Democratic New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy unveiled his first budget on Tuesday, a $37.4 billion spending plan that departs sharply from his predecessor, Republican Gov. Chris Christie.
A closer look at Murphy’s key proposals:
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TAXES
Murphy is proposing raising the tax on incomes above $1 million from the top bracket of 8.97 percent to 10.75 percent. The hike is estimated to generate more than $750 million.
He also is calling for undoing a sales tax cut that was part of Christie’s deal with lawmakers to raise the gas tax and fund transportation.
Murphy’s plan would raise the rate from 6.625 percent to 7 percent. That could bring in at least half a billion dollars. He is calling for expanding the sales tax to ride-sharing and certain accommodations like Airbnb.
Murphy also wants to tax e-cigarettes for about $65 million.
On business taxes, he is proposing closing the so-called carried interest loophole for about $100 million in revenue as well as other technical changes for about $110 million in new receipts.
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SCHOOL AID
The governor wants to spend about $341 million in direct aid to schools under a Supreme Court-mandated formula that Christie failed to apply for. Overall, Murphy plans to increase school aid by about $1 billion or 8 percent over the current fiscal year, which ends June 30. That figure also includes pension payments, debt service and school building costs.
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NEW JERSEY TRANSIT
The Democrat is calling for nearly tripling the state’s subsidy to New Jersey Transit, increasing general fund support from $141 million to $383 million.
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MARIJUANA
Murphy wants to legalize recreational marijuana and is expected to receive about $60 million from taxation and regulation. He is coupling that with about $20 million in estimated revenues from an expanded medical marijuana law he is banking on.
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COMMUNITY COLLEGE
The Democrat is asking lawmakers to approve $50 million in new funding for community college tuition assistance. The funding request falls short of his promise for free community college, but Murphy says it would put the state on a pathway to free tuition. The new cash is expected to support 15,000 students with incomes under $45,000 to attend community college tuition for free.
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MINIMUM WAGE
Murphy is calling on legislators to approve a $15 minimum wage, up from the state’s current minimum wage of $8.60. It was set under a 2013 constitutional amendment that provided for raising the rate from $7.25 to $8.25, and thereafter according to inflation.
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PENSIONS
The governor is calling for an increased pension payment from $2.5 billion to $3.2 billion. The proposal amounts to a 60 percent payment of the amount recommended by actuaries and falls short Murphy’s pledge to fully fund the pension.
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