Latest news with #AssemblyBudgetCommittee
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Is New Jersey's judicial vacancy crisis under control? Trenton lawmakers hear testimony
The acting Administrative Director of the New Jersey Courts told members of the state Assembly Budget Committee that a robust judiciary is essential. Still less than a month on the job, Michael Blee spoke about the importance of an impartial court system, noting the 'judiciary must uphold the law and protect the rights of all individuals so that justice can be served.' State Sen. Paul Sarlo, the committee's chair and a Bergen County Democrat, called the state's system the 'best in the country.' 'We should be very proud of it," Sarlo said. "The process we go through to select our judges — and then the interaction we have with them afterward, the work we do together.' When asked by state Sen. Mike Testa, R-Vineland, about vacancies stemming from a lack of nominations from the governor's office, Blee said he didn't 'know what the impetus is' but that 'it is a very stringent vetting process,' which is a good thing. Blee said that as of May 1 there will be 51 vacancies, which is 'not at the crisis level' from several years ago, when the New Jersey courts had as many as 76 judicial vacancies. He said that they would like to see that number in the range of 25 to 30 vacancies. There is a possibility of shutting down matrimonial or civil trials in Vicinage 13, which covers Hunterdon, Somerset and Warren counties if there are five or six vacancies, though. They will stand at three next week. More: NJ lawmakers question school funding formula, federal aid in Trenton budget hearing Civil and matrimonial trials in Passaic, Cumberland, Gloucester, Hunterdon, Somerset and Warren counties have been suspended in recent years due to vacancies. A slew of judges were confirmed at the end of 2023 and in early 2024 to bring the number of vacancies on the bench to 38, the lowest since before the pandemic. In New Jersey, judges serve for an initial seven-year term and can be renominated for tenure, which allows them to sit on the bench until they reach the mandatory retirement age of 70. Blee also highlighted the efforts made to lower the backlog of cases to something closer to what it was before the pandemic. Blee said that in the past fiscal year, the backlog of cases is down to 21%, an increase of nearly 12%. The backlog stood at 41,433 in February, according to the courts website, a substantial decrease from the 75,777 cases waiting to be heard in February 2023. 'This is an improvement, but it falls short of our present goal,' Blee said. 'We look forward to continuing to work with the Legislature to fill judicial vacancies, which will help us reduce that backlog and provide timely justice for all.' Katie Sobko covers the New Jersey Statehouse. Email: sobko@ This article originally appeared on NJ judicial vacancy crisis is coming under control
Yahoo
21-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
State school officials preparing new proficiency exam
The state's top education official told lawmakers Monday that implementation of a new computerized exam could start next spring. (Courtesy of the New Jersey Governor's Office) State education officials are working to launch a new computerized student proficiency exam that could be implemented as early as next year, Education Commissioner Kevin Dehmer told the Assembly Budget Committee Monday. Dehmer told the budget panel he expects the department to begin implementing the new assessment in the spring of 2026, adding that its electronic nature will allow for speedier data analysis that could help educators address underperformance on specific topics and subjects. 'One of the big things is we're able to gain more information with less seat time, and because of the accessibility of data, we can translate that back so that teachers can focus on core areas for students so they understand where students might be struggling,' he said. The electronic test, referred to only as 'next-gen' or the 'next generation assessment' Monday, could also be tailored to student performance, allowing more advanced students to tackle tougher questions. Less advanced students could see simpler questions, Dehmer said, to better identify areas in need of improvement. 