"TRENTON - A key Republican lawmaker says he expects school-aid cuts when Gov. Christie lays out his budget plans tomorrow.
'I would expect some significant impact on school aid as a result of his updated message on budget,' said Assemblyman Joseph Malone (R., Burlington), the ranking Republican on the Budget Committee.
Christie inherited a deficit of more than $1 billion in the current budget, which runs through June 30. According to two other sources with knowledge of the budget, Christie is expected to propose from $1.2 billion to $1.5 billion in spending reductions tomorrow when he addresses the Legislature in the first major policy speech of his tenure.
The sources cautioned that decisions on how to balance the spending plan had not been finalized. But they acknowledged that aid to schools was one of the few big pots of money left for Christie to draw from as he tries to balance the budget more than halfway through the fiscal year.
Malone said he met recently with Christie and the state treasurer. New Jersey's fiscal picture, he said, remains bleak."
'I would expect some significant impact on school aid as a result of his updated message on budget,' said Assemblyman Joseph Malone (R., Burlington), the ranking Republican on the Budget Committee.
Christie inherited a deficit of more than $1 billion in the current budget, which runs through June 30. According to two other sources with knowledge of the budget, Christie is expected to propose from $1.2 billion to $1.5 billion in spending reductions tomorrow when he addresses the Legislature in the first major policy speech of his tenure.
The sources cautioned that decisions on how to balance the spending plan had not been finalized. But they acknowledged that aid to schools was one of the few big pots of money left for Christie to draw from as he tries to balance the budget more than halfway through the fiscal year.
Malone said he met recently with Christie and the state treasurer. New Jersey's fiscal picture, he said, remains bleak."