New Jersey governor ends weeklong govt shutdown
Governor Jon S. Corzine issued an executive order early yesterday that ended a weeklong state government shutdown, bringing slot machine bells noisily to life as Atlantic City casinos reopened.
The governor acted minutes after lawmakers approved a $30.9 billion state budget that increases the state sales tax, ending the stalemate.
“I now feel comfortable we can begin the orderly restoring of the business of government,” Corzine said.
The 12 casinos, which closed on Wednesday, got permission to resume business at 7 am. On Monday, 45,000 furloughed state workers could return to work, although exact plans were not immediately announced. State parks would reopen and lottery sales would resume.
The Senate voted 23-17 to approve the budget at 4:20 am. The Assembly followed suit at 5:40 am, by a 44-35 vote.
Corzine said he hoped to sign the budget later yesterday, although he wanted to take some time to review it.
“We’re going to do a thorough and professional job – as good as anyone can possibly do operating on three hours sleep three nights in a row,” he said.
The governor’s executive order and the reopening of casinos led gamblers to their places just after 7:30 am in a mostly empty slots parlour at the Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa in Atlantic City.
The budget crisis began when Democrats who control the state assembly balked at the Democratic governor’s proposal to increase the sales tax. The impasse caused the legislature to miss a July 1 constitutional deadline for passing a new budget. With no authority to spend money, Corzine ordered non-essential government services suspended.
(AP)
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