Christie shutting down road projects after deal collapses
TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — Republican Gov. Chris Christie dropped a jackhammer on New Jersey politics late Thursday, ordering an eventual shutdown of roadwork projects after Democratic lawmakers failed to agree with him on how to address the state transportation fund's borrowing authority, which expired Friday.
The governor's action, along with cutting $300 million in Democratic budget priorities including on women's health and welfare benefits, comes as he is being vetted to be the running mate of presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump.
While Christie had worked with the Democratic state Assembly speaker on the transportation plan, he used his signing of the state's $34.5 billion budget Thursday night to slam Democrats for presenting him "with an irresponsible spending plan."
Senate President Steve Sweeney and a bipartisan coalition of lawmakers had backed a separate deal that included an identical gas tax hike.