As reported by nj.com, Governor Chris Christie panned an alternative proposal by the State’s largest public employee union to overhaul health care benefits. “Their offer stinks,” Christie said at a press conference in Trenton. “It doesn’t save any money.”

Christie wants all state employees to pay for 30 percent of the cost of health …

As reported by nj.com, New Jersey’s top fiscal officer says the State will make a half-billion dollar payment to the pension fund when the law requires. Governor Chris Christie has proposed paying the $506 million early, but only if the Legislature agrees to raise the retirement age and require workers to pay more …

As reported by pressofatlanticcity.com, Atlantic City’s 30 laid-off firefighters will return to work on April 4, 2011. There will be an orientation, which will begin the process to get them back in uniform, and filling positions that currently require either overtime or closing companies, Fire Chief Dennis Brooks said.

The rehires will be paid …

As reported by the New York Times, On Thursday, March 31, 2011, the State of Ohio passed a law that is more restrictive on the collective bargaining rights of Public Safety Officers than the law that was passed in Wisconsin several weeks ago.  

While both laws severely limit public employees’ ability to bargain collectively…

As reported by Yahoo News, having declared that Wisconsin’s divisive union law is not really a law yet, a judge was set to return to one of the underlying questions dogging the measure, whether Republicans violated the state’s open meetings law during the frenzied run-up to passage.

Republican Governor Scott Walker’s administration …

As reported by nj.com, Governor Chris Christie is seeking to halt the early release of state prison inmates with the conditional veto of a separate bill today. The early release program has drawn a firestorm of controversy after two inmates who were allowed out of prison months early were accused of murder.

“Whatever original …

As reported by nj.com, Senate President Stephen Sweeney’s plan to require public workers to kick in more for medical benefits is getting little support from his fellow Democrats. As Sweeney scrambles for votes, Senate Republicans say they favor Governor Chris Christie’s proposal, which a new non-partisan report predicts would save about 16 …

As reported by nj.com, the Somerset County freeholders do not plan to increase taxes next year, but may downsize the sheriff’s office if union concessions are not made. The freeholders presented a proposed budget last week, a spending plan that is less than one percent smaller than last year’s $211 million budget. “It’s not a …

As reported by app.com, New Jersey officials continued to move the State’s $71.6 billion pension fund into more aggressive, and riskier, investments, as returns have missed their targets for a decade. The decisions included putting $100 million into a private equity fund run by a big fundraiser for President Barack Obama.

State Investment …