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"The Christie administration has made tremendous strides in cutting spending, reining in government bureaucracy and reforming regulations," Kirschner said. "And Christie has stood fast in his pledge not to raise taxes. All of these actions have built a foundation that will give the state's private sector the confidence to grow and create jobs. NJBIA has long argued that budget shortfalls should be addressed through spending cuts, not tax increases."

Carlos Perez, the CEO of the New Jersey Charter Schools Association, praised what he sees as Christie's commitment to education reform.

"We are pleased that one of the three ‘big things' the governor focused on in his speech is education reform and that charter schools are a crucial piece of that reform agenda," Perez said. "We stand ready to work with him and the Legislature to ensure his agenda is passed. It's not just about increasing the number of charter schools, but ensuring that those charters schools that are approved are providing the highest quality education to the children of our state."

Christie noted there are 73 charter schools existing in New Jersey and that he wants to see more open. The state Department of Education approved six new charter schools in 2010.

Sen. Steve Oroho (R-Sussex) said, "Today, Governor Christie reiterated his disciplined agenda to push New Jersey forward and reignite our state's competitive advantage to attract businesses and create jobs. By reforming New Jersey's burdensome regulatory environment, enacting comprehensive tax reform and making government more efficient our state will become an attractive venue for businesses to locate, grow and once again create private sector jobs.

"Governor Christie understands that New Jersey has a unique economy and must compete in the global marketplace," Oroho said. "I am confident that in the near future New Jersey will once again become a financial powerhouse characterized by a competitive tax and regulatory structure and strong, sustainable job growth."