TRENTON, NJ-It is now known at present whether New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie will challenge a State Supreme Court ruling that gave the state until next month to make changes to its affordable housing system or simply ask for an extension.

The Republican governor recently lashed out at the court's ruling that ordered the state to write new rules by Feb. 26 for the Council on Affordable Housing, according to The Star-Ledger. Gov. Christie characterized the court's decision as "outrageous" and termed the state's affordable housing system a "failed experiment now continuing to be promulgated by an out-of-control court that can never admit its mistakes."

While Christie has not officially announced if the state will abide by the court order or ask for an extension, he has hired consultants "as part of a litigation process," according to his spokesman, Michael Drewniak, who added that the state was now "in a litigation posture.”

Meanwhile, State Sen. Raymond Lesniak is drafting legislation to overhaul the troubled system, which produced anywhere from 40,000 to 60,000 homes for low- and moderate-income residents since the 1980s.

"He's going to have to see eye-to-eye with me, because if he doesn't, the court's going to order it," says Lesniak. "It's important to get everybody reasonably onboard because…it's so easy to delay this program through litigation. It's exactly what's happening."

Gov. Christie had hoped to use more than $165 million in a housing trust fund to balance his last budget. However, the courts prevented the diversion of those funds. See story in The Star-Ledger.