NJGOP CONDEMNS SHERRILL BUDGET RAMMED THROUGH UNDER COVER OF NIGHT Largest budget in New Jersey history unveiled moments before 11 PM Sunday vote — taxpayers had no chance to see it coming

COLTS NECK, N.J. — The New Jersey Republican Party today condemned Governor Mikie Sherrill and Democratic legislative leaders for ramming through the largest state budget in New Jersey history under the cover of night, giving lawmakers and the public virtually no time to review a spending plan that will cost taxpayers $60.7 billion.

The Governor promised New Jersey families greater transparency and affordability. Instead, her first budget delivered secrecy, record spending, and the same broken Trenton process taxpayers were promised would change.

The budget was released just moments before an 11:00 p.m. committee hearing on Sunday evening, where lawmakers were expected to vote on hundreds of pages of spending before anyone had a meaningful opportunity to read or analyze it. Republicans repeatedly objected to the rushed process and offered amendments to reduce wasteful spending, restore vital programs, and provide fair school funding, but those efforts were rejected by the Democratic majority.

“Governor Sherrill promised a new era of leadership, but New Jersey got the same secretive, backroom budgeting that has become Trenton’s trademark,” said NJGOP Chairwoman Christine Giordano Hanlon. “When the largest budget in state history is unveiled just moments before an 11 p.m. committee vote on a Sunday night, it’s clear the goal isn’t transparency—it’s preventing public scrutiny.”

Beyond the flawed process, the budget itself raises serious concerns about New Jersey’s fiscal future.

At $60.7 billion, New Jersey’s budget is larger than those of Pennsylvania, Ohio, Georgia, and North Carolina, even though each of those states has a larger population. On a per-resident basis, New Jersey taxpayers will shoulder approximately $6,357 in state spending, compared to roughly $4,114 in Pennsylvania, $4,018 in Ohio, $3,194 in Georgia, and just $2,701 in North Carolina.

“Families across New Jersey are struggling with skyrocketing property taxes, utility bills, tolls, insurance costs, and the highest cost of living in the region,” Hanlon said. “Instead of exercising fiscal discipline, Governor Sherrill and Trenton Democrats responded by passing the biggest budget New Jersey has ever seen.”

The budget process also included a nearly $359 million supplemental spending bill stuffed with last-minute earmarks that Democrats quietly moved through a back door to avoid scrutiny. 

“The people of New Jersey deserve a budget process that is transparent, accountable, and focused on delivering results. Not one that relies on late-night votes, hidden spending, and record-breaking budgets that families simply cannot afford,” Hanlon concluded. “While Democrats congratulate themselves on breaking spending records, Republicans will keep fighting to lower costs, cut waste, and make New Jersey a state where families can actually afford to live.”

About the NJGOP

The New Jersey Republican State Committee is the official entity of the Republican National Committee and represents more than 1.6 million Republicans registered in New Jersey. For more information, visit NJGOP.org.

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