Tuesday in Trenton, the Senate Budget & Appropriations Committee held the latest slate of state budget hearings with a jampacked lineup, including testimony from Higher Education Services, the Department of Health, and the Department of Law & Public Safety.
Committee Chairman Sen. Paul Sarlo, D-36th District, opened the hearing by noting it was set to be a long day in the Senate, and laying out some ground rules and norms expected for this part of the process.
“For those who have appeared before us, we do things a little differently here,” Sarlo said. “We try to have a very robust and collaborative discussion. This is not about gotcha questions. It’s about how do we get answers that we need to make the decisions that we need as part of this budget process.”
“I firmly believe that higher education is a tool to accelerate upward mobility for all New Jerseyans, especially for those who have been historically underserved,” said Secretary of Higher Education Brian Bridges, shown here in October 2020, during Tuesday’s budget hearings. – EDWIN J. TORRES GOVERNOR’S OFFICE
As he turned the floor over to Secretary of Higher Education Brian Bridges, who appeared alongside other officials from his department, Sarlo noted the gravity of the day’s hearings. “We’re going to be hearing from a very important part of government in New Jersey, and that’s our higher educational services,” he said.
An unfunded mandate?
“I firmly believe that higher education is a tool to accelerate upward mobility for all New Jerseyans, especially for those who have been historically underserved,” Bridges opened his remarks. “This belief motivates my work to ensure that New Jersey offers equitable pathways to postsecondary and career successes.”
Bridges said that a historic shift is being created across higher education in New Jersey, spotlighting the Community College Opportunity Grant and the Garden State Guarantee launching this fall.
“In this Legislature, we are investing more in higher education than ever before in the state’s history, with a recommended total investment of $2.9 billion,” Bridges said. “With his recommended FY23 budget, Gov. Murphy will have increased the state’s investment in higher education by nearly 14% since taking office in 2018.”
In a show of bipartisan agreement, and keeping with the trend of concerns about spending down the road, Sarlo and Republican Budget Officer Sen. Declan O’Scanlon, R-13th District, each expressed worries about the long-term sustainability of Garden State Guarantee. The program allows a lower tuition rate for in-state, qualifying public students for their third and fourth years.
“I am concerned it’s an unfunded mandate, quite frankly, over the next five to 10 years,” Sarlo said. “Clearly, every economist is telling us there’s a recession that’s coming. And if we’re going to make this commitment to students, I want to ensure that we can continue to fund it going forward.”
“We don’t want to become overly dependent on this program. To get to the chairman’s concern, because we’re not sure how we’ll pay for it five years from now,” O’Scanlon said. “This is a concern, not just with this funding, but with all the money we’re shoveling out so quickly from New Jersey this year, and presumably, next.”
The testimony from the Department of Higher Education was followed by a group of university presidents.
The second session features top officials from the Department of Health, including Commissioner Judith Persichilli, who is at the center of the state’s COVID-19 response. The day closes with officials from the Department of Law & Public Safety, including Acting Attorney General Matthew Platkin.
