the state senate held another hearing to evaluate the funding that each state department receives through the annual budget Today New Jerseys Attorney General Matt Platkin made his case for the $780 million budget that he's been proposed He touted lower crime rates and improvements in police conduct as part of his track record and he faced scrutiny from Republicans on the committee Correspondent Ted Goldberg was at the hearing in the state house as part of our new reporting project under the dome exploring the state government and its impact on New Jersey Attorney General Matt Placken says New Jersey is a safer place than when he took office presenting the Senate Budget Committee with several examples of state stats High-end autothefts are down by about a third since the first year I was in office Through smart law enforcement efforts we drove suspected opioid deaths down by 30% last year We charged more human trafficking cases out of my department in one year last year than were charged by the entire state of New Jersey all 21 county prosecutor's offices or the state in the previous four years combined The proposed budget would give just under $780 million to the Department of Law and Public Safety about 3% less than last year Placin says his department needs every bit of that in part for legal battles against proposed cuts from the Trump administration Should we tell the two million New Jerseyians on Medicaid that they don't get healthcare that they're lawfully entitled to should we tell the thousands of parents of kids with autism and other special needs that their aids that they're funded by the IDA should not get that support but for our lawsuits millions of people would have been hurt Plenin also defended his department for taking over policing in Patterson subject to a state supreme court challenge that's tied up in the courts We've restored trust in law enforcement over the past 2 years in the third largest city in our state We've driven down crime Murders are down 60% shootings are down 31% sexual assaults are down 28% Today's hearing turned into a performance review of the attorney general where Republicans criticized Plain for saying more concealed carry permits would make New Jersey less safe Empirically and I think this makes some intuitive sense when people carry more firearms there's more gun violence What you're saying makes zero sense You come in here telling us that shooting stats are down yet 60,000 more people would have carry permits than they did uh than the two and a half years preceding Breuin We don't have a very long period of time with concealed carry General that's BS Not going to be more guns in New Jersey and fewer and fewer shootings Are you saying I'm lying about the numbers i'm I'm saying your math just doesn't work It doesn't make any sense to me Plenin declined to grade his performance when asked by Senator Michael Ta who also had questions about lawmakers appropriating funds meant for property tax relief property tax relief fund revenues were spent were sent to one county for a massive new minor league baseball stadium with VIP seating Has your office or you yourself personally reviewed my letter and looked into the unconstitutional diversion of income tax revenue senator I defer to the governor's office and treasurer on the budget allocations Our role in the process is to council agencies So any of these line items you're not allowed to comment on because there's a spectre of litigation that I've raised You asked me a different question You asked me about my opinion on the constitutionality of a certain practice a practice that you in your letter have threatened litigation over I am counsel to the agencies It would not be appropriate for me to comment There was also bipartisan criticism for Plain's comments after an indictment was dismissed against power broker George Norcross Plain said if the decision stood it would send a message that there are two systems of criminal justice Was the comment issued just at a point of emotion natural This decision was the first decision that we can find where a judge dismissed a case based on a facial challenge to an indictment under these circumstances without reviewing lengthy grand jury testimony What was scheduled as a law enforcement budget hearing with the attorney general defending his spending needs turned into Matt Placken defending himself at the state house I'm Ted Goldberg NJ Spotlight News Under the Dome is made possible in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting a private corporation funded by the American people