ACU insider: Christie has ‘limited future’ with GOP

The National Review is reporting today that an American Conservative Union insider said Gov. Chris Christie was not invited to CPAC because of his stance on guns.

Darryl Isherwood – PolitickerNJ.com

 http://www.politickernj.com/63551/acu-insider-c...

 Healy: ‘I’m going to stay here. You can’t say that about our opponent’

JERSEY CITY – There was a crowd at the Casino bar and a man, an insider and obvious devotee of the Healy Campaign, collared PolitickerNJ.com and with the big exaggerated, woeful, scrunched-up grimace a part-timer filmgoer makes to a movie critic, said, “Maybe you know - what the hell was Steve Fulop trying to say in that ad today?”

Max Pizarro-PolitickerNJ.com

http://www.politickernj.com/63563/healy-im-goin...

Oliver: Christie doesn’t think about residents living below poverty level

TRENTON – While Democratic leaders were glad to hear that Gov. Chris Christie will increase aid to schools and colleges, and that he will expand Medicaid, they were disappointed that little was said in his annual budget address about earned income tax credits, and they questioned his insistence for an income tax cut while postponing rebates for the state’s neediest citizens.

Minhaj Hassan-PolitickerNJ.com

http://www.politickernj.com/63555/oliver-christ...

Buono criticizes Christie for ‘offensive’ budget address

TRENTON – State senator and presumptive Democratic gubernatorial nominee Barbara Buono wasted little time in slamming Gov. Chris Christie Tuesday for giving a budget address she said lacked substance.

Matthew Arco-PolitickerNJ.com

http://www.politickernj.com/63550/buono-critici...

Latest from State Street Wire

Internet gaming bill signed

TRENTON – Gov. Chris Christie signed into law the Internet gaming bill passed in the Legislature earlier today.

“I am pleased to say that today I signed New Jersey’s Internet Gaming Bill, opening the way for new opportunity to bolster our efforts to continue the revival of Atlantic City, its casinos and entertainment offerings,” he said in announcing the signing.

State Street Wire Staff

http://www.politickernj.com/63561/internet-gami...

Christie unveils $32.9B budget that expands Medicaid, covers pension payment

TRENTON — Declaring he has "turned Trenton upside down," Gov. Chris Christie on Tuesday unveiled a $32.9 billion election-year budget that would sign New Jersey up to a big Medicaid expansion, pump $40 million to Hurricane Sandy-ravaged towns and make a record cash infusion into the state’s troubled pension fund.

Jenna Portnoy-The Star Ledger

http://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2013/02/ch...

Budget games: How Christie plugged a $3B structural deficit

Proclaiming that he had restored “fiscal discipline,” Gov. Chris Christie yesterday unveiled a $32.846 billion election year budget that accomplishes the difficult task of making a huge, statutory pension payment in FY14. But the governor was forced to delay almost $400 million in scheduled May property-tax rebates until August to cover a stubborn FY13 revenue shortfall.

Mark Magyar-NJ Spotlight

http://www.njspotlight.com/stories/13/02/27/bud...

Christie budget includes $97M more for NJ schools, but critics warn it’s far from enough

The Christie administration touted its plan for nearly $9 billion in aid to local schools — a proposed $97 million increase for the next fiscal year — as giving “historic support” for education while seeking to change a formula for allocating aid that has been litigated for decades.

Leslie Brody and Melissa Hayes-The Record

http://www.northjersey.com/news/education/Chris...

 $40M in Sandy aid in Christie’s budget is seen as help in time of federal spending

 Gov. Chris Christie said today he wanted $40 million of his proposed $32.9 billion state budget to help towns devastated by Hurricane Sandy to pay for huge property tax increases looming, an infusion state and local officials said was needed as the federal government faces forced spending cuts on Friday.

While some of the aid would be earmarked for road and infrastructure repairs, the money would also go toward training volunteer emergency medical personnel, Christie said.

 Mary Ann Spotto-The Star Ledger

 http://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2013/02/40...

Christie makes reluctant decision to expand Medicaid

Governor Christie’s reluctant decision to expand Medicaid was embraced by supporters of President Obama’s health care reform, even as he warned he would change his mind if the federal government failed to provide the promised funding.

Lindy Washburn – The Record

http://www.northjersey.com/news/health/New_Jers...

Christie won’t give up on school voucher program

Despite coming close to being passed on occasion, a school voucher program is the one major piece of Gov. Chris Christie's education agenda that he's never been able to push through -- unlike tenure reform, charter schools, and performance pay for teachers.

Now Christie is making one more run at vouchers in his fourth budget, and his proposal for a modest $2 million pilot is likely to grab the headlines and spark the loudest debate -- in an education budget nearing $12.4 billion

John Mooney-NJ Spotlight

 http://www.njspotlight.com/stories/13/02/26/chr...

Christie proposes business-friendly budget

 Gov. Chris Christie on Tuesday unveiled a plan to expand Medicaid coverage, hold the line on business tax cuts and incentives, and increase spending by a modest 2.3 percent in his fiscal 2014 budget

 Jared Kaltwasser – NJBiz

 http://www.njbiz.com/article/20130226/NJBIZ01/1...

 Opinion

In Christie vs. Buono, it’s the champ by a knockout

You almost had to feel sorry for Sen. Barbara Buono on Tuesday, playing the role of the unknown bantamweight boxer stepping into the ring with the muscular champ the fans adore.

Gov. Chris Christie, with his overstuffed campaign treasury and his crushing lead in the polls, had just given his budget speech.

Tom Moran- The Star Ledger

 http://blog.nj.com/njv_tom_moran/2013/02/in_chr...

 Stile: Christie presents recipe for his re-election and something more

Governor Christie believes it would behoove Congress and the president to take a closer look at his style of bipartisan leadership.

Charles Stile – The Record

 http://www.northjersey.com/news/opinions/193473...