Oroho Calls for Budget Committee to Take Public Testimony on Murphy’s 2021 Spending Plan
Senate Republican Budget Officer Steven Oroho is calling for at least one Senate Budget Committee meeting that is open for public testimony on the FY 2021 budget.
Senator Oroho, the Senate Republic Budget Officer, is calling for the addition of at least one hearing to allow the public to comment on the Fiscal Year 2021 budget to the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee. (SenateNJ.com)
In a letter to Senate Paul Sarlo, chairman of the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee, Oroho said he was disappointed by “the lack of even one opportunity for the public to share their concerns in person or via a Zoom meeting with the full Senate Budget Committee.”
The full text of the letter is below:
Dear Senator Sarlo:
I am encouraging you to schedule at least one meeting of the Senate Budget Committee to take public testimony about the 2021 budget.
Senate Republican Budget Members Call for Open, Informed & Transparent Hearing Process on Murphy’s Revised FY21 Spending Plan
Call for Governor to Immediately Release Detailed Budget Proposal for Legislators and Public to Review
The four Republican members of the Senate Budget & Appropriations Committee said a total lack of transparency from the Murphy Administration and a superficial budget hearing process announced by the Senate Majority will provide neither legislators nor the public the opportunity to vet Governor Phil Murphy’s revised FY 2021 State Budget proposal.
The Republican members of the Senate Budget Committee said a total lack of transparency from the Murphy Administration and a superficial budget hearing process announced by the Senate Majority will provide neither legislators nor the public the opportunity to vet Gov. Phil Murphy’s revised FY 2021 State Budget proposal. (Pixabay)
The members, Senate Republican Budget Officer Steven Oroho (R-24), Senator Sam Thompson (R-12), Senator Declan O’Scanlon (R-13), and Senator Michael Testa (R-1), issued the following joint statement:
“We were willing to give Governor Murphy the benefit of the doubt when he said that extending the State’s fiscal year was necessary to respond to the financial challenges of COVID-19. Unfortunately, it does not look like he has made good use of this extra time.
“Despite the extra three months the governor was given, no detailed budget has been produced or made available for the public or legislators to review. That’s leading to a rushed and superficial budget hearing process that will have no actual budget to examine or provide any opportunity for direct public input or testimony.
Oroho Calls for Murphy to Abandon Consideration of Gas Tax Increase
Noting that Governor Phil Murphy has repeatedly cited and exercised vast executive authority to respond to the current public health emergency, Senator Steven Oroho (R-24) called for the governor to abandon consideration of a 9.3 cent/gallon gas tax increase that was announced by the Treasury Department on Friday:
Sen. Steven Oroho called for the governor to abandon consideration of a 9.3 cent/gallon gas tax increase that was announced by the Treasury Department. (SenateNJ.com)
“Governor Murphy has had no problem issuing executive orders during the current public health emergency to take extreme steps like shutting down the New Jersey economy and preventing voters from casting their ballots in person. He has changed statutory deadlines and unilaterally ordered numerous other changes without legislative approval.
District 24 Lawmakers Blast Murphy’s Continued $10.4 Million Cut in Local School Aid
Senator Steven Oroho and Assemblymen Parker Space and Hal Wirths (all R-24) reacted to news that Governor Murphy’s revised budget still includes a dramatic decrease in state aid to schools within the 24th Legislative District.
Senator Oroho and Assemblymen Space and Wirths promised to fight Governor Murphy’s cut of more than $10 million in education funding from schools in their legislative district. (Pixabay)
District 24, which includes towns in Sussex, Warren and Morris counties, is slated to lose $10,371,537 in State education aid this school year under Governor Murphy’s latest budget proposal, according to documentation released by the State Department of Education. This comes on the heels of Murphy and the Democrat legislature slashing funding to school districts by over $5.5 million the previous year. In fact, this draconian cut is over $1.77 million more than what the Governor proposed to cut in February.
Senate Republican Budget Members: Murphy’s New Spending Plan Shows No Fiscal Restraint, Ignores Opportunities to Help Taxpayers & Get People Back to Work
The four Republican members of the Senate Budget & Appropriations Committee said Governor Phil Murphy’s revised budget plan for FY 2021 is little changed from the pre-COVID budget he proposed in February, except for the addition of billions in borrowing.
The four Republican members of the Senate Budget Committee said Governor Phil Murphy’s revised budget plan for 2021 is little changed from the pre-COVID budget he proposed in February, except for the addition of billions in borrowing. (Pixabay)
They said he continues to oversell the fiscal impact of the coronavirus on the State’s finances, while ignoring opportunities to help taxpayers and get people back to work.
Senate Republican Budget Members Support Calls for Public Hearings on Murphy’s Spending Plan
The four Republican members of the Senate Budget & Appropriations Committee expressed their support for calls by nearly two dozen interest groups for public hearings to be held on the revised budget plan for FY 2021 that Governor Phil Murphy is set to release next week.
