NJ Politics Digest: Murphy Meets with Legislative Leaders

Governor-elect Phil Murphy and the top-elected Democrats of the legislature had a "great" meeting on Wednesday, according to the lawmakers.

Phil Murphy (left) and Steve Sweeney Christian Hetrick for Observer

Governor-elect Phil Murphy and the top-elected Democrats of the legislature had a “great” meeting on Wednesday, according to lawmakers.

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Senate President Steve Sweeney, Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin and Assembly Majority Leader Lou Greenwald were spotted walking out of Murphy’s transition office down the street from the state house in Trenton. The lawmakers were tight-lipped about the meeting, though Sweeney and Coughlin both called it “great.”

Sweeney, who was publicly at odds with Murphy last week over a nuclear subsidy bill, dismissed suggestions that there’s friction between himself and the incoming governor.

“We’re fine,” he told Observer. (Murphy also showed up at Sweeney’s party last night, for what it’s worth.)

There was little else the lawmakers would say about the meeting.

“Stuff,” Sweeney said when asked what was discussed.

“Important stuff,” Coughlin added.

Quote of the Day: “Phil [Murphy]’s where he believes he needs to be. I just believe that New Jersey is a moderate state. It’s not a liberal state. If New Jersey was truly a liberal state, we wouldn’t have had 24 years out of the last 40 with Republican governorships.” — Senate President Stephen Sweeney.

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Got a tip? Email Christian Hetrick at chetrick@observer.com or reach him on Twitter.

NJ Politics Digest: Murphy Meets with Legislative Leaders