NATION IN BRIEF : NEW JERSEY : Lawmakers Override Veto of Sales Tax Cut

The Republican-dominated New Jersey Legislature guaranteed a cut in the state sales tax by overriding Democratic Gov. James J. Florio’s veto of a bill to reduce the 7% levy to 6%. The Assembly favored the override by 59 to 12, with one Democrat joining all the Republicans in voting to override. Nine Democrats abstained. The Senate then backed the override by 29 to 2, with two Democrats voting for the override. Republicans said the reduction was needed to boost the economy. But most Democrats blasted it as a political ploy, saying Republicans were cutting a major tax without disclosing where they intended to cut Florio’s proposed $15.7-billion budget to make up for the $608-million loss of revenue caused by the tax cut.