Declaring that “we simply will not go backwards,” Gov. Phil Murphy said he will renew efforts to secure abortion rights and bolster access to reproductive healthcare in New Jersey. Murphy announced his intentions May 11 to move legislation that will protect and expand coverage as well as protect medical providers and patients who provide or receive abortion care in New Jersey from legal retaliation by states who have outlawed or restricted abortion. “We refuse to go backwards on this critical issue and, today, our state moves forward in working to secure reproductive rights and ensure access to the reproductive health care every woman deserves,” said the governor. “Abortion is healthcare and healthcare decisions should be left up to the individual. Your body belongs to you. I do not know how to be more clear.” North-JerseyNews.com
Louisiana’s Republican-led House of Representatives stopped a measure May 12 that could have allowed women who obtain abortions to be charged with murder. The proposal, which was passed out of a state House committee last week, sought to recognize a fertilized embryo as a person and made it possible for both doctors and pregnant women to be charged under the state’s homicide statute if they performed or received an abortion. A majority of GOP lawmakers voted for a package of amendments to the legislation that removed the provisions allowing murder charges. The Wall Street Journal
Abortion and the economy are running neck and neck as the most important issues for voters ahead of the upcoming midterm elections, according to a Monmouth Poll released May 12. The survey found that 26% of Americans say the economy is the top topic influencing their vote for Congress this November, while 25% say abortion is the big issue. The next-biggest issues are healthcare (16%), immigration (14%), gun control (9%), and taxes (8%). InsiderNJ
The Empowering States to Protect Seniors from Bad Actors Act, championed by Rep. Josh Gottheimer, was passed by the House this week. The bill would create a new Senior Investor Protection Grant Program under the authority of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), and will support state enforcement agencies and task forces tasked with protecting seniors’ finances. “Millions of seniors across the country, including my own mother, have been the victims of financial scams, and far too many have been cheated out of their retirement savings,” said Gottheimer, who serves as a member of the House Financial Services Committee. “Seniors need a cop on the beat, and my bipartisan bill which the House passed…will take concrete action to ensure protections are in place.” North-JerseyNews.com
The House committee investigating the attack on the U.S. Capitol issued five subpoenas May 12 for members of Congress, including House GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), marking the first time it has tried to compel testimony from fellow lawmakers. The select committee is seeking depositions from the members of Congress as it moves toward public hearings into the events surrounding the violence on Jan. 6 by supporters of then-President Donald Trump. In addition to McCarthy, the committee issued subpoenas to Reps. Scott Perry (R-PA), Jim Jordan (R-OH), Andy Biggs (R-AZ) and Mo Brooks (R-AL), all allies of Trump. The New York Times
The Democratic and Republican leaders of the Senate tried to fast track a nearly $40 billion U.S. aid package to help Ukraine in its fight against Russia, only to be blocked by Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY), pushing passage of the bill into next week. Paul wanted language to be added to the bill that would give the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction oversight of the money and weapons the U.S. is sending to Ukraine. Without his consent to move more quickly, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer scheduled the first in a series of procedural votes for May 16 to move the bill toward final passage late next week. The Wall Street Journal
Sen. Bob Menendez’s attempt to pass the Daniel Anderl Judicial Security and Privacy Act, was blocked for a second time today by Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY). “It is a sad moment that, by not supporting this bill today, judges and their family members around the country will continue to be at risk from those who would do them harm,” Menendez said on the floor after the bill named for the son of U.S. District Court judge Esther Salas who was killed at the family’s home in 2020 was blocked. “In one breath, my Republican colleagues will wax eloquent about the need to protect family members of Supreme Court justices, but in the next, they will block passage of a common sense, bipartisan bill that will help achieve that goal for the entire federal bench.” Paul said he supported the outline of the bill but wants protections to be included for members of Congress as well. New Jersey Globe
The State Senate Education Committee passed along party lines on May 9 legislation to advance period equity in the state, requiring school districts to provide free menstrual products in public schools. The bill would call for schools teaching grades six through 12 to provide feminine hygiene products free of charge, available in all school bathrooms and any costs incurred by the school district as a result of the bill would be covered by the state. State Sen. Michael Doherty (R-23) called for amendments to clarify that legislation would not require feminine hygiene products to be made available in boys’ bathrooms in New Jersey schools. “It’s absolutely nuts that nobody could tell us in committee today if the proposed bill applies only to girls’ bathrooms,” said Doherty. North-JerseyNews.com
Sussex County commissioners voted to back proposed legislation dubbed “The Parents Bill of Rights” in opposition of the state’s newest sex education standards. The resolution takes issue with the teaching of “sexually specific and highly sensitive curricula to New Jersey children generally and Sussex County children particularly, as early as grades K-2,” demanding Gov. Phil Murphy, the state Legislature and the Department of Education “ban the sexually specific and highly sensitive curricula.” Additionally, the board wants parents to be notified of the curriculum being taught to their children in schools and allow parents to “make their own informed decisions regarding their children’s education and exposure to sensitive information.” The Record
Lawmakers on May 12 questioned the top staffer of New Jersey’s Cannabis Regulatory Commission about pricing, workplace impairment tests and more during a legislative hearing into the state’s recreational market. Lawmakers — both Democrats and Republicans — repeatedly asked about regulations for setting up Workplace Impairment Recognition Experts, or WIREs, who are tasked with physically examining whether someone is high on cannabis in the workplace. New Jersey’s cannabis legalization law bars employers from taking disciplinary action against workers based solely on a positive test since the drug can be detected weeks after initial use. WIREs are required to confirm if an employee is high at the moment. The CRC, which is tasked with creating regulations for the experts, has not done so yet. PoliticoNJ
