For The Many NJ Calls for Transparent and Inclusive Budget Process

August 19, 2020 – Earlier today, members of For The Many NJ sent an open letter to Governor Murphy, Senate President Sweeney, Assembly Speaker Coughlin, and members of the Senate and Assembly Budget Committees calling for a transparent and inclusive budget process.

"As of today, 36 business days before the FY 2021 budget must be passed, there is no publicly available basic information on the budget process, like the schedule of key budget events and whether the New Jersey Legislature has plans to call upon state commissioners or fiscal experts to testify before finalizing the Appropriations Act," the letter states.

More than 20 organizations signed onto the letter, including the non-partisan think tank New Jersey Policy Perspective, the Anti-Poverty Network of New Jersey, SEIU 32BJ, and the New Jersey Education Association.

The letter calls next year's state budget "one of the most consequential budgets in New Jersey’s history" given the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on state revenue and the subsequent possibility of dramatic cuts to public services and programs.

A copy of the letter can be read here.

For The Many is a statewide coalition of more than 30 organizations working to expand funding for essential services and improve budget practices to meet current and future needs, especially for communities that have been historically marginalized.  

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