State Sen. Kristin Corrado (R-40) expressed frustration that the Gov. Phil Murphy failed to meet his own timeline for reopening all state government offices. In particular, the GOP senator called it “absolutely outrageous” that the state likely would not provide in-person unemployment assistance until 2022. “I’m disappointed but not surprised that Gov. Murphy failed to live up to his promise to reopen all of the State government services that have been closed since the start of the pandemic,” said Corrado. “The continuing closure of important State offices, including unemployment centers, sends a message that the Murphy administration doesn’t care that lots of people need help. There’s a clear disconnect between the governor’s priorities and what New Jerseyans actually need.” North-JerseyNews.com
The Murphy Administration has no immediate plans to issue a COVID-19 vaccine mandate without the option of weekly testing. Gov. Phil Murphy on Oct. 20 said “at the moment we like where we are but we don’t rule anything out” in responding to New York City’s decision to place most unvaccinated city workers— including police and firefighters— on unpaid leave if they have received at least one shot by Oct. 29. New Jersey Herald
Gov. Phil Murphy signed an executive order requiring COVID-19 vaccines or submit to testing for all new state contracts, solicitations for a state contract, extensions or renewals of an existing state contract, and exercise of an option on an existing state contract to include a clause requiring workers employed by those companies. Murphy said the order includes workers that enter, work at or provide services in any state agency location. “This will bring new contracted workers in line with the requirements set for all direct state employees,” he said. ROI-NJ.com
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Students appearing on stage for school plays this Fall will need to wear a mask during their performances, although Gov. Phil Murphy suggested that school officials need to “use common sense” on how to follow his mask mandate order. “Technically, the answer is it does apply if you’re inside a school building,” said Murphy. “I think I’d just ask folks to use common sense here.” The governor offered that directors might stage performances in a way that could allow a student actor to be unmasked for at least a period of time, saying “Are you able to social distance? I think that probably should be a factor.” New Jersey Globe
The Food and Drug Administration authorized COVID-19 vaccine booster shots for tens of millions of recipients of Moderna’s two-dose coronavirus vaccine and Johnson & Johnson’s single-dose shot, significantly expanding efforts to bolster protection for vulnerable Americans. The agency also authorized medical providers to give people a booster shot of a different COVID-19 vaccine, a strategy known as “mix and match.” The New York Times
Pain at the gas pump continued for motorists as gas prices rose again as North Jersey motorists are paying more than the national average at the pump. Essex County drivers were hit the hardest, paying on average $3.476 per gallon. Morris County drivers paid on average $3.425 per gallon, while Hudson County drivers paid an average of $3.422 per gallon at the pump. Gas prices were a bit lower in other North Jersey counties where per gallon prices averaged $3.398 in Passaic County; $3.393 in Bergen County; $3.381 in Warren County; and $3.352 in Sussex County. The primary driver of the surge is the cost of crude oil, which is now closing daily above $80 a barrel. AAA said that, in August, the price of crude was in the low $60s per barrel. North-JerseyNews.com
President Joe Biden is returning to New Jersey on Oct. 25 on an official trip to tout his agenda. The White House the President will travel to Newark will discuss the $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill, which includes $12.3 billion for New Jersey as well as funding to be tapped to build the long-awaited Gateway Tunnel under the Hudson River, and the separate spending bill now being negotiated between progressive and moderate Democratic members of Congress. NJ.com
Senate Democrats are considering abandoning central tax elements of their social policy and climate package, as Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) reportedly continues to oppose any increase in marginal rates for businesses, high-income individuals or capital gains. Sinema has previously told lobbyists that she is opposed to any increase in those rates, but her stance is now pushing Democrats to plan more seriously for a bill that doesn’t include those major revenue increases. Other planks of President Joe Biden’s tax agenda, including tightening the net on U.S. companies’ foreign earnings and enhancing tax enforcement by the Internal Revenue Service, are still on the table. The Wall Street Journal
Gov. Phil Murphy reaffirmed his strong support for lifting the state and local (SALT) cap deduction amid reports that it may be removed from President Joe Biden’s Build Back Better plan. “We need the SALT cap lifted, period. It’s the single biggest tax increase on the middle class in the history of our state,” Murphy said. “It is a huge deal for New Jersey, and it has to be lifted either directly as a part of whatever compromise is reached, or alongside of it, but it’s got to get lifted.” New Jersey Globe
