Gov. Chris Christie’s state of the state address

Such speeches in New Jersey have historically taken a broad, positive tone, and Christie might not gain nationally in his quest for the White House by addressing New Jersey’s problems.

Christie stepped away from the presidential campaign trial to give his state of the state address.

New Jersey has the most underfunded pension system in the country.

He asked lawmakers to raise their hands if they would support a hike in the sales or income taxes.

Several hours after Christie’s State of the State, Obama delivered his annual State of the Union – a duty Christie hopes to have in 2018.

Atlantic City’s main casino workers union is backing state Senate President Steve Sweeney’s plan for a referendum on expanding casinos to northern New Jersey.

Wynn proposed that state legislators’ amend the state’s constitution to allow casinos outside of Atlantic City to operate. Sweeney said that, despite the Governor’s criticism of pensions, the legislature will continue to pursue the constitutional amendment in 2016.

Most of the remaining revenue – after payments to the state’s horse racing industry and to communities that host the casinos – would go to programs and tax relief for senior citizens and the disabled statewide.

A spokesman for Atlantic City’s Republican Mayor Don Guardian said the city is concerned about the threat.

Christie also announced he wants a major increase in funding for substance abuse and mental health treatment.

“There’s only one person who can force everybody into a room and emerge with a deal”, Dworkin said.

“We need to fix this now”, Christie said.

Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto fired back at the governor, who has been out of the state much of the year while seeking the GOP presidential nomination. He could talk about the state’s unemployment rate, which has dropped to 5.3 percent in November, almost on track with the nation’s 5.0 percent rate, and about how he has championed efforts to combat drug addiction.

His approval rating in New Jersey also has dipped to its lowest point.

Christie called for lawmakers to abolish the state’s estate tax. That is who I am because that is who New Jersey taught me to be. Mangino also urged Christie to help Sandy victims facing home foreclosure.

Top Democrats in the Legislature were not as impressed.

A super PAC supporting Ohio Gov. John Kasich for president is going up with a new digital ad on Monday calling New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie too liberal and “wrong on guns”.

The Assembly, which added seven new members, held its reorganization at the War Memorial across from the statehouse in a ceremony that included state police bagpipers.

The start of the new session means any bills not sent to Christie’s desk die and must be re-introduced.

Sweeney’s plan calls for existing Atlantic City casino operators to hold a 51% stake in each of the new casinos, while Prieto wanted at least one casino to be wholly owned by an operator with no ties to AC.

Christie’s defense? He said New Jersey is in better shape than it was when he took office in 2010.

The governor has made drug treatment a key initiative in both his time as governor and on the presidential campaign trail.

Thomson ReutersU.S. Republican presidential candidate and New Jersey Governor Chris Christie speaks at a gathering of the Manchester Rotary Club in ManchesterTRENTON, N.J.