New Jersey Working Families Party interim State Director Antoinette Miles has issued the following statement in response to Governor Murphy’s budget address:

New Jersey Working Families is pleased that Governor Murphy has announced a budget that secures a dedicated funding source for NJ Transit by moving us toward tax fairness with a new corporate transit tax targeting New Jersey’s mega-corporations. We know that powerful businesses have strenuously opposed paying their fair share of taxes, and today’s announcement is an important step toward securing a bright future for our state’s public transit system and ensuring that it will be able to continue to provide mobility for working families traveling to work, doctor’s appointments, and to see friends and family.

However, the fight is far from over. The funding proposal Governor Murphy laid out today fails to avert a crushing proposed fare hike that will increase congestion even as it drives up costs for working families. At the same time, this new proposal fails to secure long-term funding for other critical state programs that had previously received support through the now-expired Corporate Business Tax surcharge.

Despite continued opposition from corporate special interests, we remain undaunted in our fight for continued tax fairness. We look forward to working with Governor Murphy and the Legislature to build off the proposal today to deliver a budget that delivers for working families across New Jersey.