NEWARK — State Senate President Stephen Sweeney today said he is willing to shut down state government if Gov. Chris Christie doesn't support a budget that contains the payment into the public employee pension fund they both promised to make when they approved a major overhaul of the program three years ago.

“If we have to shut the government down, we would," Sweeney told The Star-Ledger editorial board today. "I stand by that, and I mean it. I made a commitment, and I've got to keep it."

Sweeney (D-Gloucester) made the threat in response to Christie's remarks in his State of the State address earlier this month, in which the governor said he and the Legislature "need to have the conversation now about further changes to our pension system and about adding further to our state's already-burdened debt load."

The current pension contribution is $1.7 billion, and is set to rise to $2.4 billion in next fiscal year. The Republican governor suggested in his speech that money would be better spent on other things, such as more police and better schools.

The statements incensed Democratic lawmakers, who in 2011 stood with Christie to enact sweeping changes to the pension program that required both employee concessions and the state's commitment to increase payments each year.

For years, governors of both parties didn’t fund the pension and health care plans for public workers to balance their budgets, putting them in about an $86 billion hole. The 2011 revision calls for the state to phase in added payments to the fund through 2018, when the state's contribution would reach what is needed to preserve its long-term health.

The Christie administration is preparing its state budget for the fiscal year that begins July 1 at a time when the state's economic recovery is still sluggish. In November, Moody’s Investors Service lowered its outlook for New Jersey’s debt from stable to negative, citing in part the state’s huge debt obligations.

Sweeney said the governor should do a better job growing the economy instead of reneging on a promise.

"He signed a piece of legislation to make the pension payments. It was no secret this is going to be a hard one to do," Sweeney said. "I will not approve a budget without it."

Christie's spokesman did not respond to requests for comment.

The leader of the largest state worker's union, the Communications Workers of America, said she agreed with Sweeney's sentiment.

"We are heartened to hear Senate President Sweeney taking a strong position that all of the pension payments must be made," said Hetty Rosenstein, NJ CWA State Director. "I think many of our members would agree that we should shut the State down if Christie's budget doesn't include the promised payment. "

The state constitution requires a budget be approved on or before June 30.

Gov. Jon Corzine shut down the state government for a week in 2006 following a budget impasse with the Democratic-controlled Legislature, idling more than 100,000 workers and closing everything from casinos to courts to state parks. New laws that have passed since then stipulate that casinos would not be closed again under a state shutdown.

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