The Assembly Republican Conference announced on June 2 that it will not submit any budget resolutions this year, citing concerns about a lack of transparency and fiscal accountability in the state’s budget process.
Assemblywoman Aura Dunn said, “Democrats add these so-called Christmas tree items, all this pork, at the eleventh hour through backroom deals, leaving the public and Republicans in the dark until well after the budget is passed and signed. It must stop.”
The decision comes after Governor Mikie Sherrill proposed a $60.7 billion budget in March—$1.9 billion more than her predecessor’s final spending bill—and called for fiscal restraint. Dunn said, “The governor rightly pointed out that we can’t afford this process anymore. It is not accountable. It is not efficient. And yes, New Jersey taxpayers deserve better,” adding that change must be supported by law rather than informal agreements.
Currently, rules adopted by Senate and General Assembly Democratic leaders allow members to file budget resolutions as late as 14 days before passage of the appropriations bill without specifying when those resolutions must be made public. Dunn has reintroduced legislation (A3805) requiring that such proposals be posted for public scrutiny by June 1 each year—a full month before a spending bill must be signed into law to avoid government shutdowns.
Dunn also recalled her experience on the Assembly Budget Committee: “I remember my own frustrations when I was a member of the budget committee, being handed a document of hundreds of pages just minutes before I was expected to vote on it,” she said. She added that minority members’ complaints about transparency were often dismissed: “Multiply that by 9 million and that’s the apathy shown toward New Jersey residents.”
Dunn has introduced an amendment (ACR128) seeking to eliminate earmarks benefiting entities based on political connections rather than need: “There needs to be accountability on earmarks. Knowing who controls the purse strings shouldn’t be the criterion for receiving taxpayers’ hard-earned money,” she said.
A recent NJ Spotlight News analysis found over 80% of legislatively sponsored spending went to Democratic-controlled districts in the current budget cycle.
“Republicans have made the commitment to honor the governor’s call for fiscal restraint,” Dunn said. “Will she ultimately honor her own call?”
John DiMaio represents District 23—including Hackettstown—and has served as Minority Leader since 2022 after joining the General Assembly in 2009; he previously held roles such as Appropriations Officer and Budget Officer and served as mayor of Hackettstown from 1991 to 1999 and with Warren County Board of Freeholders from 2000 to 2009, according to the official legislative roster.
