Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) is still battling for the votes to become Speaker of the House on Jan. 5 after losing a half-dozen consecutive votes for the post amid a right-wing revolt. The House was scheduled to return at noon after adjourning on Wednesday night with no resolution, as McCarthy and his allies bargained with defectors to try to lock down the support that has eluded him. New Jersey representatives continued to hold their ground as the three Republican House members—Tom Kean, Jr., Chris Smith and Jeff Van Drew— have all stood by McCarthy, support that’s likely to hold firm as long as McCarthy remains a candidate for Speaker. The New York Times
As a photo of Rep.-elect Rob Menendez Jr. with his young child on the floor of House went viral, he called the inability to seat the House especially disheartening for new members. “We came here because we know there’s work to be done … and it’s frustrating that we can’t even get close to beginning that work because of the complete dysfunction of the Republican Party,” said Menendez. “It’s really incumbent upon the Republicans, and specifically McCarthy, because he has not been able, over the course of two days, to forge a pathway to speakership. They have to come up with a different plan than sitting here for two days, and I look across the aisle and see no plan.” New Jersey Monitor
North Jersey lawmakers recently laid out what the Democratic-controlled Congress in the last term delivered to their districts when the omnibus bill was passed last month. Senators and representatives promoted the funding for statewide initiatives as well as money for community projects they secured for the coming year. The government funding bill provides significant investments in health care, transportation, housing, defense, infrastructure and education programs according to the lawmakers. “I am proud to have voted for this bipartisan legislative package, which delivers on key priorities that will lower the cost of living for New Jersey families, create good-paying jobs, keep our nation and communities safe, and protect our environment,” said Rep. Mikie Sherrill. North-JerseyNews.com
The New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE) recently announced it would issue approximately $30 million in Stabilization Aid to 42 school districts spanning 12 counties. In North Jersey, four Warren County towns, two Passaic towns, two Sussex County school districts and one in Morris County will receive aid totaling nearly $2.6 million—half of that awarded to West Milford Township. No school districts within Bergen or Essex counties were awarded aid. North-JerseyNews.com
The Biden Administration asked the U.S. Supreme Court on Jan. 4 to uphold its decision to forgive hundreds of billions of dollars of student loan debt for tens of millions of Americans, arguing that it was acting within its executive authority and did not need new congressional authorization. In a brief filed with the justices, the Justice Department rejected legal challenges mounted by a half-dozen Republican-led states and maintained that the states did not have a basis for contesting the decision in court in the first place. The New York Times
Students at two New Jersey colleges who filed lawsuits after their schools switched to remote learning during the pandemic won’t get tuition refunds, a state appellate court has ruled. The undergraduate students at Kean University and Montclair State University claimed the colleges breached their contracts and were unjustly enriched when they kept tuition money and other fees. The schools returned money the students paid to live in dorms and associated costs, but did not reimburse for tuition when in-person classes went online, according to court documents. NJ.com
Public schools in the U.S. have lost more than a million students since the start of the pandemic, prompting some districts across the country to close buildings because they don’t have enough pupils or funding to keep them open. Declining birthrates, a rise in home schooling and growing competition from private and charter schools are contributing to the decline in traditional public school enrollment, according to school officials. The Wall Street Journal
New Jersey’s K-12 students will soon receive instruction on information and media literacy through their schools, providing them with the skills they will need to evaluate and assess competing sources of information from news media, TikTok and other social platforms that are just a screen away. Gov. Phil Murphy on Jan. 4 signed legislation that establishes the requirement of K-12 instruction on information literacy under the implementation of the New Jersey Student Learning Standards. The bipartisan legislation aims to prepare students for lifelong learning by teaching them how to assess information accurately. The Record
High school students in Paterson are now dealing with extra security checks, including metal detectors. Dalton Price, District Director of School Safety & Security, said the mandate applies to all Paterson high school students throughout the district. Students must either pass through metal detectors, or have their persons and belongings scanned by a wand. The changes comes after at least two students were allegedly discovered with firearms in their possession following a recent fight at the school. News12 New Jersey
Dover’s Daniella Mendez, believed to be the first openly transgender woman on a municipal board of education in New Jersey, broke new ground with her election as the school district’s board president. A school board member since 2021, Mendez was elected by a unanimous vote of the board at its annual reorganization meeting. The Daily Record
Gov. Phil Murphy will deliver the 2023 State of the State Address in the Assembly Chamber at 2 p.m. Tuesday, January 10. “We are building a New Jersey that is leading the way for our nation,” Murphy said in the announcement. “We have come so far in making New Jersey the State of Opportunity we know it can be, but we still have more to do.” The address will be Murphy’s first in-person State of the State since 2020; the last two addresses were both virtual due to COVID concerns. New Jersey Globe
After the ball dropped in Times Square on Jan. 1, the statewide minimum wage increased $1.13 to $14.13 per hour for most employees in New Jersey. The increase was part of a larger effort from the Murphy Administration to gradually increase the minimum wage to $15 per hour for most employees by 2024. “This increase will ensure that hundreds of thousands of hardworking people across our state are paid a wage that allows them to provide for their families and live with greater dignity,” said Gov. Phil Murphy. North-JerseyNews.com
According to Department of Treasury statistics, a little over 1 million New Jersey residents out of a pool of roughly 2 million have so far filed applications for tax relief benefits under the state’s newly established “ANCHOR” property-tax relief program. That means many who are eligible, including a large group of renters, have yet to apply for benefits that range from $450 for renters to up to $1,500 for homeowners. NJ Spotlight News
President Joe Biden said on Jan, 4 that he intends to visit the U.S.-Mexico border during his trip to Mexico City next week. “We’re working out the details now,” President Biden said about what would be his first visit to the border since being elected. The President is expected to give a speech on border security Thursday but administration officials said there would be no new policy announcements made. The Wall Street Journal
The death toll on New Jersey roads reached 705 people killed in crashes last year, reaching a high not seen since 2007 and reflecting a national trend of increasing traffic deaths. The number of deaths is the highest number since 2007, when 770 people died in traffic crashes, and represents the fourth year of rising traffic fatalities in the state.Of the people killed, 496 were drivers and vehicle passengers, an increase from 454 in 2021. A total of 192 were pedestrians, a dip from a high of 215 killed in 2021, and 17 were people riding bicycles, down from 26 who died in 2021. NJ.com
New Jersey is again one of the states with the most outbound moves, ranking third behind Illinois and California, according to the annual North American Van Lines 2022 Migration Moving Report. The study found Americans in 2022 moved, for the most part, to escape high-cost-of-living areas to more reasonably priced and warmer communities. The top inbound states are South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, Arizona, and Florida. NJ1015.com
Nearly two dozen women’s health clinics will share $6 million in zero-interest loans to expand their facilities and accommodate the growing demand for abortions in other states where the procedure is illegal, Gov. Phil Murphy announced Jan. 4. The loans, which the state may choose to make forgivable, not to exceed $750,000 and may be used to expand the facility and upgrade technology. NJ.com
And finally…Highest and lowest incomes in every New Jersey county. NJ.com