'Maybe it's with a certain teacher. It comes out they didn't emphasize something enough, they can go back and change how they're doing things to make sure students are picking that subject matter up a little bit better,' the commissioner said. The changes would come as schools are fighting to overcome learning losses incurred during the pandemic. Results from the New Jersey Student Learning Assessment released in December showed some improvement in math and English test scores, but proficiency continued to lag behind prepandemic levels in both subjects. That year, 52% of tested students met or exceeded expectations on the English language arts exam, compared to 58% in 2019, while 40% met or exceeded expectations on the math assessment, compared to 45% five years earlier. Some committee member raised concerns about proposed changes to the state's school funding formula that would allow and incentivize districts raising too little locally to seek higher property tax increases to meet their fair share — the portion of funding a school district is responsible for raising through property taxes. 'Our fear … is that we allow that to happen just for one year, which was last year, and then this kind of opens the gate to something else that we really don't have control of, of how much a district may be able to raise. It puts us in a precarious position,' said Assemblywoman Eliana Pintor Marin (D-Essex), the panel's chair. As lawmakers move to finalize a new state budget by June 30, Gov. Phil Murphy has proposed a $20 million pool of funding to encourage districts taxing beneath their local fair share to seek tax increases above the state's 2% cap on property tax growth. Murphy also wants to limit decreases in state aid to 3% and increases to 6%. Under budget language proposed by the administration, districts that raise taxes above the 2% cap would receive $1 million or 5% of the tax increase that fell above the cap, whichever is less. In recent weeks, some school districts have proposed staggering property tax increases, but Dehmer, speaking generally, said such plans could overstate the level of tax increases a district would eventually seek. 'What they chose to do was say, 'We're going to pass a resolution for the maximum amount, and we're going to work through this from there,'' Dehmer said. 'I think there was some reporting on those resolutions saying, 'We're going to go up this high,' and that may not be the final version that comes to pass.'
Yahoo
19-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Public pans spending cuts, tax hikes in governor's budget plan
Gov. Phil Murphy delivering his budget address to the Legislature in Trenton on Feb. 25, 2025. (Rich Hundley III/NJ Governors Office) A broad range of speakers asked lawmakers on the Assembly Budget Committee Wednesday to avert proposed spending cuts and prevent new fees and tax hikes proffered by Gov. Phil Murphy, or seek other ways of raising revenue. The seven-hour-long hearing marked the public's first formal response to the governor's $58.1 billion budget proposal, which he unveiled last month. Lawmakers must pass and Murphy must sign a budget before July 1 to avoid a state government shutdown. A range of witnesses urged legislators not to move forward with cuts Murphy has proposed to community college funding and social and disability services, and to block proposed diversions from the state's affordable housing trust fund. 'We're operating with limited staff. I sort the mail and I mop floors, and we all do multiple jobs when you're a small institution,' said Mike Gorman, president of Salem Community College. The governor's budget proposes reducing state assistance to community colleges by $20 million and would reduce student financial assistance by $69 million, including by entirely eliminating a $20 million line item for summer tuition aid grants. Other witnesses urged legislators to avert a $10 million cut proposed for Legal Services of New Jersey, whose attorneys provide representation to low-income New Jerseyans in civil matters. 'Despite our best efforts, the gap in resources necessary to provide legal services assistance to eligible low-income people remains vast, and the demand is just increasing,' said retired Supreme Court Justice Jaynee LaVecchia, who sits on the organization's board of trustees. Housing advocates warned Murphy's planned diversions from the state's affordable housing trust fund — with $20 million of it headed for rental assistance and $40 million for down payment assistance programs within the New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency, among other diversions — could imperil New Jersey's efforts to build more housing units. 'It's almost like robbing Peter to pay Paul. We love the affordable housing trust fund, we love HMFA, but we're just shifting the money from one pot to the other,' said Assemblywoman Verlina Reynolds Jackson (D-Mercer). Additional money for the trust fund could come from an increased dedication from a higher tax on home sales Murphy has proposed, said Matthew Hersh, vice president of policy and advocacy for the Housing and Community Development Network of New Jersey. The governor's budget would raise a 1% fee on home sales above $1 million to 2% and charge a 3% fee on home sales worth more than $2 million. Combined, that proposal is expected to bring in an additional $317 million in revenue. Murphy has proposed a range of new revenue raisers for the next fiscal year, including higher tax rates on online gambling winnings, an expanded sales tax, and higher excise taxes on tobacco and alcohol products, among a raft of other higher fees. Business groups cautioned those hikes and others, including a $2 per-truck fee on warehouses expected to generate $20 million, would make New Jersey less competitive. Murphy proposed a $1 per-truck fee last year, but the measure did not survive budget negotiations. 