The governor took a harsher tone with legislative leadership, accusing them of being on the side of the “state’s 19,000 millionaires,” the “gun lobby,” “giant corporations who refuse to offer health care to their workers,” and opioid manufacturers by not approving his proposed fees on those groups in the spending plan for the 2020 fiscal year.

The agency is seeking more information about how six companies received incentive awards, as the Murphy administration homes in on how several businesses tied to a South Jersey powerbroker may have unfairly taken advantage of the program.

The order seeks documents and communications for four companies' plans to move to “alternative locations” across the Delaware River in Philadelphia.

"We haven’t seen a huge, or really a meaningful change in the number [of applicants]," Tim Sullivan, CEO of the state Economic Development Authority told NJBIZ. "You might expect to see a rush to the end of the program as people try and send in a bunch."

“The Legislature’s budget gives them a pass," Murphy said, making the case in Ewing to include $21.5 million in the state's 2020 spending plan from fees on the drug makers.

In contrast to the week leading up to last summer's June 30 deadline to approve the state's fiscal spending plan, Gov. Phil Murphy and legislative leadership are not scheduled to meet on the 2020 budget ahead of Sunday.

The meeting will include a public comment period, a feature that has been sought by several individuals at the center of the group's scrutiny into wrongdoing in the state’s corporate tax incentive programs.

A dozen organizations are asking democratic presidential candidate U.S. Sen. Cory Booker to take a more hardline stance against several New Jersey powerbrokers – including George Norcross. The South Jersey insurance executive has become the focus of a controversy over the state’s corporate tax breaks.

New Jersey would have to hire an independent auditor to scrutinize the medical claims of public workers under a bill  the Legislature sent to Gov. Phil Murphy’s desk on June 20. The measure is one of the “Path to Progress” proposals that supporters argue could save the state hundreds of millions of dollars. Senate President Stephen Sweeney, D-3rd District, the ...

“That takes my breath away,” the governor said at a press conference Friday afternoon. “The [Economic Development Authority] extension, it’s quite clear that was written by special interests for special interests.”

The Legislature’s $38.7 billion budget for fiscal year 2020, approved on Thursday, does not include the proposed 10.75 percent levy on every dollar earned above $1 million – a policy Murphy has championed.

Ray Lesniak, Joseph Kyrillos and Economic Development Authority CEO Tim Sullivan will appear at Monday's meeting, in addition to a panel featuring leaders from the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce, NJBIA, CIANJ, the Chamber of Commerce of Southern New Jersey and construction union officials.