After state lawmakers failed to pass a new budget by the midnight Friday deadline, Governor Chris Christie has signed an executive order shutting down state government.
Essential services including state police, prisons, state hospitals, and key child welfare services will remain in operation.
State recreational areas historic sites and parks are closed and public events there cancelled.
Christie says his family is at the state-owned Governor’s Beach House and might be the only family spending the holiday weekend at Island Beach State Park.
“I don’t know if it’s fair, but the houses are the governor’s houses, and they’re not asking for any services. Where down at the public part of the beach there’s all type of services that are provided, lifeguarding services and other things that they provide, that will not be able to be provided because we don’t have the money.”
When state government shut down in 2006 state workers were furloughed but ended up getting back pay. Christie says they’re not likely to get it this time.
“Yeah don’t count on it. That was Jon ‘I’ll for you for a good contract’ Corzine. I ain’t him.”
There’s no indication when Christie and lawmakers might be able to reach some sort of compromise that would break the budget deadlock and end the shutdown.