TRENTON – Slapped by an assembly this afternoon that failed to pass the 2018 State Budget, Speaker Vincent Prieto (D-32) said he suspects he will post the bill later this evening and said he hopes people come to their senses and understand the implications of their abstentions.

He said he refuses to budge on the Horizon restructuring bill, intransigence that apparently causes the bill’s backers to retaliate by resisting the budget.

Prieto told reporters those who back the Horizon bill and oppose the budget are the real culprits.

“They actually in essence want to shut down government,” said the speaker. “They are not voting on a bill we have to get to the governor’s desk.  If somebody is going to say here government is shutting down it’s these members who won’t vote to  get a bill to the governor’s desk that the senate and assembly have agreed upon.”

Prieto spoke to the media immediately following the budget failure, and made it clear he will not give on Horizon.

“It takes longer than four days [to review a complex bill such as the Horizon restructuring bill] – not even having a bill in my house,” Prieto said.