>> Hello and thanks for joining us.

>> As the war in Iran continues, we get reaction from a university president whose family lives there.

Plus, what will governor Sheryl cut?

We'll look at her options as she prepares her first budget address.

And later, we talk with state senate republican leader Anthony bucco about his party's proposals to balance the budget.

But first, as the war in Iran continues, unrest is hitting home.

Two suspects are under arrest after an IED was thrown near New York City Mayor Zoran Mamdani's home on Saturday.

Anti-Islam protesters were rallying outside Mamdani's property when a much larger group of counter-protesters outnumbered them.

But two men who were part of the counter-protest were arrested after one allegedly lit and threw a homemade bomb, which failed to detonate but could have been deadly, according to New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tish.

She called it an ISIS-inspired act of terrorism.

A second device was also lit and dropped but didn't explode, and a third device, found in a car with jersey plates, is being investigated.

Mamdani denounced the acts of violence.

In Teaneck on Sunday, a 17-year-old was arrested for bias intimidation and weapons offenses after he and two other males allegedly fired an Orbeez-style gun with gel pellets at a 19-year-old pedestrian.

They reportedly spoke Arabic to him, asking if he supported Israel or Palestine, and then fired multiple gel pellets at him, hitting his torso.

He wasn't injured, but told police he was wearing visible religious garments at the time.

Since the Iran conflict started, New Jersey's Attorney General Jen Davenport has said that additional safety precautions are being taken around sensitive places, including houses of worship.

And while all eyes are on the budget address tomorrow, there will also be several special elections for school districts around the state.

Montclair residents are voting on a $17.6 million proposal that includes a combination of one-time and permanent tax levies to balance the school's budget deficit.

Hohokus is also voting to balance a $3 million shortfall.

And several schools are seeking voter approval to make infrastructure improvements the most costly in Mawa, where residents will vote on a $138 million bond referendum.

Norwood and Natcong are also seeking approval to upgrade facilities.

Each of those is under $10 million.

Coming up a preview of Governor Cheryl's first budget address and the cuts she may have to make.

That's next.

Major funding for NJ Spotlight News is provided in part by NJM Insurance Group, serving the insurance needs of residents and businesses for more than 100 years.

New Jersey's finances will be in the spotlight tomorrow when Governor Mikey Cheryl delivers her first budget address.

It's a big moment for the new governor who said she's staring down a $3 billion structural deficit.

Cheryl's already signaled she'll have to make some "tough choices" to rein in spending.

So what programs could be on the chopping block?

Here to provide some analysis is Brent Johnson, politics reporter for NJ.com.

Brent, great to have you with us.

You are down in the Statehouse right now.

I know you just heard from the Governor a lot we can't talk about yet.

A lot is going to come out in the budget speech tomorrow.

But just in terms of what Governor Sherrill is dealing with, what can you tell us are the biggest pressure points that she has to fund as she tries to balance the state budget?

Yeah, well she came out a few weeks ago and said that this is not going to be a fun budget.

We're looking at a $3 billion budget deficit.

This surplus will run out in a few years if they don't make some sort of serious changing and make serious cuts.

So she she already sounded the alarm on how big of a situation a big big fiscal challenges the state is facing.

So that's kind of maybe she's tempering expectations a bit.

But the sense is that cuts have to be made and some things have to change.

Yeah.

>> I think it's interesting, two Republicans keep saying it's a $4 billion deficit.

There's some discrepancy there.

They have been saying for years though that this deficit exists, structural deficit.

There was a $58.8 billion budget that was signed by governor Murphy in the last fiscal year.

I just want to look at it kind of piece by piece.

Public worker pensions made up $7.2 billion.

That's something we're not hearing anymore, any calls for those but those pension funds to not fully be funded so you expect that to be a line item yes.

Yes she she's basically said she told me a few months ago that she expects to make the full pension payment that they can't backtrack on on the progress that was made under christian murphy on making full payments to the pension payment.

Another 12 billion approximately goes to k-12 education.

I think is this if you agree going to be one of the areas where there's going to be the most difficulty in terms of how to create what feels like fair.

