GOVERNOR PHIL MURPHY
“Creating a tax code that works for everyone is one of the most effective tools we have to make New Jersey a stronger and fairer state. This expansion of the EITC to more residents takes on an added urgency as it will put more money in the pockets of our lower and middle-income families as they continue to face the harsh realities of the COVID-19 pandemic.
ASSEMBLY SPEAKER CRAIG COUGHLIN
“The budget signed by the Governor today looks far different than the budget proposed in February. A global pandemic has devastated our state and our economy. The road to recovery has and continues to be long and strenuous.
“Given these challenges, the Legislature recommitted itself to our core responsibilities of protecting families and the most vulnerable, stabilizing local governments and stimulating our economy.
“To do so, we could not solely tax or cut our way back to prosperity. Together with the Governor and the Senate we put together a balanced plan that cut nearly a billion in spending, asked the wealthiest among us to share in the sacrifice and made the difficult decision to borrow.
“The decision to borrow $4.5 billion and build a $2.5 billion surplus is an absolute necessity to buffer against an inevitable second wave and prepare ourselves for an expeditious and full recovery.
“Our budget delivers for our seniors and working-class families by fully funding the Senior Freeze and Homestead Rebate programs. Our schools and municipalities are receiving the same funding level as last year. Together, we made significant investments in hunger relief, anti-poverty and health programs to continue helping struggling families through this crisis. Working, middle class families will receive tangible relief in the form of a $500 rebate next summer. We once again fully fund our Transportation Trust Fund by infusing $2 billion into our transportation infrastructure. We earmarked $100 million for small business grants. This budget demonstrates our commitment to every New Jerseyan.”
NEW JERSEY EDUCATION ASSOCIATION PRESIDENT MARIE BLISTAN
“We are pleased that this consensus budget prioritizes the needs of students, their families, and all hardworking New Jersey residents. Its emphasis on fiscal responsibility and tax fairness will help ensure that New Jersey emerges stronger from this current crisis, with a firm foundation for future fairness and prosperity.”
NEW JERSEY POLICY PERSPECTIVE SENIOR POLICY ANALYST SHEILA REYNERTSON
“Today is a historic moment for New Jersey, as the state tax code is getting a lot fairer — and for good reason. “Income inequality is at an all-time high, and for far too long, lawmakers failed to address this in a meaningful way. Today, that changes. The millionaires tax will help New Jersey maintain investments in crucial assets like education while responding to the COVID-19 health crisis without further worsening economic and racial inequality. We truly are setting an example for the nation on how to build an economy that works for all of us, not just a chosen few.”
ASSEMBLY MAJORITY LEADER LOUIS GREENWALD
“Despite unprecedented challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Governor has signed a responsible spending plan that prioritizes New Jersey families during this unanticipated health and economic crisis.
“This budget ensures the wealthy and large corporations pay their fair share, which in turn will help us provide much-needed tax relief to seniors through the fully restored Homestead Rebate and Senior Freeze programs, and to middle class families in the form of a $500 child care credit.
“It supports Charity Care in our overwhelmed hospitals in the fight against COVID-19, making it easier for them to provide care for all who need it. Though COVID-19 is at the forefront of our minds, this budget also funds critical research for cancer, a disease that continues to impact too many families in New Jersey and beyond.
“This spending plan makes investments to strengthen our communities, from expanding preschool to boosting hunger relief programs. It maintains K-12 school aid and municipal funding at a time when every penny counts. Above all, this budget puts families first.
“While I continue to advocate for relief from the federal government which has abandoned our State, I’m proud we in New Jersey were able to tackle our fiscal challenges head-on and fund our shared priorities. We are all in this together.”
NEW JERSEY WORKING FAMILIES ALLIANCE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR SUE ALTMAN
“We applaud the Governor’s leadership and the legislature’s willingness to take a stand for the 99% of New Jerseyans who will benefit from this budget. May this be the first step toward long term budgetary thinking and fairness in our state.”
