September 30, 2016
A new deal between New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and Democratic leaders reached Friday means a 23 cent per gallon increase in the state's gas tax.
The agreement also means that New Jersey's state tax will be phased out while its sales tax will decrease by 2018, the Associated Press reported. Tax credits for veterans and the working poor are also a part of the new deal.
New Jersey's Transportation Trust Fund will also be reauthorized until 2024, according to Philly.com.
A poll by Rutgers-Eagleton published earlier in September showed that only 23 percent of the state's registered voters said that they see Christie favorability.
Broken down by issue, the poll found that 25 percent of participants said they approve of Christie's handling of transportation and infrastructure issues while 65 percent they disapprove.
“New Jerseyans are increasingly unhappy with the state and the way it is being run,” said Ashley Koning, interim director of the Eagleton Center for Public Interest Polling (ECPIP) at Rutgers University in a press release when the poll was released. “With Bridgegate unlikely to go away anytime soon, the Transportation Trust Fund and gas tax unresolved, and a still-struggling economy, it's no wonder that views on Gov. Christie and the state as a whole have slipped to new lows.”
