TRENTON – After holding her vote on several funding restorations today, Republican state Sen. Diane Allen (R-7) said she would have liked to have been able to vote for the full agenda, but, “We cannot go on spending more than we have.”

“These are all things that I support,” Allen said. Among the items on the agenda were restorations for legal services and women’s health centers.

She said if revenues come in above projections that she would like to find funding for some of the items throughout the year.

“I could have voted for every one of them,” she said after the session. “That wasn’t the fiscally responsible thing to do.”

Allen's Democratic opponent in the 7th District issued a release after today's session in which she criticized the incumbent Republican.

“Senator Allen should be ashamed of herself,” said challenger Gail Cook. “When given a pass from the governor to support the restoration of funds during her re-election campaign, she chose to pander to the women of our district to make them believe she was fighting for their health. By not voting today, Senator Allen has now made it very clear that the lives of low-income New Jerseyans is not her priority.