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In digital campaign ads, Murphy talks Trump, Ciattarelli cites crime
New Jersey’s gubernatorial candidates have embraced divergent digital advertising strategies in the aftermath of June’s primary, with challenger Jack Ciattarelli aiming to boost his name recognition while dinging Gov. Phil Murphy, who has kept his own online spots geared to message testing almost exclusively. The Republican challenger has focused much of his messaging on crime, […]
N.J. Supreme Court upholds decision nixing former tax assessor’s pension over $300 bribe
The New Jersey Supreme Court has upheld lower court decisions requiring a former Jersey City tax assessor to give up his pension after pleading guilty to accepting a $300 bribe. The high court found the compelled forfeiture of ex-assessor Bennie Anderson’s pension did not violate the Eighth Amendment, which bars excessive fines and cruel and […]
Another town poised to join others moving local elections to November
When a 2011 law went into effect allowing certain New Jersey towns to move their May local elections to November, 86 municipalities held their nonpartisan races in the spring. That number has fallen to just 41, and the outlook for May races has improved little in recent years. Jersey City voters moved their elections to […]
Murphy: Decision on school vaccine mandate to come before end of August
Gov. Phil Murphy expects to issue guidance on immunization requirements in schools before the end of August, he said at a press briefing Monday. “My guess is in the next two or three weeks, we’ll have something that we’ll be able to put out there,” Murphy said, adding his administration is working on the issue. […]
Hate crimes registry plan finds opposition from civil rights advocates
Civil rights advocates are voicing opposition to a proposal to create a registry for New Jersey residents convicted of hate crimes. The plan, announced last week by a trio of lawmakers in the seventh legislative district, would create a public online registry containing the names, addresses, license plate numbers, and various other descriptors for New […]
N.J. courts announce vaccine mandate
New Jersey Courts are enacting their own vaccine mandate. The judiciary will require all staff and judges presiding over state courts provide proof of their immunization or submit to weekly virus testing, acting Administrative Director of the Courts Judge Glenn Grant said. The announcement comes only days after the courts fully re-opened to the public […]
Feds make deal with N.J. over voter law violation
County and state transportation services for residents with disabilities will be required to offer voter registration services after New Jersey reached a consent decree with national authorities over violations of the National Voter Registration Act, acting U.S. Attorney Rachael Honig announced Thursday. Under the agreement, Access Link and Community Transportation — both transit services geared […]
In Allen, Ciattarelli finds a champion for women
Diane Allen was already a trailblazer when she first ran for the Legislature in 1995. Allen, now Republican gubernatorial nominee Jack Ciattarelli’s pick for lieutenant governor, had given up her role as a news anchor at a Philadelphia-based CBS news affiliate a year earlier after reaching a settlement with the broadcaster over age and gender […]
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 […]
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 […]