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-NJ's state government needs a new budget by July 1 -Lawmakers have yet to introduce the spending bill that needs to pass both houses and get the governor's signature by the deadline -Without a budget, state govt shuts down in the middle of an international soccer tournament @njspotlightnews.org

"(C)onsumer prices in May were up 4.2% from a year ago. That's the biggest annual increase since April of 2023. By contrast, the Labor Department says average wages have risen only 3.4% over the last year, so workers' real spending power has declined."

-Gov. Sherrill’s proposed state budget flat funds NJ’s 988 suicide prevention hotline at a time when demand is rising. -Some lawmakers say the system needs more funding and they still want to establish a tax on phone lines to bring in dedicated, additional revenue for NJ's 988. @njspotlightnews.org

-NJ farmers face some of the highest operating costs in the nation, including property taxes and labor. Now fuel and fertilizer prices are way up due to President Trump's war in Iran, adding to the financial strain. @njspotlightnews.org

"This large support is consistent across every demographic group, never dropping below 75% in any key demographic."

As we await introduction of the FY2027 spending bill . . . Eight out of 10 NJ voters surveyed for this Rutgers-Eagleton Poll favor ending the practice of adding new spending to the state budget in the final days before a vote on its adoption.

"Raise your hand if you think New Jersey already has too much traffic . . ." @njspotlightnews.org

It is truly a pleasure to collaborate with talents like @colleenodea.bsky.social and @bhulac.bsky.social on stories that attempt to go deep on key issues. @njspotlightnews.org "Where Issues Matter"

More than 230 U.S. schools, including about 15 in NJ in the past few years, paid thousands for private “Blue Ribbon” awards. For more on what sparked this investigation, listen to our podcast: Is your kid’s Blue Ribbon school what you think it is? www.njspotlightnews.org/podcast/hey-...

Summer financial aid, student teacher stipends, and operating aid for higher education institutions across New Jersey are at stake in Gov. Sherrill’s budget proposal for fiscal year 2027.

-NJ's public worker pension fund generated nearly 11% investment returns in FY2025 -A few months ago, the FY2026 returns were once again topping 10% -Then came President Trump's war in Iran, which triggered volatility that threatens to dampen those soaring returns. @njspotlightnews.org

Everyone remembers that excruciating video where @bhulac.bsky.social tried to get U.S. Rep. Tom Kean Jr (R-7th) to answer basic questions during Kean's bid for reelection in 2024. With Kean now MIA in DC, Ben & the @njspotlightnews.org "Hey, NJ" podcast hosts talk all about Kean's ongoing absence.

From a big revenue loss to $100M in new expenditures state govt is having to take on, NJ is now feeling the effects of HR 1, the much-debated federal tax and spending law enacted nearly a year ago that President Trump and the GOP Congress called their "Big Beautiful Bill." @njspotlightnews.org

Congrats! @pbsnews.org

NEWS: Members of Congress are worried about Tom Kean. He is not replying to texts or calls and has not voted in the House since early March. "We just haven’t heard a word." www.njspotlightnews.org/2026/04/radi... @njspotlightnews.org @genesisobando.bsky.social @maddiference.bsky.social

--Trump's approval rating on the economy dropped to 30% in April from 38% in a March AP-NORC poll.--

NEW: ICE and CBP have tens of billions of dollars in reserve. Republicans in Congress want to give them more money -- enough at least to "carry us through the Trump presidency." www.njspotlightnews.org/2026/04/immi... @njspotlightnews.org #ICE #CBP

Crowd at @analiliafornj.bsky.social HQ hearing from Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, longtime union leader Hetty Rosenstein and others as they wait for the main attraction after a very early call by AP. Results: www.njspotlightnews.org/2026/04/11th...

NJ Transit . . . World Cup crowds . . .summer temperatures What could go wrong? Another great @njspotlightnews.org Hey, NJ podcast episode👇👇👇

NJ's bonded debt has dropped below $39B. This reduction, measured at the end of FY2025, comes after lawmakers and former Gov. Murphy created a dedicated reserve for debt defeasance and prevention. However, the state’s latest ACFR shows OPEB obligations remain on the rise. @njspotlightnews.org

U.S. wholesale prices surged last month as the Iran war drove up the cost of energy. https://to.pbs.org/4cxvZSG

Some Americans say they would rather illegally withhold their taxes than unwillingly fund immigrant detention centers or military aid. The objections are modern, but this form of protest dates back to the country’s founding.

Hey, NJ! This week, we’re talking about the war in Iran. Over a month into an expansive war in the Middle East, where is Congress? @bhulac.bsky.social discusses secret briefings, upcoming budget hearings, war power votes and more. Listen: www.njspotlightnews.org/podcast/what...

