News
Black women with children excluded from federal cash assistance program, report finds
WASHINGTON — A new research paper reviewed how each state implemented a federal program that has provided cash assistance to low income families over the last 25 years—and found that Black women with children repeatedly were excluded. On a call with reporters Wednesday, policy experts at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities outlined how […]
From public art to police oversight, N.J. looks to right its racist past
New Jersey may not be the first state that springs to mind when considering the history of slavery and systemic racism. But the ugliness emerges after even a cursory probe into the past. The Garden State was the last of the Northern states to abolish slavery, initially rejecting the Thirteenth Amendment. Perth Amboy was one […]
Business groups opposed to vaccine passports — but resistance is softening
New Jersey’s business leaders aren’t prepared to embrace vaccine mandate and passport policies similar to those announced in New York City Tuesday. New York City is preparing to implement a broad mandate that will require customers and workers at indoor restaurants, gyms, and performance venues to show proof of receiving at least one vaccine dose […]
State legislators rally in D.C., urge Congress to act on voting rights
WASHINGTON—U.S. Senate Democrats joined with dozens of state legislators at a rally outside the U.S. Capitol Tuesday afternoon, demanding that the Senate skip August recess and pass critical voting rights legislation in reaction to Republican-led states that have adopted restrictive voting laws. Dozens of legislators from North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Texas, among others, […]
Murphy calls on Cuomo to resign over sexual harassment claims
Gov. Phil Murphy joined the chorus of Democrats Tuesday urging Gov. Andrew Cuomo of New York to resign over an investigation that found Cuomo broke federal and state laws and engaged in a pattern of sexual harassment targeting 11 women. Murphy issued his call in a brief joint statement Tuesday night with Democratic Govs. Tom […]
Study: N.J. last in nation for getting government help by phone
The human element in some of New Jersey’s government services is difficult to find. A new study conducted by researchers at the University of Chicago found live representatives for New Jersey’s unemployment insurance program and other government services were harder to reach than in any other state. Researchers commissioned 10 assistants to call into unemployment, […]
Murphy orders health care, corrections staff to get vaccinated or tested
All workers in New Jersey’s state and private health care facilities and “high-risk congregate settings” must get fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by Sept. 7, or undergo testing once to twice a week, Gov. Phil Murphy announced Monday. Murphy attributed the change to the spread of the Delta variant and its widespread impacts. “Almost every day, […]
Police cannot always stop drivers for obscured license plates, N.J. Supreme Court rules
Police in New Jersey can no longer stop motorists for driving cars with partially obscured license plates if the plate markings are still recognizable, the New Jersey Supreme Court has ruled in a unanimous decision issued Monday. The ruling was largely a victory for civil liberties advocates who claimed that such stops are unconstitutional, discriminatory […]
Questionable fundraising tactics bleed into gubernatorial race
Questionable fundraising tactics have found a home in the race for New Jersey’s governorship. Candidates on both sides of the aisle have sent emails with urgent, personal pleas from the candidates that warn of arbitrary deadlines. Though the campaigns have steered clear from some of the more pernicious fundraising tactics, their email entreaties sometimes veer […]
2022 spending bill included all but one add-on spending request
As lawmakers finalized New Jersey’s budget in June, Gov. Phil Murphy’s administration and legislators submitted 407 requests for additional spending. Just one of those requests was denied outright, according to a review of budget resolutions. The budget add-ons, often referred to as “pork” or “Christmas-tree items,” helped push the final price tag of the state’s budget […]
N.J. courts to fully re-open amid stunning backlogs, broad vacancies
New Jersey’s courthouses will fully re-open to the public today for the first time since the start of the pandemic, acting Administrative Director of the New Jersey Courts Judge Glenn Grant announced Friday. State courts resumed holding in-person trials and some other on-location services in mid-June, but capacity was limited to 50%. Entry to courthouses […]
Hurdles persist for undocumented immigrants seeking N.J. driver’s licenses
It’s been three months since New Jersey implemented a law allowing undocumented immigrants to get driver’s licenses and members of that community say they face multiple hurdles trying to obtain them. From being denied translators to getting turned away despite possessing valid documents to a booked-solid appointment system, advocacy groups argue too many people keep running […]