There is certainly a school funding formula but Governor Murphy broke from that formula in many ways with equalization aid kind of balancing out you can't win by more than 6% and you can't lose by more than 3% or maybe have that reversed.

Do you expect her to follow what's already been done.

Do you expect her to chart a new course there.

What do you think.

She has already hinted that she would like to see some more changes to the school funding formula which is about one of the most complicated controversial issues facing lawmakers and the governor in Trenton.

I do expect her to push for some changes but she can't wholesale make them herself.

She's probably going to have to negotiate with lawmakers to switch around something that's already been changed a lot in recent years.

Yeah, and part of that is special education and how the state funds special education.

And as you said, there is legislation that guides this.

It's S2, which was developed after the court ordered that the state develop a plan.

There was $700 million in add-ons last year, I think closer to a billion the year before.

Do you expect this to be an area where she can enact some real change, where there are no more Christmas tree items or pork barrel spending, whatever terminology you like to use?

-She has already telegraphed this.

I did an entrance interview with her in January, and she voluntarily said how upset she was with her fellow Democrats in the legislature and the former governor for adding these things on in lame duck at the end of last year.

So I do expect her to come out and say, "We're putting an end to those kind of things," or at least that she's going to fight them, because she does need the legislature to agree to the budget in the end, because if they don't come to an agreement, it's likely the state government will shut down come July 1st.

going to be some hemming and hawing, but I do expect her to fight to try and change some of that added spending.

>> She's going to need a good relationship with the legislative leadership.

Assembly Speaker Coughlin fought long and hard to get his stay-NJ program onto the books.

That was something he pushed Governor Murphy to do.

This is a senior property tax rebate program.

What do you think happens to stay-NJ, and could it impact -- if she decides to cut it, could it impact her working relationship with the assembly?

That is a great question.

I wrote about this this week, about how is there this big battle brewing over stay and J. On the one hand, it's this property tax relief program that seniors just started getting checks on.

On the other hand, it's very expensive.

And even some democratic advocates say that it's too costly for the state.

I have had sources tell me that they do expect Cheryl to make some changes, some rollbacks, some cuts to the stay-in-Jay program, possibly the eligibility threshold.

They say too many wealthy residents benefit from it, and maybe the amount of money that residents get in general.

So I do expect her to push for some changes.

The big question is, does Craig Coughlin, this is his baby, and he has -- he and Nick Scatari, the state Senate president, have a say over whether the budget gets passed at the end of June.

Does this lead to some sort of standoff between Coughlin and Sherrill in her first year?

And could we see a shutdown over something like this?

That's something we're going to be watching out for in the coming months.

Yeah, interestingly, the last few governors have had a standoff with the legislature at the start of their budget process.

We saw that with Governor Murphy and then Senate President Steve Sweeney as well, and certainly Governor Christie and Senate President Sweeney.

Anchor is another property tax rebate program here in the state that is very costly, $1.78 billion.

Any talk of eligibility requirements changing there as well?

I don't expect that, simply because that's a more broad-based property tax relief program.

not just seniors, but all homeowners and renters.

And that's very popular.

I can't imagine them taking away such a broad property tax break, but that remains to be seen.

But I don't expect that.

Have you heard anything more from legislators about some reforms to the budgeting process?

I know that there are two different bills, one proposed by Democrats that would require that the budget sit for 14 days before it be voted on, and then another bill proposed by some Republicans that would create a June 1st deadline for any add-ons to the budget that gives them essentially 30 days to really consider them and debate them in the legislature.

Any word as to whether or not those bills are going to move forward or in a timely manner.

I could definitely see some reforms happening this year.

It's been numerous years in a row of not just Republicans complaining about spending and even some advocates complaining about that.

But the process itself they say that the budget is rushed through in the final weeks.

There's not enough time for the public to comment.

None of time for everyone to see what's going on and things get done in the dead of night sometimes after midnight.

So I do expect there at least to be some serious conversation about this.

Cheryl hasn't really talked much about the budget process but I could see her getting on board with trying.

