Assembly Speaker Sheila Oliver (D-Essex/Passaic) released the following statement on Gov. Chris Christie’s State of the State address:

“We all share the goal of rebuilding New Jersey following Sandy. We’ve seen the pain and damage first-hand, so helping residents and businesses recover from this storm remains a top bipartisan goal.

“But we also must remember that rebuilding after Sandy isn’t the only pressing concern.

“New Jersey’s economy was in turmoil before the storm and remains so with a 9.6 unemployment rate and economic growth that ranked 47th in the nation. That’s why Assembly Democrats passed numerous job creation bills in December and look forward to them finally getting the governor’s attention and support.

“New Jerseyans still wait for the governor to decide on the Democratic plan to increase the minimum wage. Low-income working families need this help.

“Women’s health care funding remains cut. This must be corrected.

“We’ve heard nothing from Gov. Christie on gun and ammunition control and tackling the crime and violence that plague many of our residents and business owners.

“We continue to stand ready to work with the executive branch to make our state more affordable and stronger, but we expect to do so while tackling all the concerns facing our residents and businesses.”