Christie unfreezes $33M in spending he tied to N.J. public worker health care cuts

TRENTON — Gov. Chris Christie Tuesday released more than $33 million in funds for social programs he withheld to spur cuts to employee health care.

The governor temporarily sequestered more than $100 million, including $54 million for troubled municipalities and $55 million for such social programs as Holocaust survivor assistance and domestic violence prevention until public employees heeded his call to cut $250 million in their health benefits.

A commission that overseas health benefits has agreed to some of the changes, prompting Christie's decision to release funds on Tuesday. Christie already announced the release of the $54 million in transition aid for low-income municipalities, such as Atlantic City, Camden, Paterson, Asbury Park, Harrison and Trenton.

"Following last week's meeting of the State Health Benefits Commission, we moved closer to realizing common sense health plan savings and addressing a potential $250 million budget deficit resulting from growing state health care costs," Christie said in a statement. "Just as I released all Fiscal Year 2017 transitional aid funds last month as progress was made in attaining savings, I am now directing the release of more than $33 million in select appropriations that were placed into reserve ..."

Read more: http://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2016/09/christie_unfreezes_33m_in_spending_tied_to_health.html