The New Jersey Department of Health (NJDOH) revised guidance to reduce the social distancing in classrooms mandated due to the coronavirus pandemic after the declaration by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) that students need to be only three feet apart instead of six feet. According to NJDOH Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli, the new separation requirements will apply to all elementary grade levels, across all levels of community transmission risk. For middle and high school grades, the three feet guide applies to those districts in low and moderate risk levels. Additionally, Gov. Phil Murphy said a remote learning option will not be offered next year. North-JerseyNews.com
The state’s COVID-19 vaccine supply is going up about 19% to nearly half a million doses next week. The state will receive a total of 494,430 doses, including 267,930 of Pfizer, 174,800 of Moderna and 51,700 of Johnson & Johnson, which New Jersey Department of Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli said was a “good surprise.” New Jersey Herald
Newark Mayor Ras Baraka feels any New Jersey resident who wants to get the COVID-19 vaccine should be able to do so as soon as possible. “I think they should make it available to anyone who wants to take it now, actually,” Baraka said after he was asked if the slower rollout of the vaccine was the result of a supply or distribution issue during a weekly interview series posted on the city’s Facebook page. “I think they should do that today.” NJ.com
AstraZeneca released more trial data for its COVID-19 vaccine, saying the shot was 76% effective at preventing the coronavirus with symptoms in a fuller analysis of study results than the company had earlier provided. The vaccine’s performance was in line with what AstraZeneca had first reported, which was questioned by an independent study-monitoring board said the data were out of date and resulted in the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases to issue an unusual statement raising the experts’ concerns. The Wall Street Journal
Trenton lawmakers will vote March 25 to change a law barring police from notifying parents the first time they catch juveniles with alcohol or marijuana. Both Democratic and Republican lawmakers introduced several bills that would make the small change mandating police notify parents of a juvenile’s first offense involving alcohol or marijuana. Legislators settle on a bipartisan bill, S3565, that will be amended on the floor so the measure can pass both the State Senate and Assembly. Gov. Phil Murphy has said he supported changing the law and bringing parents into the process. NJ.com
State Sen. Anthony M. Bucco (R-25) wants to protect police officers from unfair criminal prosecutions that could stem from New Jersey’s new marijuana legislation. Under new cannabis legislation passed in February, police officers could be guilty of Official Deprivation of Civil Rights if they violate any of the new procedural requirements mandated under recent laws. Under the adjustment bill sponsored by Bucco and fellow GOP State Sen. Declan O’Scanlon (R-13), police officers would have to intentionally deprive a person of their rights during an underage possession incident, instead of the current law which would include unintentional actions. North-JerseyNews.com
Gov. Phil Murphy is replacing one of his previously announced selections for the Cannabis Regulatory Commission with Charles Barker, an aide to Sen. Cory Booker. Barker, who’s background includes membership in Rev. Al Sharpton’s National Action Network, satisfies a statutory requirement that says one of the commission’s five full-time members must represent a national civil rights organization. Barker replaces Murphy’s pick of William Wallace, who will instead serve in a senior staff role as director of labor relations for the commission. PoliticoNJ
Morristown officials are considering a temporary ban on marijuana sales within the town’s borders until permanent regulations are drafted. Council members want to have guidelines ready before those applying for state dispensary licenses consider Morristown as a base for business. Municipalities have until mid-August, six months from when the state legalized pot, to decide if they will allow sales within their borders or pass an ordinance banning such activity. If they miss that deadline, growing and selling will automatically be permitted for a five-year period. The Daily Record
A review of the elimination of the State and Local Tax (SALT) deduction is needed according to a key member of President Joe Biden’s economic team. Under questioning by Rep. Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5), U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen stated “the SALT cap…resulted in very disparate treatment. There are a lot of options that have been presented and I would work with you to try to ensure that the inequities that this caused are remedied in a fair and responsible way.” In response, Gottheimer said “Our taxes need to be cut in New Jersey, not raised, as we recover from COVID-19, and removing the SALT cap has broad bipartisan support.” North-JerseyNews.com
U.S. Senate Democrats began their push for the most substantial expansion of voting rights in a half-century, laying the groundwork for what would be a fundamental change to the ways voters get to the polls and elections are run. The bill that passed the House would mandate automatic voter registration nationwide, expand early and mail-in voting, end gerrymandering that skews congressional districts for maximum partisan advantage and curb the influence of money in politics. The effort is taking shape as Republicans have introduced more than 250 bills to restrict voting in 43 states and have continued to spread false accusations of fraud and impropriety in the 2020 election. The New York Times
New Jersey officials are monitoring social media posts promoting a protest calling for people to go shopping without face masks at Freehold Raceway Mall more than a year into restrictions to battle the coronavirus pandemic. “Not only are we aware of this ridiculous flyer that’s gone around about maskless shopping, but I am personally aware of it and extremely unhappy about it,” Gov. Phil Murphy said. The event is being organized by the Patriot Party of New Jersey for March 27, with at least one version of the flyer on Twitter lists a specific time and meeting place. NJ.com
New Jersey prosecutors are lining up against a bill that would bar them from political office for three years after they resign. Assistant Prosecutors’ Association of New Jersey President David Calviello, a senior assistant prosecutor in Bergen County, said the bill would “disenfranchise nearly a thousand highly-skilled lawyers at different levels, to say none of you are allowed to contribute to the political fabric of our state.” Additionally, legal scholars argue it would be unconstitutional and set the stage for a court battle. The Record
Jeff Tittel will retire in May after 23 years as state director of the New Jersey Sierra Club. Tittel, considered one of the most consequential advocates for environmental issues in state history, originally planned to retire in February 2022, but decided to leave earlier after participating in the Sierra Club’s voluntary leave program this year. New Jersey Globe
And finally…You may be out of luck if you want a Jersey Shore rental this year. NJ1015.com