This is the time to do these things.

You're coming into a new administration.

You want to flex your muscle.

Maybe it's time to make some changes.

And she continues to say that transparency and accountability are strongholds of her administration.

Certainly one way to show that.

Brent Johnson politics reporter for NJ.com.

Thanks for the analysis.

Good to talk to you.

Thank you for having me.

And Republicans are waiting to hear what Governor Sherrill lays out and how it might be different than the last several years of spending that they've railed against.

But for now they're saying we told you so when it comes to the three billion dollar deficit that the governor laid out recently.

Joining us now is Senate Republican Leader Anthony Bucco as part of our Under the Dome series.

Senator thanks so much for being with us.

What are you hoping to hear or not hear from the governor tomorrow?

Well look I think first and foremost we're hoping to hear that she does not intend to raise taxes or any additional fees and that she's going to address this budget deficit by reducing spending.

I think that that's critical here.

Our residents are living paycheck to paycheck.

The cost of living here in New Jersey is going through the roof and people just can't take any more at this point.

So it's time to buckle up live within our means and and close this budget deficit by reducing the size of government.

Let me ask you.

I've heard many of your colleagues in the GOP cite a four billion dollar deficit.

The governor says three.

Whose number is right.

And where do you come up with your number.

Well look a billion here a billion there you know now you're talking about real money.

Look I think it's anywhere between three and four billion dollars.

It's hard to say.

You know when you look at the revenue projections and you look at the spending that has taken place over the years you realize quite quite quickly that there's a budget deficit of anywhere between three and four billion dollars.

That's a lot of money to make up and and I think that I give her credit for for coming forward ahead of the budget address and recognizing the position that the state is in.

You know, Republicans have been ringing this alarm for the last three years, and we said that we are going to reach the fiscal cliff, and we finally have.

And in fact, people are now beginning to say, wow, maybe the Republicans had a point these last few years when we said spending was out of control.

You would like to see less spending.

You've said, and you say you want to shrink the size of government.

I've got to ask you, should the state end its property tax rebate programs, anchor, and stay NJ?

Stay NJ obviously helps seniors.

Anchor is more broad based on your income level.

Look, I think we have to give our residents some type of property tax relief.

And whether it's through one of these programs or it's through returning the energy tax receipts to the municipalities where they rightfully belong, we need to do something.

Now, I'm concerned that the governor's not going to have a choice but to cut back on the stay in New Jersey program.

That's going to be a battle in the legislature.

And that's going to be part of her -- of her -- of the difficulty she's going to have in getting this budget across the finish line.

So where would you make the cuts?

I assume you would like to see the state fully fund the pension obligation, yes?

Yes, correct.

Fully fund the school funding formula?

The school funding formula needs to be changed.

Right now we're seeing school districts across the state that are facing huge budget deficits.

Schools are closing, kids aren't getting the education they deserve.

So those are part of the reforms that we've given to the governor already.

Republicans have put these reforms up over the years, and if we had implemented them now, we wouldn't be in the position we're in.

How would you reform the school funding formula?

What changes specifically would you like to see there?

Well, the school funding formula can't be built based on politics, and that's what's happened in the past.

You know, money is going to places that no longer need it.

Jersey City, Hoboken.

You know, those places have to do with less because their tax revenues are more.

Their income levels are higher.

Jersey City's been on the losing end of that formula for a long time.

We've been on the losing end of the formula in suburban districts forever.

And that's part of the problem.

But how would you reform it?

How would you change it?

Well I think we have to look at each school district and we have to figure out a fair funding formula that gives those school districts the revenue that they need to provide a thorough and efficient education.

For far too long we've picked winners and losers.

We have a school funding formula that is implemented and then when a school here or there comes up short we give them supplemental aid.

That's got to stop.

The funding formula should be fair across the board.

And there's a number of municipalities now in the Highlands in the Highlands area that are are having a double whammy.

Not only are they seeing reduced funding because of the formula, but their tax revenues are decreasing because they can no longer build in those areas.

Because that's preserved land.

