Vainieri Huttle:  This is a fair agreement that protects taxpayers & Horizon ratepayers

(TRENTON) – Assemblywoman Valerie Vainieri Huttle (D-Bergen), one of the lead sponsors of the Horizon compromise legislation, praised the agreement reached Monday to end the state shutdown and allow critical state services to resume and facilities to reopen:

“It is truly unfortunate that so many residents had their lives or their holiday weekend plans disrupted by this stalemate. Nobody wanted things to get to this point, but I am pleased that the Speaker stood behind his convictions because, at the end of the day, I think we’ve reached an agreement that puts the taxpayers first, protects democratic priorities aimed at safeguarding the most vulnerable among us, and reaches a fair compromise when it comes to our state’s largest health insurer. 

“This legislation will protect ratepayers, increase transparency and maintain stability in the market at a time when there is a heightened sense of uncertainty.  Having an independent actuary conduct yearly audits will ensure transparency, while monitoring for any exorbitant surpluses will help mitigate premium increases.”