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Records reveal effort to silence public on Atlantic City needle exchange closure
When the Atlantic City Council voted in July to stop permitting a local needle exchange to operate, the governing body performed a disservice to its own community, one struggling with opioid addiction and HIV infections. The governing body’s rejection of a center that has proven critical to battling the opioid crisis has been well documented […]
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, […]
New Jersey should be honest about unemployment call center shortcomings
Two weeks ago, our own Nikita Biryukov reported on a study out of the University of Chicago that ranked states on how easy it is to get a government official on the phone. New Jersey came in dead last. Researchers tried four different government agencies and reached a person less than 20% of the time […]
As move toward transparency, A.G. directive on police discipline is a dud
When then-Attorney General Gurbir Grewal last year ordered all New Jersey law enforcement agencies to identify by name their officers who receive serious discipline, he gave himself a pat on the back. The directive, he said in a statement, showed New Jersey was committed to “a culture of transparency and accountability in law enforcement.” “Today, […]
Now is the time to mandate vaccines for N.J. teachers
Gov. Phil Murphy, stop dithering and mandate vaccines for New Jersey’s public school teachers. Time has likely already run out to have a fully vaccinated army of teachers by the first day of school. If an unvaccinated teacher receives their first shot of a two-shot vaccine today, they won’t be inoculated by the start of […]
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 […]
New Jersey attorney general on wrong side of license plate case
In March, then-New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal spoke with the Washington Post about his vision for police reform. Grewal said his office was focused on improving law enforcement “well before the events of this past summer,” meaning the nationwide unrest that erupted after the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. “We want to […]
Roselle Park’s foolish attack on free speech
Roselle Park wasted taxpayer resources and courts’ time with its foolish and unconstitutional targeting of a pro-Trump borough resident. The “Fuck Biden” flags on display next to Andrea Dick’s home may be tacky and the message on them may be unsubtle, but they are an obvious display of political speech protected by the First Amendment. […]
Editor’s Notebook: Introducing the New Jersey Monitor
Is there a state that needs more reporters than New Jersey? The Garden State has all the ingredients that often combine to make corrupt governance. The governor’s mansion and legislature are controlled by the same party, giving Democrats the chance to do almost anything they want. Major decisions on how state government operates are made […]