Assembly Speaker Sheila Y. Oliver (D-Essex/Passaic) today hailed the passage of a democratic budget that restores critical funding for education, seniors and the working poor.
“At the heart of this budget is a statement on our principles.
“When we began this process nearly four months ago, we undertook the arduous task of rectifying the Governor’s drastic cuts to some of our most vulnerable constituents within the confines of our fiscal realities.
“The end result is a budget we can all be proud of – one that restores vital tax credits for the working poor, funds education more fairly for every student, provides property tax relief to seniors, and expands health care access to working-class families.
“This budget truly represents ‘shared sacrifice.’ It is about asking everyone to do their part to help weather the current economic crisis and not balancing the budget solely on the backs of middle and lower income families.”
The budget passed by a vote of 46-32.