Inflation is straining the personal finances of many government retirees living in New Jersey. Gov. Sherrill wants the state to make another full pension contribution in FY2027. But COLAs for retirees would stay frozen for at least another year. @njspotlightnews.org

Gov. Sherrill's proposed budget includes $2B in cuts. But NJ Transit is getting a $215M increase. NJT's CEO told lawmakers: “The governor intuitively understands that in order for us to have a successful economy, you have to have a mass transit system that actually functions." @njspotlightnews.org

"The gas price shock stemming from the Iran war has shifted inflation's trajectory, from a slow, gradual decline to a sharp increase further away from the Fed's 2% target."

What if the state could use tax information it already collects from employers to fill out your NJ tax return? The idea behind a legislative ReadyReturn proposal is to simplify state taxes, especially for low income taxpayers with limited access to technology and tax pros. @njspotlightnews.org

The potential for a prolonged military conflict overseas is triggering a rise in gas prices across NJ. But also increased economic uncertainty, posing a new challenge for revenue forecasters in Trenton who have started looking ahead to the new fiscal year that begins July 1. @njspotlightnews.org

NEWS: This tax year is going to be more complicated than usual. The IRS is doing it with about 75% the staff it had before Trump. www.njspotlightnews.org/2026/04/mark... @njspotlightnews.org

Total spending can go up, even when there are cuts. And NJ lawmakers just got an earful during public hearings on Gov. Sherrill's budget plan from the many groups that use state dollars to provide services throughout NJ that are now facing cuts. Follow @njspotlightnews.org for more NJ budget news

"Public media exists to serve the public interest — that of Americans — not that of any political agenda or elected official."

A new report says the significant electricity rate hikes that hit consumers hard in NJ last year were mostly due to increased data center power usage and a lack of new energy sources. Reporting by @colleenodea.bsky.social @njspotlightnews.org.

Gov. Sherrill’s budget plan would maintain more than $4 billion in annual spending on direct property tax relief programs. But a proposal to redirect some funding from Stay NJ to Anchor is now a subject of debate. @johnreitmeyer.bsky.social breaks it down: www.njspotlightnews.org/2026/03/sher...

"That’s a fairer, more efficient use of taxpayer money.” This is how Gov. Mikie Sherrill has described her plan to preserve full Anchor benefits for senior tenants, while lowering the income cap and max benefit provided to senior homeowners via Stay NJ. Will lawmakers agree? @njspotlightnews.org

What remains to be seen is whether a February news conference can lead to a sea change in fiscal policymaking in late June, when Democratic legislative leaders like to insert hundreds of millions in new spending into the state budget, without offsetting cuts or revenue raisers. @njspotlightnews.org

In an interview with @njspotlightnews.org, U.S. Rep. Rob Menendez says NJ's pension fund should divest its stake in a technology firm doing business with ICE that I wrote about last month.

The legislation moving this year's gubernatorial budget message to March 10 has now been approved by both full houses of the NJ Legislature. @njspotlightnews.org

As President Trump prepares to deliver the first State of the Union address of his second term, six in ten Americans say the country is in a worse place than a year ago. https://to.pbs.org/3OYgo69

‘People don’t know s—. A bunch of idiots out there’: Quinn Hughes defends brother jack after Olympic golden goal

The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday struck down President Donald Trump's global tariffs, a key part of his economic agenda during his second term. Read more: https://to.pbs.org/4kIlmjo

Six Republicans voted to terminate President Trump's Canada tariffs. NJ Reps. Jeff Van Drew (R-2nd), Chris Smith (R-4th) and Tom Kean Jr. (R-7th) were not among them. They each voted to maintain the tariffs. @bhulac.bsky.social @njspotlightnews.org

Work on the tunnel project is expected to resume next week, according to the Gateway Development Commission. The commission said it now has more than $205 million in hand, reports @bhulac.bsky.social @njspotlightnews.org

The Gateway Development Commission, the project’s overseer, reported “an initial disbursement of $30 million” and expected to receive $205 million in total, according to a statement it issued late Friday afternoon. @njspotlightnews.org

The Trump administration fails in its attempt to block last week's order freeing up federal funding for the Gateway tunnel project. @njspotlightnews.org

. . . the federal government is now expected to run a $23.1 trillion shortfall over the next nine years . . .

Getting a hearing in the Senate on Monday was legislation that would return diverted money to the state Opioid Recovery and Remediation Fund. An earlier attempt to do that stalled in NJ's majority Democratic Legislature at the end of last year. @bobby-brier.bsky.social @njspotlightnews.org

More than $250M for NJ earmarks is coming after Congress passes a series of new spending bills, reports @bhulac.bsky.social @njspotlightnews.org