Funding for "NJ Spotlight News" provided by the New Jersey education Association, are jade -- RWJ Barnabas health, let us be healthy together, and New Jersey realtors, the voice of real estate in New Jersey.

More information is online at NJ realtor.com.

>> Tonight on "NJ Spotlight News ," breaking down the budget.

Lawmakers advanced their budget last night, so what made the cut?

Plus, the Supreme Court strikes down a massive opioid settlement deal and rules against regulations that would keep power plant emissions out of our state.

Also, New Jersey's congressional delegation calls for an investigation into Amtrak demanding answers are massive delays and disruptions.

>> This must be fixed.

There's no choice.

We also have to accept the environment in which we are operating.

Mother nature is out there.

Decades of underinvestment that our administration is having to make up for.

>> we are here to provide an inclusive care members of the South Jersey LGBTQ plus community.

At our office, we do primary care services that are all inclusive and affirming.

>> "NJ Spotlight News" begins right now.

♪ >> From NJ PBS Studios, this is "NJ Spotlight News."

Joanna: Hello and thanks for joining us.

We are one step closer to having a final budget in place.

Lawmakers worked late into the night yesterday to vote a budget bill through the state Senate and assembly budget committees after having only a few hours to review it.

And oh, boy, is there a lot to break down.

It's another record level spending package.

$56.6 billion in state funds, another $27 billion in federal funding, so what made it into the spending plan?

For starters, Governor Murphy's proposed corporate transit, a 2.5% tax increase on corporations that earn more than $10 million in profits a year.

The budget would be the first ever to fully fund the school funding formula and the state pension system.

It also restores funding for community colleges, a proposed cut when the budget was first outlined.

Other key priorities we see, funds for two property tax relief programs, but in a nearly 400-page document, there is so much more to digest, and that is what our budget and finance writer has been trying to do since it was released yesterday.

Not a whole lot going on.

I know you have been working all day and yesterday, too, trying to figure out the details of this budget.

We know the governor's corporate transit fee made it in, but it is not that clear cut.

Why is this a nuanced fee that was added to the budget?

>> Yet, and that is a good way to frame it.

In the first year, this tax will generate revenue for the general fund, at least according to the new legislation, the copies we got yesterday, so it is being billed as a transit fee because when we go out into future fiscal years, the intention is to dedicate this revenue to NJ transit and anyone who has been on the rails lately knows the agency needs it.

We have to be careful because this money will not right away go to NJ transit, especially with riders facing fare hikes starting Monday.

This is more a long-term funding source, which is something transportation advocates have been pushing for quite a while, but it does not head off the fare hikes riders will see starting next week.

If we do end up seeing the money go to NJ transit, which again, it needs, right now, the money is balancing the new state budget that goes into effect on Monday, so then, does the state replace that money with some other source or will they find $1 million in spending cuts?

That is the challenge of budget making right there.

Joanna: This is not the sexiest topic, but we have to bring it up.

This budget spins down our reserves by $2 billion.

Is that wise at a time when we see spending and inflation so high?

>> It is certainly not best practices when you would talk to, say, fiscal experts who study state budget policy.

It's almost like using your savings account to pay your grocery bills instead of using your paycheck-to-paycheck your grocery bills.

Eventually, you are going to spend down your savings and have a hole in your budget if you are using your paycheck or other things than groceries.

The state has built up a pretty big surplus in recent years.

The economy has been fairly strong, and inflation has actually driven up sales tax receipts, but as things are starting to tighten up, instead of adjusting annual spending to where revenues will be, they are instead going well above that and spending down reserves to keep spending at the higher level, so eventually, those reserves will run out and there will be reconciliation down the road for sure.

Joanna: We have seen criticism from Republican lawmakers who say right now, you are putting us in jeopardy at a record high spending level, drawing down against $8 billion, not a lot of money to work with comparatively, right?

But just to move onto this other point, when we look at this state right now for the first time, fully funding the school funding formula and pension system, is that kind of the balance for why they need to draw down against the reserve?

>> That's the really important point to bring up.

Again, the challenge of budget making.

We heard from the Senate Budget Committee Chairman yesterday that it's not a perfect budget.

You might want to have a bigger reserve, for sure, especially as you push spending up to a record high.

