Paul Sarlo

$7.7 billion in spending will keep the state operating through September. Big decisions about cuts, taxes and borrowing are due over the next three months.

Dependents of essential workers who die in the course of employment due to contracting COVID-19 would receive extra workers’ compensation benefits under a bill scheduled for a vote at Monday’s Senate session.

A former state budget director under both major political parties says the state should raise taxes now and slash pension contributions rather than borrow billions of dollars to close a huge coronavirus-created deficit.

Marilou Halverson, president of the NJ Restaurant and Hospitality Association, said there are around 20,000 restaurants in the state and that 15% to 18% are not expected to survive.

A job-sharing furlough plan could save governments hundreds of millions and raise incomes by drawing down extra CARES Act unemployment funds.

Significant legislation that would require food waste to be recycled by places that generate a lot of it has been approved by the Legislature.

The budget appropriates $38.7B, which is $142M more than Murphy sought in February, though $151M less than Murphy’s revised blueprint described by the state treasurer in May.

Income tax collections surged to a record in April, as shortfalls in December and January proved to be merely delays, not a disappearance.

Gov. Murphy could have shown a scandal-ridden subordinate the door. Instead he stayed silent.

The state Health Department projects 2 million square feet of cultivation space would be needed to get adult-use recreational marijuana started.