ASSEMBLY PASSES ROBERTS/QUIGLEY/SCHAER BILL REQUIRING PUBLIC RESOLUTIONS TO CHANGE STATE BUDGET

Measure Would Codify Procedure Put in Place Last Year to Enhance Budget Transparency

(TRENTON) - The General Assembly today released legislation sponsored by Assembly Speaker Joseph J. Roberts, Jr., and Assembly members Joan M. Quigley and Gary S. Schaer that would codify procedures adopted last year for amending the governor's proposed budget.

"Transparency and public access have become watchwords of government," said Roberts (D-Camden).  "We must make every effort to ensure that the improvements in transparency we instituted during last year's budget process are repeated."

The legislation (ACR-164) proposes a joint legislative rule to require requests to change the governor's proposed budget by the Legislature or the state treasurer be filed as resolutions and be made available to the public.  It would stipulate that the annual appropriations act consist only of revenues, line-items, and language provisions proposed by the governor or provided by adopted legislative resolution.

Under the bill, a budget resolution would contain the identity of the sponsor, an explanation of the proposed change, the reason for the change, and a personal disclosure statement.  Resolutions would need to be filed with the budget committees of the Senate or General Assembly at least 14 calendar days before the Assembly begins consideration of a finalized appropriations act.

Resolutions filed less than 14 calendar days before the consideration of a finalized appropriations act would be handled in a manner to be determined by the Senate President and Assembly Speaker.

"The residents of New Jersey deserve better than a budget that is hastily thrown together at the eleventh hour," said Quigley (D-Hudson), a member of the Assembly Budget Committee.  "Last year we put an end to the last-minute, late night nature of the state's budget deliberations.  Now, we should make these procedures permanent."

"Faced with a serious fiscal crisis and a looming recession, we can no longer afford to assemble a state budget by the seat of our pants," said Schaer (D-Passaic), vice-chairman of the budget panel.  "Adding transparency and accountability into the budget deliberations will restore order to our fiscal process and force us to properly weigh each recommendation based on its merits."

The Assembly passed the bill by a vote of 73 to 2.  The measure now heads to the Senate for further consideration.

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