TRENTON, N.J. — Four New Jersey Senate Republicans are calling on Gov. Phil Murphy and Democratic legislative leaders to adopt a series of GOP-backed budget proposals they say would provide tax relief, reduce wasteful spending, and fund critical services ahead of the state’s upcoming budget deadline.
Senate Republican Budget Officer Declan O’Scanlon (R-13), along with Senators Michael Testa (R-1), Doug Steinhardt (R-23), and Carmen Amato (R-9), outlined their proposals in a letter this week, urging a more bipartisan approach to the fiscal year 2026 budget.
“While we have come to the sad realization that we will have to wait until after the next election to be able to work with a governor who will give us a seat at the budget table, it’s not too late for you to finally take our proposals seriously,” the senators wrote. “We stand ready and willing to work with you to develop a truly bipartisan budget that fixes the governor’s deeply flawed budget proposal.”
Among the key recommendations, the senators called for rejecting what they described as more than $2 billion in tax, fee, and fare increases identified by the nonpartisan Office of Legislative Services. They also pointed to examples of what they called “wasteful spending” in recent budgets, such as funding for local projects like a minor league baseball stadium and recreational clubs.
The letter reiterates long-standing GOP proposals, including pension reform, adjustments to school funding formulas, and efforts to recover alleged overpayments to hospitals. It also highlights proposed increases in funding for county colleges, emergency medical responders, the Special Olympics, and organizations supporting individuals with disabilities or rare diseases.
Democratic leaders and the governor’s office have not yet responded publicly to the letter. The state budget must be finalized by June 30.
