The New Jersey Legislature voted to approve a $31 billion budget accord early on Saturday to end a government shutdown that closed Atlantic City's 12 casinos and furloughed 45,000 state workers, CBS Radio reported.
Under a budget accord reached on Thursday, the Democratic-led state Assembly accepted Gov. Jon Corzine's plan to hike sales taxes to 7 percent from 6 percent. This November, New Jersey residents will vote on a constitutional amendment to use half the new tax revenue to cut property taxes.
Corzine, a Democrat, partly shut the state government last Saturday, when New Jersey missed its fiscal deadline. He ordered nonessential state workers sent home, a category that included casino inspectors.
The shutdown forced Atlantic City casinos to lay off as many as 50,000 workers. State beaches and parks were shut in a holiday week, along with racetracks in Monmouth County, located on the Jersey shore, and the Meadowlands, just west of New York City.
Lottery ticket sales were halted, along with many vital services, including most courts. Only state troopers, corrections officers and other employees deemed essential to protect residents' health, safety and welfare continued to work during the shutdown.
Comments
Comments are closed.