Christie Summons NJ Lawmakers for Tax Cap Session15

by KYW's David Madden

New Jersey governor Chris Christie signed the state's $29.4-billion budget into law this afternoon at a firehouse in Middlesex County.

He's also called a special legislative session for Thursday morning to demand action on his call for a constitutional amendment that, if approved by voters, would permanently cap property tax increases at 2.5 percent per year.

Christie has insisted that a hard, permanent cap on property taxes is just what homeowners need.

Democrats approved their own, flexible cap of 2.9 percent as part of the budget debate.

But Senate president Steve Sweeney calls the session "theatrics," and suggests that the governor is only telling half the story when he looks at how the hard cap has worked elsewhere:

"What he won't talk about in Massachusetts is all the local taxes that add up to wind up being more than your property tax bill now."

Christie needs to have his cap bill clear Assembly and Senate committees by July 7th if he hopes to get the amendment on the November ballot. Sweeney says that won't happen, but adds that Democrats will allow for a full debate on Christie's proposal sometime later.