And create additional revenues.

Right, because those are preserved lands.

Correct, correct.

You know, those municipalities have been a good store of our water supply for the rest of the state.

And they've sacrificed in order to do that.

Now it's time for the state to reward them for that sacrifice and follow through on the Highlands Act and reimburse them for the revenue that they've lost over the years.

Which of course could actually mean more state spending.

With just a little bit of time that we have left, I want to ask, I know you're in opposition to a package of immigration bills that have worked their way through the legislature.

They're still working through, let's say.

But do you think that any limitations should exist here in New Jersey in terms of the way that local officials interact with federal immigration officials?

And do you have any concerns with how ICE is carrying out operations here in New Jersey?

Well, first and foremost, my opposition to these bills is the fact that it silos our local law enforcement agencies.

It doesn't allow them to communicate with our federal partners.

That's a mistake.

And it's not just me that's saying that.

It's our own law enforcement folks that are saying that.

The State Chiefs of Police Association opposes the legislation.

The PBA opposes the legislation.

The FOP opposes the legislation.

For those reasons, we have spent millions of dollars in training and programs for our local law enforcement on community policing.

They should be able to communicate with the ICE agents when they are coming into a municipality.

If that occurred, it is their opinion that the chaos would be reduced.

And just very quickly, we're out of time, but I just want to ask you, do you have any concerns with the way that ICE is operating here in New Jersey?

Sure.

I've seen instances where I think ICE has overstepped its bounds.

And I've seen instances where additional training would probably have worked better for those officers.

You know, and our own law enforcement officers say the same thing.

community policing would eliminate that problem.

If we want to make our streets more safe, allow our local law enforcement to be involved.

And that's the result you'll see.

All right.

We've got to leave it there.

Senate Republican Leader Anthony Bucco, I appreciate your time today.

Thank you.

>>> "Under the Dome" is made possible in part by the corporation for public broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people.

>>> And a programming note, tomorrow we'll bring you live coverage of governor Mikey Sherrill's first budget address beginning at 2 p.m.

I'll have analysis here in the studio as well as from our reporters at the statehouse bringing you the latest on the governor's fiscal plan.

You can watch it right here on NJPBS or on our NJ Spotlight News YouTube channel.

For many Americans, there's a lot of uncertainty right now as the war between the U.S.

and Iran intensifies and violence escalates across the Middle East, especially for Iranian Americans who fear for their family members overseas and remain wary of the possible backlash as this conflict continues.

Rowan University President Ali Houshmand was born and raised in Iran and left his family before the revolution in 1979.

He joins us now to share his deep concern for his family still in the region.

Dr.

Houshman thank you so much for taking a few minutes to talk to us.

Tell us right who right now is still in Iran from your family.

By nine brothers and sisters I have four sisters and five brothers.

They all live in Iran and all of them are married.

All of them have kids.

I think between two to four depending on which one.

But so there are there is a large number of family members.

I think a total of more than 50 or so immediate family members.

And then if you go beyond cousins and everything else then you're talking about a much larger number.

I know that you've been trying to get in touch with them since the bombing started.

Have you been able to make contact.

My sister called me and informed me that the rest of the family are safe.

Some of the houses have been damaged because of the explosions and the windows were broken and everything.

But they have left the city and the city of Tehran and at least one sister and one brother.

And I've gone to Caspian Sea the safer place.

That's where they are.

And that's where they could they could contact me.

I'm sure it was excruciating just waiting to make that contact.

What's been the impact of all of this on you on your family?

It's huge.

It's it's really very very frightening.

You know it's a kind of mixed feeling for a lot of us expatriates in here.

Many of us myself included my family included.

We do not support that government.

We really do believe I really do believe the Islamic Republic is a terrorist government and it's a very violent and and system that that's intolerable not only for Iranians but I would say for the rest of the world.

So that's one feeling.

On the other hand that a lot of ordinary people like those kids in the school get killed and it really breaks your heart.

So it's a kind of mixed feeling for all of us.

