Christie ends shutdown, but beach pictures left an imprint

But experts said they think the pictures all but did him in.

"The photos are likely the nails in Christie's political coffin that drive his approval ratings into the single digits," Montclair State University political science professor Brigid Harrison said.

The deal Christie struck late Monday with Democratic Senate President Steve Sweeney and Democratic Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto calls for a $34.7 billion budget that includes more than $300 million in Democratic spending priorities and is part of an agreement to overhaul the state's largest health insurer, Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield.

The Horizon legislation calls for annual audits of the nonprofit's reserve level, sets a range for reserves and requires excess to be spent on policyholders. The budget stalemate centered on Christie's desire for legislation to overhaul Horizon, but the deal includes none of the initial use of Horizon's surplus for opioid treatment that he set out to get in February.

Without a budget, state parks were shut down along with other nonessential state services, including state courts and the motor vehicle offices where people go to get driver's licenses. Tens of thousands of state workers were furloughed.

Christie said he requested to give state workers a paid holiday on Tuesday and would discuss back pay with lawmakers.

AP