New Jersey on May 11 reported 12 new COVID-19 deaths and 4,551 new confirmed cases, the most news cases in a single day since January. There were 704 patients with confirmed or suspected coronavirus cases across all of the state’s 71 hospitals and of those hospitalized, 70 were in intensive care and 30 were on ventilators. New Jersey’s statewide transmission rate was 1.22 with the positivity rate for tests conducted on May 6 13.6%. North-JerseyNews.com
Garden State residents who received unemployment insurance, temporary disability insurance and family leave insurance on a debit card over the past 18 months are getting new cards from a new provider. The New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development has announced a new partnership with New York Community Bank, known in New Jersey as Garden State Community Bank, to provide UI, TDI, and FLI benefits to claimants who receive their benefits on a debit card. The Labor Department said new cards can be used starting May 18. NJ1015.com
Newark Mayor Ras Baraka announced the first 10 housing projects to be built under Affordable Newark, the $20 million housing initiative targeted to bring homes to Newark families earning less $32,000. The buildings, one-third of which will be developed by minority and women developers, are now in the process of renovation to quality affordable housing. “Last year, we set forth very ambitious five-year housing goals prioritizing housing in all five wards that the average Newark resident can afford,” he said. “Fifty-nine percent of all Newark renters are cost-burdened, spending more than a third of their incomes for housing.” ROI-NJ.com
Three of North Jersey’s largest cities returned the current office holder back to lead them on May 10 in non-partisan elections that had lower voter turnouts from previous years. Paterson Mayor André Sayegh was elected to a second term in defeating Councilman Alex Mendez , receiving the most votes in a field of five. In Newark, Mayor Ras Baraka won a third term in office by defeating challenger Sheila Montague. If the by 83-17% margin was to hold after all votes are counted, it would be the largest margin of victory for a Newark mayoral candidate since 1954. And Bayonne Mayor Jimmy Davis appears headed for a third term. Davis leads Council President Sharon Ashe-Nadrowski , who has yet to concede in hopes outstanding ballots could push Davis below the 50% threshold to force a runoff. North-JerseyNews.com
The Assembly State and Local Government Committee unanimously approved a series of tweaks to New Jersey’s voting systems this week. The proposed changes, borne amid growing frustration with slow reporting of election results seen in recent years, include allowing ballots to be counted before Election Day, truncating the state’s grace period for late-arriving mail-in ballots, and requiring rolling reporting of election results. NJ Spotlight News
The Port Authority capped all concession prices at local, off-airport “street prices” plus a maximum surcharge of 10% after an investigation found 25 customers were charged an “indefensible” $23 to $27 for a “seasonal beer” purchased from a LaGuardia airport eatery last summer, the Port Authority Office of the Inspector General confirmed. The revised policy covers all authority airports, including Newark Liberty. Kevin O’Toole, Port Authority board chairman, cautioned concessionaires and travelers to expect “tough pro-active enforcement going forward now that these revised standards are in place.” Officials encouraged travelers to report out of line prices to the agency by reporting them via social media and tagging the relevant airport. NJ.com
Prosecutors on May 12 dropped a drunken-driving charge against State Sen. Sandra Cunningham (D-31), ending a yearlong legal battle after she crashed into parked cars in her hometown of Jersey City last March. Cunningham was unable to complete a field sobriety test and struggled to tell officers her home address. The defense of the Hudson County lawmaker centered on negative reaction to medication as, according to statements made in court, two prescription medications but no alcohol was found in her system. The Jersey Journal
West New York has amended its outdoor dining regulations to enact some restrictions, but expand other regulations. The amendment expands accommodations and licensing of outdoor cafes for restaurants and food establishments located in business, residential, commercial, and industrial zones throughout the town. Additionally, the town has amended its outdoor dining regulations to restrict the use of parking spaces for accommodations and expanded the use of outdoor cafés located on the sidewalk of an adjacent structure. Hudson Reporter
The Biden Administration is working to address an ongoing infant formula shortage, though officials couldn’t offer a timeline for when store shelves would be fully stocked again. White House press secretary Jen Psaki said the administration is working to “cut red tape,” increase imports of formula and broaden what types of formula are available to participants in the Women, Infants and Children nutrition program. Psaki couldn’t say how soon the Abbott infant formula facility, which halted production after four children contracted bacterial infections, would be able to restart manufacturing. New Jersey Monitor
Elon Musk said his $44 billion bid to purchase Twitter was “temporarily on hold” until he could get more details to confirm that spam and fake accounts represent less than 5% of the social network’s total users. Musk made the announcement in a pre-dawn tweet on May 13 with a link to a Reuters article published on May 2 about a regulatory filing by Twitter that included an estimate of the number of spam and fake accounts. Musk has said that ridding the platform of fake accounts, bots and spam is one of his top priorities after taking over. The New York Times
Ground has broken on a $1.2 million expansion that will greatly increase the roster of youth programs at the Paramus Public Library. Once completed, the addition will add 1,958 square feet to the library, upgrading the building’s current 900-square-foot meeting room. The new space will allow up to 100 people to take part in programs and will allow more flexibility with their programming, including more ESL classes, technology training, adult book discussions and crafts, and community and civic meetings. The Record
A Lafayette woman was taken to the hospital May 11 after she was injured by a young bear near her home. The 34-year-old woman had a physical encounter with the roughly 150- to 200-pound bear around 4:30 p.m. as she was checking her mail at the end of a farm lane. New Jersey State Police said the woman was walking on Gorney Road when a bear “charged and attacked her.” The woman’s injuries, not considered life-threatening, included wounds to her right arm and buttock and has since been released from the hospital. New Jersey Herald
And finally…Jack McGreevey, tireless advocate for veterans and father of former governor, died at the age 93 May 12. New Jersey Globe