'Last year, just the proposal of a $1 truck excise fee was enough for one of our member businesses to lose a warehouse project to another state,' said Hilary Chebra, director of government affairs for the South Jersey Chamber of Commerce. 'The reintroduction of this truck fee, now at $2 a truck, will not only make New Jersey a less favorable place to do business, it will make goods more expensive for residents across the state.' Some others urged the state to expand the types of tax and fee hikes it would consider to prevent cuts. 'We will need higher revenues to avoid the kind of cuts that we're talking about, because as much as this year's budget is challenging — and I think we can all say there are going to be difficult decisions that have to be made — next year's budget is lining up to be a potential disaster,' said Peter Chen, senior policy analyst for progressive think tank New Jersey Policy Perspective. Those revenue raisers should target high-earning individuals and corporations, Chen said. Murphy's proposed budget calls for the state to spend $1.2 billion more than it takes in through taxes and other revenue sources. Absent broader budgetary changes, that deficit would expand by at least $920 million next year to pay for a full-year benefit under the Stay NJ Property tax relief program. Numerous speakers raised concerns about the possible loss of federal funding amid the Trump administration's far-reaching efforts to limit U.S. government spending. The governor's budget anticipates roughly $26.2 billion in federal funding for the coming fiscal year, though administration officials have cautioned uncertainty around those forecasts because of unpredictability at the federal level. It's not likely all federal funding will go away, though congressional Republicans are exploring cuts to Medicaid, which at $14.4 billion accounts for the lion's share of the state's federal funding. Gov. Murphy's potential successors explain their budget priorities if elected governor
Yahoo
14-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Skyrocketing healthcare budget for illegal immigrants haunts blue state taxpayers
A California budget official revealed this week that taxpayers in the Democrat-run state are paying billions of dollars more on healthcare for illegal immigrants than previously known. Guadalupe Manriquez, the California Department of Finance program budget manager, told the state Assembly Budget Committee Monday the state is "spending $9.5 billion total funds" to "cover undocumented individuals in Medi-Cal" in the current year. Manriquez explained that this is a "revised number based on the governor's budget-updated estimates," adding the earlier figure was from the earlier "budget act." California Families Celebrate Trump Administration's Probe Into State's Refusal To Follow Trans Athlete Order "Of the $9.5 billion, $8.4 billion is general fund," she said. Republican Assemblyman Carl DeMaio noted that the cost of healthcare for illegal immigrants could be enough to help solve some of the state's budget woes and "avoid going into the rainy day fund," The Center Square reported. He said the number originally floated was roughly $6 billion. Read On The Fox News App A new state law enacted at the start of 2024 ensures that "immigration status doesn't matter" for those looking to apply for taxpayer-backed insurance, according to the state's health department website. Ice Arrests Homeless Illegal Immigrant Who Asked To Be Detained Or Else He Would 'Go Out And Commit Crimes' California Assembly Minority Leader James Gallagher told Fox News Digital in a statement that gutting the insurance availability for illegal immigrants would make a significant dent in the state's deficit. "California's budget is $30 billion in the red, but instead of tightening its belt, Sacramento is doubling down on reckless spending," the Republican said. Click Here For More Immigration Coverage "The state is shelling out $9.5 billion on healthcare for illegal immigrants while emergency rooms overflow, hospitals teeter on the brink and working Californians struggle to see a doctor," he continued. "Rather than making responsible choices, leaders are raiding the rainy-day fund to keep the spending spree going. This isn't just a budget crisis — it's a complete