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There could be a government shutdown in New Jersey this weekend, unless Governor Phil Murphy and the legislature reach an agreement.
Time is running out before tomorrow’s midnight deadline, but Murphy is hopeful something could get done.
“If we reached an agreement, believe me, we’re going to lay across the tracks to keep the government open. Resolve, but reasonable. I think we put out a nice framework in which all parties can sort of find some common ground,” Murphy said.
If there is a government shutdown, it would mean things like state beaches would be closed. Last year, then-Governor Chris Christie was criticized after he was photographed on Island Beach State Park during a shutdown.
"Last year the beach is closed. Definitely business was off. We definitely had some problems and it just wasn't fair to the people of the state of New Jersey," one man told WOR's Alice Stockton-Rossini.
Murphy is pushing for a millionaire’s tax and an increase in the sales tax to 7 percent. So far, the state legislature has refused to back that proposal.
"This is not a radical idea. It is supported by a wide majority of New Jerseyans of every political stripe. They recognize that tax fairness is the best way forward," Murphy said.
Photo Credit: Alice Stockton-Rossini