Sweeney Responds To Veto of Cost Saving Measure for County Colleges

TRENTON – Senate President Steve Sweeney (D-Gloucester/Salem/Cumberland) issued the following statement in response to Governor Phil Murphy’s veto of legislation (S2455 – Sweeney, Oroho/Murphy, McKnight, Mosquera) which would produce substantial cost savings in health care expenses by transferring county college employees and retirees from membership in the School Employees Health Benefits Plan to membership in the State Health Benefits Plan:

“The Governor’s veto will cost the county colleges and their employees millions of dollars in future healthcare savings. Once again, the Governor has chosen to stand with the New Jersey Education Association’s union leaders and against the interests of the taxpayers of New Jersey, the county colleges, their hardworking professors and staff, and the students who will be forced to pay higher tuition. It is a terrible irony when we have a Governor calling for free county college tuition at the same time that he refuses to reduce health care costs and produce savings that could be used in support of the colleges and their students.”

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