Analysts expect Christie to focus on education in state address

Political analysts don’t expect many surprises when Governor Chris Christie delivers his state-of-the-state address to the New Jersey Legislature Tuesday.

Rather than proposing many new initiatives, Christie will focus on measures he was unable to get though the Democratic-controlled Legislature last year, according to analysts.

They expect education reform to be the central issue.

However, it won’t be easy for the governor to get lawmakers to go along with his ideas, said Montclair State University political science professor Brigid Harrison.

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“The kinds of proposals that he now wants to get through weren’t easy ones,” Harrison said. “So I think he will face significant opposition.”

Peter Woolley at Fairleigh Dickinson University has a different view. He believes Christie will be able to find some support among majority Democrats to get education reforms enacted.

“He’ll be able to cross the aisle to find the small groups of people who are with him on that issue and pry them off the majority block,” Woolley said.

Analysts say it will be important to get action early in the legislative session before attention turns to next year’s campaign for governor.

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