Who wields the power as budget comes together in Trenton?

By: John Reitmeyer, Budget/Finance Writer

Outlets: NJ Spotlight

Published: June 10, 2026

Words: 975

Last Updated: 2 days, 1 hour ago


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Lawmakers now drafting the legislation that will become state government’s next annual budget are flexing powers of the purse solely held by New Jersey’s Legislature.

An appropriations process dictated by the state constitution grants members of the Legislature, and not the governor, the authority to write spending bills put up for votes each year in the Assembly and Senate.

Sections of the same constitution, though, do give the governor and the executive branch some …

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