N.J. Democrats quickly approve $128M in new spending ‘in the dead of night’

NJ Democrats include funding for World Cup promotion in $128M spending bill

Sen. Paul Sarlo (D-Bergen) talks with people testifying during the Senate budget and appropriations committee, which he chairs, on Jan. 8, 2026, at the Statehouse in Trenton. (Photo by Dana DiFilippo/New Jersey Monitor)Two New Jersey legislative panels pushed through over $128 million in proposed new spending Thursday night without explanation or public comment, prompting outcry from good government advocates who warned that such secrecy erodes …

N.J. Democrats quickly approve $128M in new spending ‘in the dead of night’

With less than an hour’s notice and less than two weeks before Gov. Phil Murphy departs, two state panels approved $128 million in new spending for a variety of local projects in New Jersey late Thursday.