs because he has little else to highlight that’s positive from an affordability standpoint.

“It’s not surprising, then, that a clear agenda for the next year that reflects the taxpayers’ priorities was missing from the Governor’s speech.