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GOP distrust of mail-in voting a no-show in this year’s races
National politics put New Jersey Republicans in strange position last year. Former President Donald Trump repeatedly derided mail-in voting — which saw widespread adoption as governments looked to stem the spread of COVID-19 — and a cohort of GOP state lawmakers raised alarms over the practice, alternatively arguing residents did not trust it or urging […]
Final gubernatorial debate ends with few new details
The final debate between Gov. Phil Murphy and challenger Jack Ciattarelli again drew sharp lines between the two candidates, though much about their platforms remained hazy Tuesday night. In one notable moment, Ciattarelli, a Republican, said he would codify abortion protections as governor should the U.S. Supreme Court overturn Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 […]
Democrats have broad spending leads in competitive districts, filings show
A handful of competitive legislative districts have again drawn the majority of candidates’ spending this year, and Democrats have the edge. Candidates in the 2nd District in Atlantic County, where Democratic Assemblyman Vince Mazzeo and Republican state Sen.-select Vince Polistina are vying for a vacant seat in the upper chamber, have put just over $1.2 […]
Stalled bills would cut interest on unpaid taxes
A confluence of concerns about enabling residents to skip paying their taxes have kept New Jersey’s interest rate on unpaid imposts among the highest in the nation despite some lawmakers repeated and continuing efforts to bring those rates down. In New Jersey, unpaid taxes above $1,500 accrue interest at a rate of 18% per year, […]
Bail reform pays dividends as number of low-risk defendants jailed pre-trial drops again
In 2014, New Jersey voters backed a constitutional amendment to allow judges to order certain criminal suspects be detained without bail and pushed the courts away from holding minor offenders awaiting trial. Since that measure went into effect in 2017, the number of individuals imprisoned on bail of $2,500 or less while awaiting trial fell […]
GOP-to-Dem flip at center of Burlington state Senate race
A state senator’s former allegiance to the Republican Party lies at the center of what is expected to be one of the state’s most competitive legislative races. Sen. Dawn Addiego (D-Burlington) has served in the legislature since 2008 and has been a senator since 2010, but this year’s campaign is her first as a Democrat. […]
New Jersey enters four-state compact to share crime gun data
New Jersey and three of its neighbors will begin sharing data on guns involved in crime, four governors announced in a joint virtual appearance Thursday. A memorandum of understanding signed by Gov. Phil Murphy and his counterparts in New York, Connecticut, and Pennsylvania will require law enforcement agencies in those states to share gun trace […]
Spending spree leaves Ciattarelli with thin coffers
Gubernatorial spending sprees are in full swing. Republican gubernatorial candidate Jack Ciattarelli has spent just over $8.9 million during the general election campaign, nearly draining his campaign coffers and drawing him ever closer to a spending cap. Ciattarelli’s spending, revealed in 29-day pre-election reports submitted to the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission, left the […]
Appellate panel denies states’ SALT appeal
A federal appeals court shot down a bid by New Jersey and three other states to remove the $10,000 cap on state and local tax deduction Tuesday. New Jersey, along with New York, Connecticut, and Maryland, in 2018 sued the federal government in a bid to overturn the cap, charging it runs afoul of the […]
Passaic River cleanup timeline accelerated after new agreement, officials say
Federal and state environmental protection officials announced a plan to clean superfund contaminants from a nine-mile portion of the polluted Passaic River in what is expected to be the costliest remediation effort in the program’s history. The actual cleanup of the Diamond Alkali superfund site is still likely years away, but members of the state’s congressional […]
Two Vinces vie for Atlantic County Senate seat
The campaign to fill former state Sen. Chris Brown’s seat is in full swing. The contest between Assemblyman Vince Mazzeo (D-Atlantic) and Republican Senator-select Vince Polistina, who represented the district in the Assembly for two terms roughly a decade ago, has in some ways defied recent conventions. Polistina and his running mates — former state […]
Flood insurance changes go into effect despite bipartisan opposition
The age of flood insurance subsidies may be coming to an end despite cries of protests from lawmakers who fear a monumental shift in how premiums are calculated could force residents out of their longtime homes. The new system, dubbed Risk Rating 2.0 by FEMA, went into effect Friday for individuals who purchase new policies. […]