The state uses that reserve to offset revenue losses that occur when we enter into an economic downturn like we saw during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, but at what expense do you build up those reserves if it is costing, say, your full pension contribution, which the state really has to make, or your that you are short funding for school funding level, which results sometimes in cuts that need that funding the most.

That is the trade-off lawmakers have to balance every year, is which of these priorities we make top on the list and maybe which ones get pushed down a little lower.

>> One of the things we always scour for are these Christmas tree items that get added on as part of last minute deals.

What do we see in this budget?

Anything significant?

>> In all, lawmakers added about 600 million dollars in new spending to the final draft of Murphy's budget.

There are the typical ballpark add-ons -- $1 million here or a couple hundred thousand there for pet projects, but we also see add-ons for a soup kitchen or different programs in at-risk communities, so there is a balance this year between what has been added.

Some of what you would generally see and some items that probably have a lot of merit in the communities in which this funding will be going.

>> We know community colleges are one of those.

They saw their $20 million funding restored.

Thank you for adding so much color to what can be a sometimes opaque process.

Thank you.

>> You are welcome.

Joanna: It's day 25 in the Menendez trial and it looks like the prosecution is starting to wrap up their case.

The prosecution focused once again on those gold bars but this time on Senator Menendez' reporting or lack of reporting on those gold bars.

On the stand to start today was a Senate Ethics Committee member .

Senior correspondent Brenda Flanagan has more on her testimony.

What can you tell us about this ethics expert's reports on Menendez's disclosures?

>> The prosecution first of all is very close to resting his case.

During the day, we drilled down into Senator Menendez's finances and did that with testimony from the chief counsel from the Senate Ethics Committee.

He called her for advice.

He said, listen, I've got some gold bars, and I would like to know how to report them on my financial disclosure form.

He claimed all of these gold bars belong to his wife Nadine, and that they were gifts from her parents, so he listed the bars on the form as belonging to his spouse and worth about $250,000.

The prosecution alleges that some of those gold bars were actually bribes, that they were from codefendants in this trial, Fred Daibes and Wael Hana, in return for the Senator using his influence, but they do not verify or edit anything on the disclosure form and trust of the senators.

They checked a little box saying everything they have reported is true.

Joanna: What about that Mercedes-Benz?

Did that show up anywhere on his reporting?

>> At $60,000 Mercedes-Benz?

It did not.

It was nowhere on the disclosure form.

Remember, the prosecution's star witness has testified that he was buying that Mercedes for Nadine Menendez as part of a quid pro quo, that it was in return for the Senator's help with a criminal case, and after the FBI raided their home, Nadine Menendez wrote Uribe a check.

She claimed it was to repay him for a car loan.

The government said that check was just an attempt to cover up a bribe, but again, the Senator's disclosure form did not list the Mercedes-Benz as either a car loan or as a gift.

>> How did the defense handle all of this today?

What did you hear as part of their strategy?

>> The defense again parted as pointed at Nadine.

They allege she kept Senator Menendez "in the dark."

his attorney asked the ethics committee counsel, suppose the gift is known only to Nadine.

Obviously, the Senator cannot report on a disclosure form something that he allegedly knows nothing about.

Joanna: That might be a big "supposed" given all that the prosecution has laid out about the texts between them.

>> you have to prove that this is accepted as a bribe, and right now, the case the prosecution has presented, except for José Uribe, who was able to testify to a quid pro quo, has been all circumstantial evidence.

Text messages, voicemail, email.

They are hoping the jury in their mind will connect the dots.

Joanna: Do we know when the defense will begin their case?

You said the prosecution is wrapping up.

>> Right now, they are listening to a cell phone tower expert who is triangulating calls.

If they could finish that and get through some legal housekeeping, the defense may begin its case tomorrow.

Joanna: It has been a busy week for you in New York.

We will check in again tomorrow.

Thank you so much.

>> Thank you.

Joanna: The U.S. Supreme Court has released several major decisions today, some having a direct impact right here in New Jersey.

One major case deals with compensation of cash compensation that families who lost loved ones to opioids can receive.

The case deals with FA -- if a deal struck with the Sackler family should stand allowing the family to make a settlement payment of $6 billion.

The money would go to victims' families and addiction prevention programs, but along with money, the family would then be shielded from criminal liability.

