Credit: Edwin J. Torres/ Governor s Office
File photo: Before the coronavirus pandemic hit New Jersey, Gov. Phil Murphy delivered his original budget proposal for the 2021 fiscal year, on Feb. 25, 2020.
With COVID-19 vaccinations underway and business restrictions slowly easing, Gov. Phil Murphy plans to propose a state budget plan Tuesday for what many hope will be a year of robust recovery from the coronavirus pandemic.
However, as New Jersey’s economic outlook appears to be brightening, Murphy faces pressure to make progress on some of the state’s most difficult fiscal challenges while still managing the ongoing health crisis.
Also hovering over the budget approval process is the November gubernatorial election, which will see Murphy attempting to become the first Democratic governor in decades to win reelection to a second term.