[INSPRATIONAL MUSIC STING] - Hi everyone.

Steve Adubato.

We kick off this program with State Senator John Bramnick, who is from the 21st Legislative District, and also an official candidate for Governor of the State of New Jersey.

Folks are gonna see the graphic, "NJ's Next Governor, Decision 2025."

Good to see you, Senator.

- Thanks for having me, Steve.

- Is it too early to be talking about that race?

Not from a political point of view or a horse race point of view, 'cause that frankly is kind of boring.

But from a policy point of view, too early, Senator?

- Not for me.

I've been talking about it for 20 years.

I'm gonna continue talking about the same things I've spoken about.

Nothing's gonna change.

- Let's prioritize.

Let's talk about New Jersey's fiscal situation.

The governor, as we're doing this program toward the end of March 2020, for the governor introduced his budget.

A sound fiscal plan for New Jersey, Senator?

- I don't think you can look at a plan at one year only.

In the last few years, billions of dollars have gone to special projects, and now yesterday, we voted for a new gas tax.

Well, instead of spending money in specific legislative districts politically, take that billion dollars and don't raise the gas tax.

So, you can't look at a budget in one year.

And when they ask Republicans, "Well, what are you gonna do?"

Well, I wouldn't have spent that much money during the last five years.

- Yeah, but Senator, let's be fair about this.

That gas tax that the Democrats voted for, and as we do this program, it's likely the governor will sign that legislation that increases the gas tax over the next several years, that wasn't just the gas tax for the sake of hiking the gas tax.

It's two cents over the next five years each year.

It is for the Transportation Trust Fund.

Getting past the Trenton State House lingo, that is for a stable source of funding for roads and bridges.

Why wouldn't we raise the gas tax to do that, to have safer roads and bridges?

- See, this is the argument that's always used.

"Well, are you not in favor of infrastructure?

"You know, isn't it important to have a dedicated fund?"

Of course it is, but how did you get there?

You got there because you spent money in other places as opposed to projects, worthwhile projects such as infrastructure.

So the question really isn't 100% accurate.

It is a global question, not a question as whether I support infrastructure.

We all do.

- So, another question of having to do with transportation.

I'll move off in a second.

The corporate business tax.

The governor proposed in his budget address a corporate business tax.

This is to support an increase, this is an increase in taxes for companies that have profits over $10 million annually.

This money would go specifically to support New Jersey Transit, mass transit in the state.

New Jersey Transit is in trouble financially, on a fiscal cliff, if you will, potentially about to fall off, which would be devastating for commuters across this state and the region.

Why shouldn't we have this corporate business tax for companies that are making $10 million or more, Senator?

- Same answer.

You know, this is really a situation where people go, "Well, why wouldn't you wanna tax corporations?

"You know, it doesn't really affect you.

"Why don't we help out New Jersey Transit?"

Same answer.

If you're gonna spend money and you're gonna increase budgets by billions of dollars, by 11 or 12%, and then you come to me and go, "Okay, now let's raise these other taxes."

I said, "Well, wait a minute now.

"Why did we spend all this other money "on we'll call 'em Christmas tree items or pork items, "and now all of a sudden you come to me and you go, "'Oh, oh, by the way, "don't you support New Jersey Transit?'"

I do, but I also support smart budgeting in the last four or five years so you can limit the impact on corporations, you can limit the impact on people driving cars.

It's not a question as to what to do now.

It's a question as what have you done in the last five years?

- Senator, switch gears.

Every time we've had you on, we've talked about the Republican party, Trump's party, if you will.

No debate there.

As we speak, he's the Republican nominee.

He's leading in the polls right now, but again, we don't do horse race polls.

We try to look at policy.

But we also question the tone and tenor of candidates and the impact it has on our representative democracy and the way elections are held.

It's hard to keep track of what Donald Trump says publicly that is viewed by many to be inflammatory, but he recently said, if he loses this race for president in 2024, there will be a bloodbath.

Those of us who question that, particularly after January 6th in the media, many Republicans who support Trump, long-winded question I know, said, "Hey, you're taking it out of context.

"He didn't mean a bloodbath in the street.

"He meant some other sort of bloodbath "in terms of a policy issue, the economy, "whatever he was talking about."

Rhetoric that is dangerous, Senator?

- Dangerous rhetoric that also hurts our chances of winning elections.

We have been losing the legislature in the last few years, despite the prediction of a red wave.

We lost a gubernatorial election against Phil Murphy first time in decades, and we're gonna continue to lose if we're the party of Trump.

