Sue Altman

Some progressive activists say New Jersey should follow the lead of New York City, where the city council has approved a bill giving more than 800,000 noncitizens legally living in the city the right to vote in local elections.

The Legislature begins its review of Gov. Phil Murphy’s budget Tuesday, with the typical four-month marathon turned into a sprint concluding in three weeks.

Brandon McKoy, president of New Jersey Policy Perspective, said New Jersey ended up with the slowest recovery in the nation after the Great Recession because it wouldn’t consider tax increases.

The coalition, made up faith, labor, environmental, transportation, housing and community organizations, is also calling for restoration of the 7% state sales tax.