Gov + Legislature
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, […]
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 […]
Lawmakers announce hate crimes registry bill after Mount Laurel man’s racist tirade
A trio of Burlington County lawmakers have proposed a public hate crimes registry in response to a Mount Laurel resident’s racist tirade against Black neighbors, a rant that was part of an apparent rise in confirmed or suspected hate crimes statewide. The proposed registry would be a searchable database that includes the names, street addresses, […]
Post-birth home nurse visits now required under new law
Headaches wracked Sunmisola Adedonkun in the days after she gave birth. She might have written it off as a minor ailment treatable by over-the-counter pain relievers, but a visit from a home nurse identified the potentially life-threatening postpartum preeclampsia she faced. Today, Adedonkun credits that visit with saving her life. “I rushed to the hospital. […]
History against Murphy as he seeks second term
Despite New Jersey’s stature as a Democratic stronghold, governors belonging to the party haven’t won re-election since Gov. Brendan Byrne secured a second term in 1977. That fact has taken a central role in Republican gubernatorial candidate Jack Ciattarelli’s messaging on the campaign trail, where he frequently urges voters to make Gov. Phil Murphy “one […]
Murphy’s new mask recommendation unlikely to impact gubernatorial race
New masking recommendations issued by Gov. Phil Murphy’s administration are unlikely to have much of an impact on his re-election race, but worsening conditions could necessitate measures with greater political cost. Murphy and Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli on Wednesday urged residents to don masks in crowded indoor spaces or ones where individuals may not be […]
With Legislature in recess, N.J. Supreme Court justice delays retirement
New Jersey Supreme Court Justice Jaynee LaVecchia is delaying her retirement date until the state Legislature returns to approve her replacement, according to a statement released by the courts. She had planned to retire on Aug. 30 in advance of the new court session, which begins Sept. 1. But with the Legislature on an extended […]
N.J. lawmakers brag of leading a diverse state. But legislature is overwhelmingly white
New Jersey officials boast that they lead one of the most diverse states in the nation, but white men are still making most of the decisions in Trenton. And while the diversity of the chamber’s members has risen over the last 10 years, most communities still aren’t accurately reflected in the state Legislature. “It’s changing, […]
N.J.’s part-time legislature exposes state to abuse. It’s not likely to change.
In early 2003, reports accusing a top member of the New Jersey Legislature of overbilling municipalities where he served as an attorney began to emerge in the press. They charged that co-Senate President John Bennett sent duplicate bills to Marlboro Township, which his law firm represented. The saga saw party support ebb from Bennett and […]
Election officials warm to N.J. early voting mandate, but worries persist
Election officials are marching toward early voting in this year’s general election with growing confidence, though a slew of technological concerns and some worries over funding remain. Gov. Phil Murphy in March signed a bill creating a nine-day period of early in-person voting preceding each general election, with shorter windows for primaries. The legislation, a […]