We've been hearing about the budget stalemate between New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy and the legislature for months. And we're just about out of time. Today is the deadline. If there's no deal, a partial government shutdown takes effect at midnight. (See a list of what will be closed here.)
If it seems like the last shutdown was just last year, well, it was. And it led to a mountain of memes. But there's no Chris Christie to kick around anymore. It's new Democratic governor, Phil Murphy this time — at war with his own heavily Democratic legislature. (We're not sure if he'd be so quick to pose with a Christie meme this year.)
State Senate President Steve Sweeney has framed the budget standoff as a simple matter of the legislature sticking up for Jersey taxpayers.
Speaking on News 12 New Jersey, Sweeney said, "The budget itself is 98% of what (Murphy) asked for. We just disagree on how to fund it. He wants to tax the PEOPLE of New Jersey – and we don't."
Phil Murphy has been sticking to his plan to raise taxes on millionaires while also offering a compromise budget this week. He also threw ice-cold water on the legislature's latest proposals – including a plan to tax short term rentals.
At a press conference, Murphy said, "Some in the Trenton ecosystem continue to play games and toss Hail Mary passes from the state house to see if maybe just one can land in the end zone. So far, they've all been short."
So here we are.
WNYC's Nancy Solomon joins David Furst for the latest on the stalemate.
"This is not about policy," Solomon said. "This is not about who believes in tax cuts and who believes in more taxes or about what should be funded and how it should be funded. This is about power."