32BJ SEIU NEW JERSEY STATE DIRECTOR KEVIN BROWN
“We applaud the passage of a ‘millionaires tax’ which asks residents best able to contribute to do their part for our economic recovery. At the same time, our essential workers have sacrificed everything throughout this crisis. We need our state to recognize that the federal aid available to many working families for part of this year has been out of reach for immigrant families, who occupy a large share of essential jobs. It’s only right for our state to step in to provide some income replacement for them.”
ENVIRONMENT NEW JERSEY DIRECTOR DOUG O’MALLEY
“State agency funding is critical, and the final budget ensures we won’t see furloughs in key state agencies like the NJDEP. We are grateful for the investments in lead remediation, which reduces lead in children’s blood, and the full funding for RGGI and EV rebates to electrify vehicles and to clean our air. The increased investments of the Corporate Business Tax, which worked to clean contaminated toxic sites more than 20 years ago, is a win for investing in the public good. We need in the next budget cycle to finally end the ongoing raids of the Clean Energy Fund and dedicate funding to NJ Transit.”
NEW JERSEY SIERRA CLUB DIRECTOR JEFF TITTEL
“This final budget restored key funding to important environmental programs. The budget eliminates some of the raids and one-shots that hurt the environment. This means there’s more money to make sure our air is clean, water is pure, and that we can clean up toxic sites. The budget restored $10 million for removing lead paint from homes and $22 million for the Recycling and Clean Communities Trust Funds, which will help implement the statewide plastic bag ban. NJ Transit saw an increase as well. There will also be more money for programs like open space, parks, cleaning up underground storage containers and contaminated sites, and watershed protection. This is because the Corporate Business Tax is increasing, and 6% of the CBT is dedicated to environmental programs. This budget has been an improvement for the environment and the people of New Jersey.”
NEW JERSEY CITIZEN ACTION ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR DENA MOTTOLA JABORSKA
“This budget marks an important step forward in addressing longstanding racial and socioeconomic inequities in our tax code, with millionaires and the wealthiest of corporations finally paying their fair share and an expansion of Earned Income Tax Credits. But we have a lot more to do, and we look forward to working closely with Governor Murphy and the Legislature to ensure state budget policy meets our most pressing pandemic needs while also making smart investments in our future. These priorities include assisting immigrants excluded from federal pandemic relief, restoring New Jersey’s fiscal health, and ensuring all New Jerseyans have access to programs and services they need to both survive and prosper.”
HUDSON COUNTY CENTRAL LABOR COUNCIL AND IFPTE LOCAL 194 PRESIDENT BARRY KUSHNIR
“The Hudson County Central Labor Council and IFPTE Local 194 are proud to support a state budget that includes tax fairness in a Millionaire’s Tax and Corporate Business Tax extension. Both are prudent and reasonable policies to raise much-needed revenue in an unprecedented crisis by asking those with the most to pay their fair share. While this is good news, our organizations remain committed to advocating on behalf of the many New Jersey families who continue to suffer inequality and will not relent in our pursuit of a budget that works for all.”
NEW JERSEY ALLIANCE FOR IMMIGRANT JUSTICE INTERIM DIRECTOR AMANEESHA KELKAR
“New Jersey’s immigrant families have gone six months living with increasing economic insecurity every day. Despite the gains made by Governor Murphy’s budget, immigrants remain excluded, without unemployment benefits or COVID19 relief. A balanced and fair budget must include all residents, regardless of immigration status, so that every household can get their basic needs fulfilled.”
ANTI-POVERTY NETWORK OF NEW JERSEY EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR RENEE KOUBIADIS
“The Anti-Poverty Network of New Jersey is pleased to see the inclusion of a true millionaires tax and the continuation of a fair corporate business tax in the state budget. These steps move New Jersey towards real tax fairness with crucial new revenues, rather than putting an unfair burden on middle and low-income residents for our state’s recovery. During this unprecedented health and economic crisis, these real investments in all of our state’s residents are needed to see valuable returns in our state’s economy and for New Jersey to be a place where all of our residents can recover and thrive.”