The Republican members of the Senate Budget Committee expressed their support for calls by nearly two dozen interest groups for public hearings to be held on the revised budget plan for FY 2021 that Gov. Phil Murphy is set to release next week. (SenateNJ.com)
The members, Senate Republican Budget Officer Steven Oroho (R-24), Senator Sam Thompson (R-12), Senator Declan O’Scanlon (R-13), and Senator Michael Testa (R-1), issued the following joint statement:
“The shortened time frame afforded to us by this year’s adjusted budget calendar shouldn’t be an excuse for the Legislature to forego a public hearing process on tens of billions of spending that Governor Murphy will propose for the upcoming fiscal year.
Oroho, Space & Wirths Say Regional Openings Can Save Businesses Without Risking Safety
‘It’s A Fallacy To Paint It As A Choice Between Jobs and Health’
Senator Steve Oroho and Assemblymen Parker Space and Hal Wirths (R-24) today reiterated their call for a regional reopening to the state’s economy and the lifting of restrictions on business in areas with lower COVID-19 transmission numbers.
Senator Oroho and Assemblymen Space and Wirths are calling for a regional reopening of the state’s economy that would help business and employees without endangering residents. (Pixabay)
“We can reopen safely and smartly,” said Oroho. “Respecting appropriate safety protocols should mean you don’t have to sacrifice economic health at the expense of physical health. We should never have been treating them as if they are mutually exclusive. So when restaurants, gyms, stores and service companies tell us they may not be able to survive much longer, these are not idle threats. Every day, more employers are pulling the plug on their lifelong dreams, laying off workers, and closing their doors forever. It shouldn’t be this way.”
Editorial: Working from Home and Still Paying a Bundle in Taxes to NY? Let’s End That
The following editorial by Sen. Steven Oroho (R-24) on the need for New Jersey to pursue tax fairness with New York was published by NJ.com on August 21, 2020:
With the rapid and likely permanent shift to telecommuting for many workers since the emergence of COVID-19, hundreds of thousands of New Jerseyans may be paying significantly more in taxes than they should. That’s because New York continues to levy income taxes on remote workers just as if they were still crossing the Hudson every day. As we will demonstrate, the cost of New York’s unjust taxation to both our state and impacted residents is substantial.
With many former commuters now working from home due to COVID-19, a shift that’s likely to become permanent for many workers, Sen. Steven Oroho said New Jersey should pursue tax fairness with New York to lower their tax bills. (SenateNJ.com)
Let’s start by examining the impact of this policy on an unmarried, single worker who earns $50,000 annually. If they were no longer taxed by New York while working from home in the Garden State, they would pay less than $1,300 in taxes to New Jersey. Under the existing policy, however, they pay more than $2,800 in taxes to New York when subject to the Empire State’s higher rates. New Jersey collects nothing from the worker under this arrangement since we give a full tax credit for every dollar paid to New York to prevent double taxation. In this example, the worker pays an extra $1,500 in income taxes to New York due to our neighbor’s unfair tax policies.
Oroho Bill to Allow Remote Bingo Approved by Senate Panel
Measure Helps Charities and Organizations Unable to Effectively Raise Money During the Pandemic
Senator Steve Oroho’s legislation that would allow bingo games and raffles to be conducted remotely cleared the Senate State Government, Wagering, Tourism & Historic Preservation Committee today.
Senator Oroho’s legislation that would help non-profits and organizations by allowing bingo games and raffles to be conducted remotely advanced today. (Pixabay)
Under Oroho’s bill (S-2631), organizations eligible to host the fund-raising games in person under current law would be permitted to utilize technology approved by the Legalized Games of Chance Control Commission to conduct remote activities.
“Many non-profits and charities have seen their primary revenue sources severely diminished due to rules and guidelines restricting indoor gatherings during the pandemic,” said Oroho (R-24). “By re-opening the revenue flow with remote contests, this measure could be a life preserver to vital organizations that may not otherwise survive the fiscal challenges created by the coronavirus.
Oroho/Space/Wirths Chastise Governor’s Abuse of Power
Residents Must Be Allowed to Vote In Person
Senator Steve Oroho and Assemblymen Parker Space and Hal Wirths (R-24) issued the following statement in response to Governor Murphy’s announcement that the November election will be limited to vote-by-mail:
Oroho, Space & Wirths issued the following statement in response to Gov. Murphy’s announcement that the November election will be limited to vote-by-mail. (SenateNJ.com)
“This shouldn’t be mandated. It should be up to individual voters to decide. If they want a mail-in ballot they can ask for one, and if they want to vote in person, they shouldn’t be prohibited from doing that.
“Even top health experts stated there’s no need not to have in-person voting. And other regional states, including Connecticut, have shown in-person voting can be done safely.
