Craig Coughlin Archives

Senate majority leader race still nascent

June 30, 2021 4:36 pmJune 30, 2021 6:13 pm

Legislators haven’t begun to lobby for Senate Majority Leader Loretta Weinberg’s (D-Teaneck) leadership position, Senate President Steve Sweeney (D-West Deptford) said Wednesday, and lawmakers considered as top-tier candidates for the role are staying mum about whatever ambitions they may hold....

Black leaders call for pro-transparency budget reforms

June 29, 2021 1:56 pmJune 29, 2021 9:55 pm

A group of Black leaders called on Gov. Phil Murphy and legislative leaders to reform the state’s budgeting process to be more inclusive and transparent shortly before the governor signed the state’s $46.4 billion appropriations bill into law Tuesday. “With...

Coughlin: No timeline for long-stalled legislative financial disclosure reforms

June 29, 2021 1:07 pm

Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin (D-Woodbridge) said his chamber and the Senate were working to iron out differences on a bill that would expand legislative financial disclosures but declined to give any timeline for the potential reforms, which have been stalled...

Murphy signs $46.4 billion budget into law

June 29, 2021 11:22 amJune 29, 2021 3:41 pm

Gov. Phil Murphy signed Democrats’ $46.4 billion budget bill into law a day ahead of the deadline Monday, capping an election year appropriations process that lacked the Democratic infighting that defined budget negotiations in the first two years of his...

Democratic leaders in both chambers commit to releasing budget resolutions in coming days

June 24, 2021 7:49 pmJune 25, 2021 11:45 am

Top Democrats in both chambers committed to disclosing budget resolutions filed by members seeking spending on pet projects in the coming days. “I think I got full control. I’ll release them tomorrow,” Senate President Steve Sweeney (D-West Deptford) said during...

Budget bill goes to Murphy’s desk after party line votes

June 24, 2021 4:01 pmJune 24, 2021 4:07 pm

Democrats’ $46.4 billion spending bill is headed to Gov. Phil Murphy’s desk after clearing both chambers in party-line votes Thursday afternoon. The bill passed the Senate first in a 25-15 vote that saw all members stick with their caucuses before...

Senate committee approve budget mere minutes after 281-page bill becomes public

June 22, 2021 6:37 pm

The Senate Budget Committee approved a 281-page bill appropriating more than $52 billion mere minutes after its full text became available to the public Tuesday. The committee’s Democratic members faced repeated questions throughout the day about what they promised would...