Senator Ed Durr said he’s disappointed by huge increases in spending and underwhelming tax relief in the Democrats’ state budget along with the utter lack of transparency in the budget process.

Sen. Ed Durr said he’s disappointed by huge increases in spending and underwhelming tax relief in the Democrats’ state budget along with the utter lack of transparency in the budget process. (©iStock)

“I’m very disappointed that Democrats are increasing state spending by 9% when we have a looming recession and sky-high inflation that’s making it hard for families to get by,” said Durr (R-3). “Instead of giving back billions in tax overcollections to the people as Republicans proposed, we’re now learning about the billions in pork projects that Democrats jammed into their bloated $50 billion budget. There’s no way I can support that.”

Durr sponsors S-2290, the “Gas Price and Inflation Tax Credit Act,” which would provide millions of New Jersey families with immediate $500 rebate checks to offset the impact of record-high gas prices and the highest inflation in a generation. His legislation was included as part of a comprehensive Senate Republican budget plan.

His proposal is one of a pair of “Give It Back” tax rebates proposed by Senate Republicans that would combine to return $1,500 this year to struggling New Jersey families immediately.

Instead of the $8 billion of total tax relief proposed by Senate Republicans, Democrats have settled on Governor Murphy’s much smaller ANCHOR plan that won’t return any money to taxpayers until next year at the earliest.

Durr also slammed the lack of transparency by Democrats in the budget process.

Despite the addition of more than $8 billion of new revenues to the budget in the final weeks after public hearings concluded, and newly revealed plans to spend approximately $2 billion of federal pandemic relief funds, neither the public nor legislators were given any real ability to review the final budget and additional spending prior to a vote.

“Our Budget Committee members got the final 277-page budget bill by email just 10 minutes before the bill was brought up for a vote on Monday,” Durr added. “I didn’t get any details on the budget until yesterday, the day before our Senate vote. There has been absolutely no opportunity for the public to review and provide their input either. The lack of transparency from Democrats on how they’re spending the people’s money is absolutely infuriating.”