New Jersey

Chris Christie Objects to New Jersey Democrats' New Transportation Plan

A new Democratic plan to raise the state's gas tax by 23 cents a gallon while cutting other taxes is "dead on arrival," Gov. Chris Christie said Monday.

Christie, a Republican, shot down a proposal unveiled Friday by Senate President Steve Sweeney and Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto.

"I reviewed this weekend the Democrats' latest plan to fund the Transportation Trust Fund through a massive gas tax hike that does not represent tax fairness to the residents of New Jersey," Christie said in a statement. "Therefore, I cannot support it."

The legislators' plan called for raising the fuel tax to 37.5 cents a gallon from 14.5 cents while providing for $2 billion a year for the transportation fund.

It also phases out the estate tax over 3½ years among other measures and called for increasing a tax credit for low-income families, among other measures.

It's the latest in the debate over transportation funding. Christie and Prieto agreed to raising the gas tax by 23 cents and cutting the sales tax to 6 percent over nearly 2 years. The Assembly passed the plan, but Sweeney and other senators balked, failing to take up the legislation.

The transportation trust fund exhausted authority for new borrowing and current tax receipts are not enough to cover the account's debt payments.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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