NEW JERSEY WORK ENVIRONMENT COUNCIL CAMPAIGN ORGANIZAER BRANDON CASTRO
“After years of advocacy, the Work Environment Council is happy to see the New Jersey State Government prioritize economic justice and tax fairness, and finally pass a millionaire’s tax. We hope that this will only be the beginning and that the state will continue to move away from austerity measures in times of economic crisis, and towards a more just, democratic economy for everyone.”
BLUE WAVE NJ PRESIDENT MARCIA MARLEY
“BlueWaveNJ congratulates Governor Murphy and the legislature for creating a more equitable and fiscally responsible budget. Increasing revenue from millionaires and wealthy corporations rather than cutting services will preserve critical support for struggling New Jersey families and lessen the pandemic’s economic impact. The budget’s continuing investments in future generations will help lay the foundation for a stronger recovery. While we applaud many aspects of this budget, there is further work to be done. We look forward to working with the legislature and Governor to make sure no group is left behind.”
NEW JERSEY 11TH FOR CHANGE CO-EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR LESLIE BOCKOL
“For too long, tax policies (and tax loopholes) on the state and national level have been skewed to favor those in the top fraction of a percent in wealth and income. For too long, the state budget has been balanced disproportionately on hard-earned money that working people have needed to cover basic necessities — not luxuries — to build a secure future for their families. We are gratified to see Governor Murphy sign this historic bill into law today, and proud that New Jersey is leading the way on tax fairness!”
NEW JERSEY STATE TREASURER ELIZABETH MUOIO
“The increase in eligibility and amount of the Earned Income Tax Credit could not come at a better time, especially for lower- and moderate-income families, who we know have been hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. Providing hardworking New Jerseyans with a potential lifeline during these difficult times is of the utmost importance.”
AARP NEW JERSEY
“AARP New Jersey applauds Governor Murphy for signing a state budget today that includes a number of AARP-supported priorities such as, restoring property tax relief for older New Jerseyans, allocating startup funding for the New Jersey Secure Choice Savings Program, ensuring a healthy pension payment, and maintaining Medicaid funding.”
“AARP New Jersey has been advocating for the state to restore two critical property tax relief programs – the Senior Freeze and Homestead Benefit – since the programs were cut in Spring 2020. We commend the Governor for restoring both programs in the Fiscal Year ’21 budget. The Homestead Benefit Program provides property tax relief to almost 580,000 homeowners, while the Senior Freeze program supports approximately 157,000 of New Jersey’s seniors and residents with disabilities.”
“New Jerseyans, particularly older residents and those with disabilities living on low-, moderate- and fixed-incomes, have always struggled with New Jersey’s high property taxes. And now, families have been hit especially hard by the health and economic crisis created by the coronavirus pandemic. We are disappointed families will not get back the May 2020 Homestead Benefit payment, which has added to families’ significant financial strain, but we are pleased to see that both the Senior Freeze and Homestead Benefit are restored in the FY’21 budget to support our most vulnerable population during a time of unprecedented financial crises.”
“We also applaud the New Jersey Legislature and the Governor for including startup funds to support the New Jersey Secure Choice Savings Program. In 2019, Governor Murphy enacted Secure Choice, which is a public-private partnership that will allow many hardworking New Jerseyans to have a retirement savings option that puts them in control of their futures. Workers will have the choice to decide if they want to participate and how much they want to contribute from their paycheck. We are hopeful New Jerseyans will soon be able to take advantage of this program.”
“The vast majority of New Jerseyans younger than 65 get health insurance through their work. With unemployment rates at record levels during the coronavirus pandemic, hundreds of thousands of New Jerseyans have lost their health insurance. Medicaid (NJ FamilyCare) serves as a crucial safety net for these and thousands of other New Jersey families. “
“Financial security in retirement is a core component of AARP’s mission to enhance the quality of life for all as we age, including for generations to come. AARP fights at both the federal and state level to ensure that all workers who have paid into their public pension systems over a lifetime of hard work have the economic security that their pensions afford in retirement. We applaud the NJ Legislature and Governor Murphy for ensuring there is a healthy public pension payment in the FY’21 budget. “
“AARP New Jersey looks forward to our continued work with the Governor and the Legislature to ensure a better New Jersey for everyone. “
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