Trenton – Senate President Pro Tempore M. Teresa Ruiz issued the following statement on the FY2021 Budget, released from the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee today:

“While I am disappointed that the budget did not contain money to keep the school funding formula on schedule, I am grateful we were able to include other measures to invest in the future of our children. We fought hard to restore funding for school-based mental health services and increase funding for special education, two areas which will be critical to helping our students recover from COVID-19 school closures. Despite an unconventional budget process with unprecedented challenges, we remained committed to investing in social services and protecting the health and well-being of New Jersey’s most vulnerable residents.”