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NJ Senate OKs Toll Increase Rollback

TRENTON, N.J. (CBSNewYork/AP) -- The New Jersey Senate has voted to roll back a planned highway toll increase. Democrats said the increase shouldn't go forward because it was meant to help pay for a new rail tunnel into New York that won't be built.

Governor Chris Christie killed the project in October because of potential cost overruns that might have totaled billions.

Tolls are still set to go up on the New Jersey Turnpike and Garden State Parkway in January, and the governor says that revenue should be used for state road, rail and bridge projects.

Republican Senator Joe Kyrillos argued that canceling the increase would hurt New Jersey's reputation with lenders and businesses, but a majority of his colleagues disagreed. Yesterday's vote was 27-9 to cancel. The Assembly has not yet considered the bill.

(TM and Copyright 2011 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2011 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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