failure of leadership." Democratic Assemblywoman Pilar Schiavo said during the hearing that healthcare costs are a major target of the new administration, which leads to uncertainty for the state. "We know that today unelected Elon Musk and DOGE have taken their sights to Medicare and Medicaid, which is Medi-Cal here in California. And that is, you know, well over half of our budget," the lawmaker said. The spending discussion comes at a time when the federal government is conducting a major crackdown on illegal immigration, including raids done by Immigration and Customs Enforcement and much stricter policies at the border itself. Steve Hilton, founder of Golden Together and a Fox News contributor, said it's "yet another example of California Democrats' totally wrong priorities." "Here's yet another example of California Democrats' totally wrong priorities. They have nearly doubled the state budget in the last ten years, yet over a third of Californians cannot meet their basic needs," Hilton said. "We have the highest poverty rate in America. We pay the highest taxes and get the worst results. People are asking, "Where did all our money go?" And here's the answer: ideological obsessions like this — free healthcare for people who are here illegally. People have had enough of all this. There's going to be change in California sooner than people think."Original article source: Skyrocketing healthcare budget for illegal immigrants haunts blue state taxpayers
Fox News
13-02-2025
- Business
- Fox News
Skyrocketing healthcare budget for illegal immigrants haunts blue state taxpayers
A California budget official revealed this week that taxpayers in the Democrat-run state are paying billions of dollars more on healthcare for illegal immigrants than previously known. Guadalupe Manriquez, the California Department of Finance program budget manager, told the state Assembly Budget Committee Monday the state is "spending $9.5 billion total funds" to "cover undocumented individuals in Medi-Cal" in the current year. Manriquez explained that this is a "revised number based on the governor's budget-updated estimates," adding the earlier figure was from the earlier "budget act." "Of the $9.5 billion, $8.4 billion is general fund," she said. Republican Assemblyman Carl DeMaio noted that the cost of healthcare for illegal immigrants could be enough to help solve some of the state's budget woes and "avoid going into the rainy day fund," The Center Square reported. He said the number originally floated was roughly $6 billion. A new state law enacted at the start of 2024 ensures that "immigration status doesn't matter" for those looking to apply for taxpayer-backed insurance, according to the state's health department website. California Assembly Minority Leader James Gallagher told Fox News Digital in a statement that gutting the insurance availability for illegal immigrants would make a significant dent in the state's deficit. "California's budget is $30 billion in the red, but instead of tightening its belt, Sacramento is doubling down on reckless spending," the Republican said. "The state is shelling out $9.5 billion on healthcare for illegal immigrants while emergency rooms overflow, hospitals teeter on the brink and working Californians struggle to see a doctor," he continued. "Rather than making responsible choices, leaders are raiding the rainy-day fund to keep the spending spree going. This isn't just a budget crisis — it's a complete failure of leadership." Democratic Assemblywoman Pilar Schiavo said during the hearing that healthcare costs are a major target of the new administration, which leads to uncertainty for the state. "We know that today unelected Elon Musk and DOGE have taken their sights to Medicare and Medicaid, which is Medi-Cal here in California. And that is, you know, well over half of our budget," the lawmaker said. The spending discussion comes at a time when the federal government is conducting a major crackdown on illegal immigration, including raids done by Immigration and Customs Enforcement and much stricter policies at the border itself. Steve Hilton, founder of Golden Together and a Fox News contributor, said it's "yet another example of California Democrats' totally wrong priorities." "Here's yet another example of California Democrats' totally wrong priorities. They have nearly doubled the state budget in the last ten years, yet over a third of Californians cannot meet their basic needs," Hilton said. "We have the highest poverty rate in America. We pay the highest taxes and get the worst results. People are asking, "Where did all our money go?" And here's the answer: ideological obsessions like this — free healthcare for people who are here illegally. People have had enough of all this. There's going to be change in California sooner than people think."
