Override of Christie budget cuts falls short in N.J.

Efforts by Democrats in the New Jersey Senate to override Gov. Chris Christie’s line-item vetoes of spending in the new state budget foundered Monday.

The override votes failed on 15 separate bills because of the lack of support from Republicans.

Senate Minority Leader Tom Kean claim the Democrats were merely preparing for their fall re-election campaigns.

“When we post a board list that spends more money than the little surplus we actually have for a rainy day, that’s outright irresponsible,” Kean said.

  • WHYY thanks our sponsors — become a WHYY sponsor

But Democrat Paul Sarlo says the governor’s vetoes have a big impact on the state’s most vulnerable residents.

“This is not about election-year gimmicks. This is about a safety net for some of our most vulnerable constituencies,” he said.

Senate President Steve Sweeney says Democrats will make another effort to override more of the vetoes.

Sweeney said the lack of support from at least three Republicans made it a “sad day.”

“This wasn’t like lifting 400 pounds. It wasn’t close,” he said. “This was an easy lift, and not to be able to get three was very, very disappointing.”

WHYY is your source for fact-based, in-depth journalism and information. As a nonprofit organization, we rely on financial support from readers like you. Please give today.

Want a digest of WHYY’s programs, events & stories? Sign up for our weekly newsletter.

Together we can reach 100% of WHYY’s fiscal year goal