TRENTON – Senator Wayne R. Bryant, Chairman of the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee, made the following statement after the Assembly announced it was preparing its own budget bill.
“Based on the decision by the Assembly to introduce its own budget bill, we in the Senate have no choice but to do likewise. Accordingly, we will prepare a budget bill for introduction on Wednesday (June 29th) that reflects our priorities. The Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee will convene on Wednesday to consider the measure.
“We believe our responsibility is to support reasonable tax relief based on recurring revenues, adequate assistance for those residents who need our help, and a prudent surplus to deal with emergencies. We have reduced spending and will continue to seek to reduce the State’s reliance on one-time revenues.We will continue to negotiate with our colleagues in the Assembly and remain hopeful that a timely agreement is achievable.”