After State of the State, N.J. Democrats and Republicans argue over state budget

Tina Zappile, the director of the Public Policy Center at Stockton University, said the debate between Democrats and Republicans over spending in Jersey has been going on for decades, and members of the minority political party,currently the Republicans, will frequently protest their exclusion from important policy decisions made in Trenton.

“That does appeal to the public when we’re in an election year, regardless of how much that is true or not true on all issues or particular issues, ” she said.

She said during the State of the State address, Murphy articulated a clear vision and a set of values that Democrats are expected to embrace moving forward.

“He came out with a pretty strong agenda, but that agenda included a lot of easy wins that people on both sides of the aisle can get around,” she said.

Zappile noted that includes Murphy’s support of a proposal to ban cell phones in school classrooms to improve student mental health, and revisions to the state’s tax system to make it more fair.

Dworkin agreed, but said as the race for governor starts to heat up in the coming weeks, so too will the rhetoric.

“It’s an effort to try and continue, you can’t just do it in one day, it’s an effort to try and make it a more hospitable environment for their candidates down the road,” he said.

Zappile said regardless of what’s happening nationally or even at the local level, Jersey voters tend to go back and forth in different elections on how much the state should be spending on different programs and services to help lower-wage earners.

“We just can’t seem to make up our minds, and are open to appeals on the big issues, whatever each party brings to the table for the next governor’s race,” she said.