Murphy-Norcross feud makes budget more difficult, Sarlo says

Senate Budget Committee Chairman Paul Sarlo on Monday told the New Jersey Globe that the brewing feud between Gov. Phil Murphy and Democratic power broker George Norcross could make passing a budget before July 1 more difficult.

“Sure it does,” Sarlo said when asked whether the spat could imperil the upcoming year’s budget. “Anytime there’s animosity between leaders, you run that risk.”

Murphy, Norcross and South jersey Democrats aligned with the latter have taken up arms as tensions between the groups rise over investigations into abuses of tax incentives offered by the Economic Development Authority.

At a recent hearing of the EDA task force convened by Murphy, several Camden-based firms with ties to Norcross — including Cooper University Health Services, whose board of trustees Norcross chairs — were shown to have potentially misrepresented their intentions to move jobs out of state in order to secure larger tax incentive awards.

Read more: https://newjerseyglobe.com/legislature/murphy-norcross-feud-makes-budget-more-difficult-sarlo-says/