The Supreme Court ruling today upends that deal, which does not open the door for criminal lawsuits against the Sackler family, but it could also pave the way for the family to shield assets and potentially pay less than the $6 billion they had agreed to.

The justices were split on this decision with conservative and liberal judges landing on both sides of the issue.

Another decision today could have a huge impact on New Jersey's air quality.

The high court ruled against the Biden administration's good neighbor plan that regulates emissions from power plants and industrial sites in estates where the polluted air then blows downwind onto neighboring states.

The decision is not final because the federal appeals court is still considering the case, but the Supreme Court at least for now is siding with states that want to do away with these regulations.

They are calling them costly and ineffective.

Pro-Palestinian students at Rutgers University are slamming University leadership for allegedly backtracking on their word.

According to the students, the groups have been scheduled to meet Wednesday with school leaders about their demands to have Rutgers divest from companies tied to Israel and the Israeli military.

It is a meeting that was promised in May as part of the deal for students to end their and chemic, but at the last minute, students were told the chair of the joint committee on investments would not be at the meeting, which the students said was disrespectful and belittling.

A Microsoft spokesperson said the divestment request is being reviewed subject to university policy.

Earlier today, the Rutgers group join with their peers on the NJIT campus to criticize the actions of both administrations, culling again for investment and urging both schools to cut ties with universities in Israel.

NJIT students claimed their school's leaders have violated their First Amendment rights while a spokesperson said the school supports the students' right to protest.

Following weeks of train cancellations, Governor Murphy today held a briefing with the heads of Amtrak and NJ transit, getting the two agencies in the room and on the same page as they have been pointing fingers with one another.

All agreed recent service disruptions are unacceptable, and they said they were not offering excuses but continue to say they are dealing with decades of underfunding in the transit system that had led to this current situation.

Today they said they are working together to figure out root causes of the delays and improve service for customers, and they are performing more inspections on and track infrastructure to prevent these issues before they stop trains.

One thing they did not commit to today is extensive repair work to fix current problems.

Instead, they point to longer-term capital projects to address the issues down the road.

>> someone asked me today, should people rely on commuting in New Jersey transit and Amtrak given some of the things that happen, and my answer is yes, they should.

We should be delivering a service that gives you the comfort to do that.

We will fix these problems, and more problems will occur as we renew this capital, but we will fix these problems and get to a place where the operations are much better than they have been the last several weeks.

>> New Jersey's budget cuts to take on some of the funding issues plaguing NJ transit, though a 15% fare hike will still go into effect on Monday despite outcry against it.

Joining that outcry is a congresswoman who today called for a pause on the fair increase -- only -- on the fare increase.

That's not going to happen, but it has led to bipartisanship in the congressional delegation who are calling on Amtrak to take responsibility for the recent failures.

Great to talk to you right now.

We have it seems like here in New Jersey transit issues top of mind for just about everybody.

We have a 15% fare hike for NJ transit coming into effect on Monday.

Funding issues, budget coming up, that is top of mind, but you are down in Washington, and even there, transit issues are driving the conversation.

What are New Jersey's congressional delegates doing from Washington as it relates to these transit issues we are having?

>> Right.

As I reported this morning, every member from the whole state delegation is pretty furious.

They do not have, frankly, and a lot of leverage.

They can work phones, they can talk to administration officials, they can pressure the White House.

There were -- they were asking today for the hike to be paused, but these are ultimately decisions in the hands of transit.

>> you have been in conversation with Frank in the week.

What do those conversations a sound like, especially given the fact, as you said, that they don't have a lot of control?

>> And maybe making the most headway of the delegation.

He had a call with an Amtrak executor -- executive on Monday night, and he has really been furious with Amtrak, pressing the agency to build out a Northeast corridor, but Amtrak has, according to him, told him that the state has to apply for grant funding for a lot of what they need to do across the state, and that, to his point, takes time, is delayed.

The delegation would like the money that was allocated under the big 2021 infrastructure law to get out there, too be plunged into all of the rail networks.

Joanna: Typically, we know federal funding goes to roads and road projects, but in this case, 66 billion dollars went to passenger rail, and that was nationally.

It looks like New Jersey's share is going to be about $6 billion.

Is that money specifically for Amtrak to be able to make necessary upgrades?

How much of that money do they have access to, and is it enough?

>> I put that question to Amtrak.

They did not give me a clear answer.

