Gov + Legislature
Murphy won’t say if N.J. will extend extra unemployment benefits
As the expiration date for pandemic-related unemployment benefits looms for over 500,000 New Jerseyans still relying on the weekly payments, Gov. Phil Murphy won’t say whether the state plans on extending those benefits. “No news on the unemployment extension,” he said during his weekly coronavirus press briefing Monday. The state Department of Labor also declined […]
School employees must vaccinate by Oct. 18 or submit to weekly tests
School faculty and staff workers must complete a vaccine regiment by Oct. 18 or submit to between one and two COVID-19 tests each week, Gov. Phil Murphy announced Monday. The new mandate, which will also apply to state workers, may be the most expansive New Jersey has yet seen. Some workers in health care, corrections, […]
Impact of new prison redistricting law remains unclear
The impact of a new law that will count incarcerated New Jerseyans as living in their home communities — hailed by supporters as an end to “prison gerrymandering” — remains unclear. “It was a long time coming,” said state Sen. Shirley Turner (D-Mercer), a sponsor. “In fact, it’s long past time that we eliminate prison […]
Murphy says New Jersey will welcome Afghan refugees
New Jersey will welcome refugees from Afghanistan who have fled or are attempting to flee the country to escape Taliban rule, Gov. Phil Murphy said in a letter to President Biden Sunday. The people of Afghanistan, who have watched as their country has plunged into chaos in the leadup to the withdrawal of American troops, […]
Future ICE detention contracts banned by N.J. law
Private and public New Jersey facilities are barred from signing contracts to imprison federal immigrant detainees under a new law signed by Gov. Phil Murphy Friday. Immigrant organizations, attorneys, and family members have advocated for years to end the lucrative business of immigrant detention in the Garden State. Murphy signed the bill quietly, without the […]
Undocumented residents falling deeper into debt as they await state stimulus
Monica Galindo lost her husband just as the coronavirus pandemic hit New Jersey. After 20 years of marriage, the 44-year-old mother of three became the only breadwinner of her household. That same month, she lost her job cleaning houses as pandemic restrictions took hold, and fell behind on rent and light bills. As an undocumented […]
Essex County no longer in ICE business, but activists hold their cheers
For 13 years, the Essex County jail that held undocumented immigrants was at the center of fiery protests and confrontations, both from activists protesting in the streets of Newark and the detainees staging hunger strikes inside. Essex County Correctional Facility finally ceded to activists this year and cut its contract with U.S. Immigration and Customs […]
Budget, abortion measures top most-lobbied bills in N.J.
Annual spending bills topped again topped the list of the state’s most-lobbied bills, but five of the 10 bills that have drawn the most attention from lobbyists this legislative session haven’t made it into law, according to analysis released by the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission Wednesday. The bills are wide ranging and are […]
Murphy still holds sizable lead over Ciattarelli, poll finds
Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy continues to lead GOP challenger Jack Ciattarelli, but voters give the Republican the edge on taxes, a Monmouth University poll found. Registered voters prefer Murphy by 16 points, 52% to 36%, and the enthusiasm gap Republicans have relied on does not appear to have materialized. The governor leads among high- and low-turnout […]
In New Jersey, local lobbying goes undisclosed
Municipal officials in towns across New Jersey are facing a press of lobbying over local marijuana rules, but those influence efforts will largely go undisclosed. New Jersey’s lobbying regulations only cover influence at the state level and toward the general public. Lobbying targeting smaller units of government, like those that exist on the local and […]
Calls grow for N.J. to use federal aid to replenish unemployment fund
A growing, bipartisan chorus of lawmakers and business groups are calling on New Jersey to use federal stimulus dollars to replenish the state’s unemployment trust fund. The pleas for help came as the state wrestles with how to restore the fund, which lost millions as jobless claims skyrocketed during the pandemic. The fund needs a […]
Businesses pray for hiring boom after fed unemployment benefits expire
Nancy Mercurio is looking forward to Sept. 6. Mercurio, who owns a Haddon Heights dog sitting business, brought back most of her employees when appointments resumed in June 2020. A few didn’t want to come back, she said, so she’s had three positions open for months. The responses she’s gotten aren’t encouraging. Some interviewees don’t […]