Budget and Horizon Restructuring Legislation

We are not pleased with the process and dialogue that took place during the approval of this legislation. However, a consensus was reached by constructive dialogue and the Chamber thanks Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey CEO Bill Marino for his engagement with our legislative leaders.

As we said in a previous statement, the shutdown would be temporary, which it was, but the consequences of approving the initially proposed legislation impacting Horizon and other nonprofits could be permanent and devastating.

We believe it is always good policy to fully analyze new legislation to determine its impact before making it law.

One thing is certain – holding face-to-face meetings with all parties involved results in better solutions and needs to become the norm regarding all the issues our state needs to address.

The New Jersey Chamber of Commerce is a business advocacy organization that represents its members on a wide range of business and education issues. Based in Trenton, the organization also links the state’s local and regional chambers on issues of importance through its grassroots legislative network. For more information, visit www.njchamber.com