As Hudson County prepares for its first election with early in-person voting, some critics are saying the placement of polling stations amounts to a form of voter suppression. There are four early voting sites in Jersey City, with none in wards D or F, the Heights and Bergen-Lafayette. Hudson County Board of Elections Clerk Michael Harper said the sites were chosen to approximately cover the northern, southern, eastern, and western quarters of the city, without considering what ward they’re in. The Jersey Journal
Fake brochures misrepresenting the candidacies of Ramapo Indian Hills school board candidates Aaron Lorenz and Helen Koulikourdis have been reported to police. The “Rise Up and Vote!” brochures include symbols for LGBT (no Q) Rights, a Black Lives Matter clenched fist, and in Lorenz’s case, a red flag denoting the Antifaschistische organization started by the Communist Party of Germany in the1930’s. Lorenz’s copy extols making America “less white,” “abolishing the police,” and the need to “reprogram our youth to accept and promote racial and gender diversity.” Koulikourdis’ falsely calls for mandated vaccines for all students and faculty; implementing diversity, equity and inclusion curriculum; and promoting an “LGBTQ atmosphere.” The Record
Bloomfield College issued an unusual public plea for financial help this week, saying it may not be able to keep its doors open beyond the current academic year. Facing long-term enrollment declines exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic, the 153-year-old school devoted to educating minority and first-generation students in Essex County is actively seeking potential higher-education partners or philanthropic benefactors to help continue its mission of “advancing opportunities for the underserved population.” News12 New Jersey
Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr. announced $547,000 in funding to study and combat sea level rise and climate change vulnerability in the Meadowlands was allocated to the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority (NJSEA) from the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The funding was awarded to NJSEA’s Meadowlands Research and Restoration Institute with plans to identify marshes in the Meadowlands that have the greatest chance of resilience under future sea level rise. “The Meadowlands is a unique urban estuary and its wetlands will play an absolutely crucial role in the region’s fight against sea level rise. Meadowlands marshes are also a significant contributing factor to the area’s environmental comeback, including the return of wildlife and the improvement of natural resources,” said Pascrell. North-JerseyNews.com
A bill that would significantly expand abortion rights in New Jersey will likely be pared down to a simple measure enshrining into state law a woman’s right to an abortion, according to a co-sponsor of the legislation. “I talked to [Senate] President [Steve] Sweeney and he says he’s more of the line to just make sure [the right to an abortion is] codified because of what’s going on in other states,” said Assemblymember Vince Mazzeo (D-2), a co-sponsor of the Reproductive Freedom Act. New Jersey has no explicit law on the books legalizing abortion. Instead, abortion rights are dependent upon state and federal case law. PoliticoNJ
Sen. Bob Menendez says he doesn’t like the way the House wants to lower prescription drug prices, and will not support its proposal to allow Medicare to negotiate with drug companies in President Joe Biden’s proposed spending plan. Menendez said that he’s not ruling out some sort of drug price negotiations but the House proposal doesn’t guarantee that consumers will pay any less. But Rep. Frank Pallone Jr., who as chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee helped author the provision, said allowing Medicare to negotiate with drug companies is “the most effective way to lower prices for prescription drugs. If the price goes down, which it will through negotiations, then that means you’re going to be paying less for the drugs. Either your premiums go down or your copay goes down, probably both.” NJ.com
State officials detailed how nearly $200 million in Green Acres funds will be allocated toward parks, playgrounds, open spaces and other park improvements Oct. 20. The state will allocate $42.2 million in grants and loans for 49 park development projects in urban, suburban and rural communities as well as $35.8 million in grants and loans for 57 county and municipal land acquisitions projects. NJ1015.com
The state Board of Public Utilities is taking an initial step to modernize an aging power grid by trying to speed up the process of connecting new solar-panel systems to distribution systems operated by local utilities. The current process has been beset by lengthy delays in connecting new solar projects with the power grid. In part that’s because of continuing growth in the sector and also because utilities, particularly in South Jersey, have shut off connections to a large number of their circuits where segments of the system are already at capacity. NJ Spotlight News
And finally… Most areas of New Jersey should end up with near-normal to slightly above-normal snowfall totals throughout the Winter season of 2021-2022, according to Steven DiMartino, a meteorologist who heads the NY NJ PA Weather forecasting company. NJ.com
