Christie Signs $34.5B New Jersey Budget Into Law

Gov. Chris Christie signed a $34.5 billion budget into law on Thursday just hours ahead of a deadline to enact a balanced spending plan.

The Republican governor used his line item veto to cut increased security aid for private schools. The new budget allocates $7.5 million, a 200 percent increase from last year’s budget. It provides $50 per child which will allow schools to purchase and install sophisticated camera systems, sensors, lockdown equipment and security guards.

This funding is down from the $75 in the bill passed by the legislature but more than the current $25 per child.

Christie railed against Democrats for building into the budget nearly $300 million in funding for programs, money he said that is beyond what revenue projections support.

Unlike previous years, there was little drama between Christie and the Democrat-led Legislature over the spending plan. They instead wrangled over transportation funding, whose trust fund lapsed on Friday without a deal in place to pay for it.

This article appeared in print on page 5 of the July 4th, 2016 edition of Hamodia.