News
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 […]
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, […]
Murphy orders health care, corrections staff to get vaccinated or tested
All workers in New Jersey’s state and private health care facilities and “high-risk congregate settings” must get fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by Sept. 7, or undergo testing once to twice a week, Gov. Phil Murphy announced Monday. Murphy attributed the change to the spread of the Delta variant and its widespread impacts. “Almost every day, […]
Police cannot always stop drivers for obscured license plates, N.J. Supreme Court rules
Police in New Jersey can no longer stop motorists for driving cars with partially obscured license plates if the plate markings are still recognizable, the New Jersey Supreme Court has ruled in a unanimous decision issued Monday. The ruling was largely a victory for civil liberties advocates who claimed that such stops are unconstitutional, discriminatory […]
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 […]
N.J. courts to fully re-open amid stunning backlogs, broad vacancies
New Jersey’s courthouses will fully re-open to the public today for the first time since the start of the pandemic, acting Administrative Director of the New Jersey Courts Judge Glenn Grant announced Friday. State courts resumed holding in-person trials and some other on-location services in mid-June, but capacity was limited to 50%. Entry to courthouses […]
Hurdles persist for undocumented immigrants seeking N.J. driver’s licenses
It’s been three months since New Jersey implemented a law allowing undocumented immigrants to get driver’s licenses and members of that community say they face multiple hurdles trying to obtain them. From being denied translators to getting turned away despite possessing valid documents to a booked-solid appointment system, advocacy groups argue too many people keep running […]
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. […]
Congress clears $521M to pay for National Guard costs tied to Jan. 6 attack
WASHINGTON — Congress on Thursday overwhelmingly passed $521 million to reimburse the National Guard for providing 26,000 troops to protect the Capitol after the Jan. 6 riot — an unexpected expense that was poised to result in training cutbacks for Guard units across the country. The National Guard Bureau used its budget to pay for the […]
Klobuchar: Senate Dems ‘very close’ to a deal on revised voting rights bill
WASHINGTON—Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar said Thursday that lawmakers attempting to negotiate a compromise elections overhaul bill are “very close to an agreement” on legislation, as Democrats struggle to respond to restrictive voting laws passed in Republican-led states. Klobuchar, the chairwoman of the Senate Rules & Administration Committee, has been meeting with other Senate Democrats about […]