Nobody wants to see any innocent person from anywhere, whether it's American, whether it's Israelis or Iranians, whether they are from Middle East or from Persian Gulf countries.

I don't want to see any one of them to be hurt.

It's not what anybody wishes to see.

But the government is different.

They are really very violent people.

And I would love to see that they were gone and replaced by a decent and responsible government that can really work with the rest of the world.

That's what the Iranian people want.

They want just an ordinary life.

They want to educate their kids and they want to live and they want to work.

They want to have contact with the rest of the world.

They have admiration and respect for the rest of the world.

They are not the kind of people who really are interested in that kind of violence.

So you're really looking at this very small minority, I would say maximum 20% of the population, probably less than that, that are really part of this system and they have taken the entire country hostage and they have the guns and they have absolutely no mercy and they kill indiscriminately.

I have to ask you about that because we've seen interviews over the weekend from Iranian foreign officials who say that it's really propaganda, it's Western propaganda to say that Iranian people don't support their government.

You say differently.

Oh absolutely they're wrong.

They're lying through their teeth.

All they need to do if they really are truthful.

Why don't they let a vote take place in Iran.

An independent vote.

You will see more than 80 percent of the people hate these people.

They don't want them.

It's absolutely the case.

I mean, when you saw the demonstration last month, there were millions of people outside chanting they don't want this system.

So they are just -- they are all about propaganda.

As I say, it's a small minority of people who have got the guns, who have got the resources of the country hostage, and they are just trying to survive at any price, and no matter what happens to the country or for the ordinary people.

They don't care if millions of people are killed, as long as they can survive and they can continue doing the criminal act that they do.

How do you feel hearing news reports that the Supreme Leader's son will take over as Supreme Leader?

Do you think there will be any difference in terms of what this looks and feels like?

He's much more vicious than his father was.

And I don't wish him any luck, and I hope that he will be eliminated, because I really do not believe he has any right.

He doesn't have the credential.

He's not even in the religious kind of world.

He's not even an ayatollah.

He doesn't have any credibility or credentials to be there.

This is just a vicious father passing the power to the son after his death.

So I don't believe that he has any chance.

Quite honestly, the Iranian people don't want this individual.

And my sense is that they should really, really hide very, very carefully if they want to survive.

But I doubt that he would have any chance of running the country and being a responsible leader.

I just don't see it.

It's not in their nature.

I have to ask you do you believe that the U.S.

and Israel should be involved in regime change efforts.

And do you think that that's what this is really about.

I don't want to any country to interfere in any other country for regime change.

I think if there is going to be a change has to happen internal.

And I'm hoping that by weakening this government the Iranian people will take over and change their own government.

And an outsider do that.

It's better.

It's more stable.

It's more credible when the population of a nation say that we want.

It just turns out that at this juncture both the Iranian people as well as the Western government specifically America and Israel are in same tune.

They all of them want this government gone for their own reason.

Each with different reason.

It could be the issue of oil.

It could issue of you know for 47 years I've been saying that they want to destroy Israel.

So it's really their nature and I don't believe that they're going to change.

And so that's the reason that I think that if there is going to be a change I would like it to be done by the Iranian people.

You know even people like myself we are outside we are living in a different country.

We really don't don't have this real appreciation of what those people are going through.

And I believe that everything has to really be in turn on.

And I'm hoping that one very soon hopefully one day very soon people will again rise up and remove these people.

And you said that you haven't been able to travel there in the past you say right now also you hope that the Iranian people rise up.

Are there extreme risks still for those who might want to mobilize and form a new government.

In just a few seconds left.

Yes there is always a risk because the other side is vicious and they have the guns and have no problem killing people.

All right.

We have to leave it right there.

But Dr.

Ali who's mine.

Appreciate you so much for joining us.

President from Rowan University.

Thank you so much.

My pleasure.

Thank you so much as well.

Well that's going to do it for us tonight.

I'm Joanna Gagas for the entire team here at NJ Spotlight News.

Thanks for being with us.

We'll see you right back here tomorrow.

New Jersey Education Association, making public schools great for every child.

[MUSIC PLAYING]