And let me say this, in 2026, when I'm the governor, right, Trump's not gonna be there to veto some of these extreme policies of the Democrats.

If you want to have two-party rule and balance in Trenton, then you have to understand that the Trump candidates are going to lose the general election, and you will continue to have one-party rule.

Bloodbath, saying that January 6th criminals are hostages, that will cause us to lose.

Now, I understand the need of Republicans to endorse Donald Trump.

I never did it, I never will do it, and that's why I can win a general election.

- Will you be voting for Trump or Biden?

- I won't be voting for Trump, and unlikely I'll vote for Biden.

I'll probably write in somebody else, but I'm not voting for Trump, I can tell you that.

- Back to policy.

Senator, a longstanding initiative we've been involved in, and we've asked you many times about childcare or Reimagine Child Care initiative, which is being expanded to a new initiative called the First 1,000 Days NJ, dealing with issues that impact children and families.

If you were governor, top two priorities for children and families in this state that would make it not just more affordable, but healthier for those who are particularly struggling in the state right now, families and children?

- I would make sure that health insurance companies provided under their policies the necessary tools for people to get the coverage they need and make sure doctors get paid, and the approval system, which is now a nightmare, is reduced.

The most important, most important is access to coverage, access to health insurance so people don't have to worry that they can't afford to take their child to the doctor, can't afford to go to a hospital.

We must provide coverage.

Everyone's entitled to health coverage, end of story.

- Another important issue.

Senator, what is your greatest concern?

And we're gonna be having your colleague, excuse me, State Senator Teresa Ruiz, who's been involved in this issue, as is your other colleague, Senator Vin Gopal, who's the chair of the Senate Education Committee.

Talk about the state funding formula for public schools.

State funding.

You're smiling already, Senator.

What is the biggest problem?

Because schools are funded by property taxes and state funding going to local schools.

What's the biggest concern and problem you have with the current formula that the state uses to provide dollars directly to over 600 school districts, if you will please?

- 150 school districts got cuts.

You know, if you support education, don't cut funding to schools, 150 schools.

Especially a lot of it is, in my judgment political decision-making.

- How so?

- You gotta cut- How?

Well- - Yeah, how is it political?

- A governor has the absolute right to increase funding in his budget outside of the school formula.

And Governor Murphy or any other governor, including me, would make sure that there would be no cuts.

You know, Toms River, for example, lost over the last couple years 10% or close to $20 million in support from the state.

That shouldn't happen.

Let's make sure, if you wanna increase funding to certain schools, make sure everyone else doesn't get a cut.

You know, they're trying to get their budgets now in April.

They don't even know how much money they're gonna get in June, but they should all understand, no cuts to any schools, especially based on political decision making.

- Senator, the immigration situation is serious.

New York City has a very serious problem.

It's not the only city or community in this nation with a problem.

New Jersey's affected as well.

As governor, what, if anything, could or would you do to deal with the immigration problem?

Even though it's a congressional and a federal issue, it has state implications.

Please, Senator?

- Well, we know that most of the people coming in come across the border and they seek asylum.

There should be a very strict limit, a very small limit at this stage on the people that actually are permitted to get asylum.

Right now it's unlimited.

That has to be limited.

There was a bill in Congress that had a cap.

The cap was probably a little too high, but you must limit the number of people coming in, and you can do that.

Congress can limit it to 500 people a day.

Now you have hundreds of thousands coming in.

So you have to limit- - Senator, I'm sorry for interrupting you, but your Republican colleagues in the House, when President Biden and the White House coordinated with conservative Republican senators to create an immigration bill that would've improved the situation, your Republican colleagues in the House voted against it, many argued because Donald Trump was pushing against them and said, "Don't do anything now "because we don't wanna address this problem.

"I want it to be worse."

Is that an exaggeration on my part to describe it like that?

- No, I think that's- - Why didn't it happen?

- That, I think that's what happened.

And as I said before, I've never endorsed Donald Trump.

I don't intend to endorse Donald Trump.

I intend to be the governor, and we have a two-party system.

So, no, I agree with you.

The bottom line is a Congress should be dealing with this and they're not, so it's a very bad situation, and it can be controlled.

You need legislation.

- Senator John Bramnick representing the 21st Legislative District.

You've been in that legislature for how long, John?

- 20 years.

- 20 years, and running for governor in 2025.

Part of our series, "New Jersey's Next Governor, Decision 2025."

Senator, great seeing you.

We'll continue the policy-oriented conversation.

All the best.

- Thank you, Steve.

- Stay with us.

We'll be right back.

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