The funding really runs out fast.

Some of the infrastructure dates back to the 1800s.

We are talking rail from the time of Abraham Lincoln, so U.S. just lags so far behind other advanced nations that invest in its rail, and $66 billion might sound like a lot, but that is nationwide.

Even though the Northeast corridor is the busiest leg of Amtrak across the country, that money goes fast.

We are talking old bridges and tunnels that need to be upgraded for safety and efficiency purposes.

The price tags are all in the billions or tens of billions.

New Jersey, you are right, maybe about $6 billion, but the numbers are a bit hazy when you talk to Amtrak and folks among them.

Joanna: A lot of uncertainty all the way around as we look at what is to come forth transportation here in New Jersey.

Thank you.

>> My pleasure.

Joanna: Turning to Wall Street, here is a look at how markets closed for the day.

Quick support for "the business report" is provided by Newark's arts and education district and Halsey Street.

Joanna: A new center in South Jersey is seeking to break down the barriers to health care that LGBT individuals often face.

The LGBTQ health care center, part of Cooper University health care system, provides gender affirming primary care that includes everything from family medicine to hormone therapy.

I'm joined by a physician's assistant who explains for the patients that have faced discrimination, this center has been a lifeline.

Thanks so much for taking the time to be with us.

As a physician's assistant, you are boots on the ground every day.

Tell us about the LGBTQ+ health care Center at Cooper University Hospital.

What are you trying to accomplish, for folks in the community?

>> We just opened up a physical space on June 3.

We are the center for LGBTQ health, and we are here to provide an inclusive care space for members of the South Jersey LGBTQ+ community.

At our office, we do primary care services that are all inclusive and affirming.

The work that has been going on at Cooper the past few years across the network, so inclusive of primary care.

We have specialty care services such as surgery.

We do speech therapy.

We have therapists who work across the network.

There has been a group of providers who have been providing the care for the LGBTQ community, and it has been a goal to have one centralized space patients can go to for chimeric care and also a home for these specialty services.

It has been great to actually see that.

Joanna: When you talk about inclusive care, can you help us understand some of the obstacles folks in the LGBTQ community face when it comes to being in a health care setting, some even discrimination they are facing?

>> we hear oftentimes from patients and there's a lot of studies out there that show that there is health care discrimination.

For example, patients will come in and they have chosen names, and they tell that to the provider or front desk staff, and it is not being respected.

They are not using their chosen pronouns.

A lot of these experiences can add up to a sense of mistrust within the health care community, and even when you are faced with a provider, some patients have been denied certain care.

Here at our center, we are here to combat those barriers by understanding where patients are coming from and to provide that space where we respect you and your background.

Joanna: In the few seconds we have left, you also are providing mentorship opportunities so other health care providers can look at what it is like to provide this type of care.

Can you quickly tell us how that looks?

>> we often have residents and fellows that come to our clinic to learn about the different care we are providing for the community.

They will come chat with us.

They will learn the things we have going on here so they can go spread that to the community, and the whole point is so that you can go off into different specialties and areas across the country and the world that you are practicing because this mission does not just exist here in South New Jersey.

It's bringing LGBTQ+ affirming care as a mission going on worldwide.

It excites us to be able to train people.

Joanna: Thank you so much for sharing that with us.

That does it for us tonight, but before you go, a reminder to download the "NJ Spotlight News" podcast so you can listen to us any time.

For the entire team, thanks for being with us.

Have a great night.

We will see you back here tomorrow.

>> NJM Insurance Group, serving the insurance needs of residents and businesses for more than 100 years.

Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey, an independent licensee of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association.

New Jersey realtors, the voice of real estate in New Jersey.

More information is online at NJrealtor.com.

>> Life is unpredictable.

Health insurance should not be.

For over 90 years, horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey has provided quality affordable health plans to New Jersey residents.

We have served generations of New Jersey families and businesses and are committed to driving innovations that put you at the heart of everything we do.

Our members are our neighbors, friends, and families.

We are here when you need us most.

Horizon -- proud to be New Jersey.

>> And the 2024 president of New Jersey realtors.

If it's guiding first-time buyers through the homebuying process or securing space for small business owners, New Jersey realtors have been helping clients through real estate transactions for more than a century.

No matter what your unique needs are, there is a New Jersey realtor for you.

♪