New Jersey Hours Away From Government Shutdown

The New Jersey Advance reports:

The Democrats who lead New Jersey agree: They want to raise somebody’s taxes. But the debate over exactly who pays could shut down state government at midnight. Again. So the stage is set Saturday for another dramatic day in Trenton, one that could hit people across New Jersey.

Gov. Phil Murphy and legislative leaders remained locked in a dispute Friday night over competing plans for New Jersey’s state budget, which must be approved before July 1 to keep government offices, state parks and state-run beaches open.

Murphy assailed lawmakers’ plan as so favorable to millionaires that not even the governor himself — a wealthy former Goldman Sachs executive — would see his taxes go up.

NBC News reports:

Non-essential state offices, which means up to 35,000 state employees would be furloughed. All Motor Vehicle Commission agencies and inspection stations will close. State courts will close. That means a halt to all state cases, including divorces.

The state Department of Health will no longer be able to issue copies of marriage certificates and birth certificates. State permitting and inspection offices would not operate. Hospitals run by the state will continue to operate. So will prisons. New Jersey Transit will continue to run.

In the event of a potential state government shutdown, all NJ TRANSIT services will continue to operate on their regular schedules.

— NJ TRANSIT (@NJTRANSIT) June 29, 2018