New Jersey and nearby states can expect the coronavirus to cost them $100 billion in lost revenue and extra costs, and they’re asking the federal government to pick up the tab.

Otherwise, they may have to lay off state workers and slash funding for public transit and other services.

“Our work is far from done,” Gov. Phil Murphy said Friday at his daily coronavirus briefing. “We need federal action to address states directly."

Murphy and fellow Govs. Andrew Cuomo of New York, Ned Lamont of Connecticut and Tom Wolf of Pennsylvania outlined the need and the dire circumstances they find themselves in on Friday In a letter sent to President Donald Trump and congressional leaders.

They asked for a minimum of $100 billion to compensate their states for the loss of tax revenue, for declining transit and bus fares, for the drop in economic activity as stores, restaurants, casinos, sporting events and other public places where people gather are forced to close to stop the spread of covid-19.

Murphy made the same plea a day earlier on a tele-conference call with other governors, Trump and administration officials.

“We’re going to need a bigger boat,” Murphy said on Friday, quoting the famous line from the movie “Jaws.”

“We’re going to need a lot more cash to keep doing what we’re doing," he added.

The governors requested that the $100 billion be part of the stimulus legislation now being drafted on Capitol Hill.

“Our challenges are expanding daily and just beginning,” the governors wrote. "Our states have all stepped up to take unprecedented action to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 and do all we can to flatten the curve. We implore you to consider the devastating impact these efforts will have on our states — and millions of our residents — both in the immediate term and the months to come.”

Unlike the federal government, states must balance their books, and if the red ink flows, they’ll have to cut spending to make up for the loss of revenue.

“Without flexible and immediately accessible resources, states may be left with no choice but to lay off thousands of employees, be unable to pay employees who are providing life-sustaining services, slash funding for education and transportation, and substantially reduce critical services — just as our residents need our support the most,” the governors wrote.

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Jonathan D. Salant may be reached at jsalant@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JDSalant or on Facebook. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.

Brent Johnson may be reached at bjohnson@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @johnsb01.

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