Assembly Republicans recently unveiled a plan to fully fund New Jersey’s schools while lowering property taxes, by utilizing the state’s massive budget surplus funds. Assembly Minority Leader John DiMaio’s (R-23) plan, coming before Gov. Phil Murphy’s 2024 fiscal budget address, calls for increasing state education aid by $1.2 billion that is in compliance with the state’s funding formula for school districts passed in 2008. In return, districts must lower property taxes dollar for dollar. “It’s time the state put money where its mouth is,” said DiMaio (R-23). “We’ve been talking about school funding and high property taxes since the 1960s with no solution.” North-JerseyNews.com
Gov. Phil Murphy will deliver his sixth state budget address Feb. 28. Murphy has not provided widespread details about what will be included in his proposal, but he recently revealed some of his plans—including no tax increases, some tax cuts, the renewal of the new ANCHOR property-tax relief program, another full pension payment, another boost to school funding, and no fare hikes for NJ Transit. “I think you’re gonna see the continued three-legged approach we’ve taken to largely everything since we’ve started,” Murphy said last week. “A huge dose of fiscal responsibility, a huge dose in investing in the things that make this state so special … and thirdly, addressing inequities.” NJ.com
New Jersey’s property-tax bills went up once again last year, growing on average by more than $200, according to the latest data from the state. The increase pushed the average New Jersey property-tax bill to a record-high $9,490 in 2022. Murphy Administration officials said a big year-over-year increase in property taxes that occurred last year in Jersey City was a major factor in driving up the overall rate of increase for the state above 2% last year. NJ Spotlight News
Rep. Josh Gottheimer is getting ready to do something about junk fees when it comes to the airline industry. Gottheimer said his Clear and Simple Airline Agenda aims to eliminate surprise costs—”stacks of hidden fees that kill your wallet”—and prevent families from having to read endless pages of small type legalese of fare rules and fees that come with their plane ticket. “Right now, and I hear about this far too often from constituents, it’s as if the airlines are looking for ways to nickel and dime you, and make the tickets and the fare rules even more confusing,” he said. “We need to make sure airlines are doing everything they can to be clear and simple when communicating with consumers about all taxes and airport fees.” North-JerseyNews.com
The U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments on Feb. 28 over the legality of the Biden Administration’s plan to wipe out more than $400 billion in student debt because of the coronavirus pandemic. The law the administration relies on, the Higher Education Relief Opportunities for Students Act of 2003, usually called the HEROES Act, gives the Secretary of Education the power to “waive or modify any statutory or regulatory provision” to protect borrowers affected by “a war or other military operation or national emergency.” The New York Times
Rupert Murdoch acknowledged in a deposition that several hosts for his Fox News networks promoted the false narrative that the 2020 election was stolen from former President Donald Trump, and that he could have stopped them but didn’t. “They endorsed,” Murdoch said under oath in response to direct questions about the Fox hosts Sean Hannity, Jeanine Pirro, Lou Dobbs and Maria Bartiromo, according to a legal filing by Dominion Voting Systems. Asked whether he doubted Trump, Murdoch responded: “Yes. I mean, we thought everything was on the up-and-up.” The New York Times
The abrupt, uncoordinated withdrawal from Afghanistan and years of problems with planning and oversight of U.S. assistance contributed to the collapse of the Western-backed government in Kabul and the Taliban takeover of the country soon after American forces departed, according to the report by the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction. Poor accountability on weapons and equipment provided to Afghanistan and a lack of systemic planning were also important factors in the military collapse there. The Wall Street Journal
State Sen. Joe Pennacchio questioned if “anyone in power in Trenton really gives a shit about our veterans homes?” after hearing that the state-run veterans’ home at Menlo Park was hit by the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced that more than $340,000 in civil penalties had been levied against the New Jersey Veterans Memorial Home at Menlo Park. “The federal fines are proof that the same mismanagement that led to the tragic loss of life in the early days of the pandemic is still occurring today,” said Pennacchio. “Our most vulnerable veterans deserve every effort we can make to prevent them from unnecessary harm.” North-JerseyNews.com
The White House said there is no consensus within the Biden Administration over the origins of the COVID-19 virus, a day after the disclosure of an Energy Department assessment that the pandemic most likely originated with a leak from a Chinese lab. National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said that President Joe Biden is determined to nail down where COVID started but there continues to be broad uncertainty within the administration about its origins. The Wall Street Journal
State Senate President Nicholas Scutari (D-22) said he wants to force the state to cut down its real-estate footprint amid continuing declines in the state government workforce and a shift to hybrid and remote work spurred by the pandemic. Roughly 40% of state workers are no longer required to show up in person to their offices, Scutari said, though it’s not clear how that figure changes day-to-day. “If we’re going to go into a work-from-home scenario that is long-term, then we should be considering flexible space, space where you don’t have an office and your degree hanging on the wall,” he said. New Jersey Monitor
Three nominees to the Port Authority Board of Commissioners were approved by the full State Senate—George Helmy, Gov. Phil Murphy’s chief of staff; Joe Kelley, Murphy’s deputy chief of staff for economic growth; and Elizabeth Mayor Chris Bollwage. During their Judiciary Committee hearings Feb. 27, all three nominees expressed support for current Port Authority Chairman Kevin O’Toole, who is expected to retain his top post. New Jersey Globe
A bill New Jersey Democrats were attempting to fast-track that opponents say would all but gut an independent state agency tasked with monitoring and enforcing campaign finance rules has stalled, at least temporarily. The bill (S2866), dubbed the “Elections Transparency Act,” would limit the ability of the state’s Election Law Enforcement Commission, an election watchdog known as ELEC, to uncover cases of potential misspending by cutting the time they can investigate to two years instead of 10. It would also allow Gov. Phil Murphy and future governors to directly appoint an executive director of the commission. NJ.com
State Sen. Sam Thompson (D-12) will retire at the end of his term and not be a candidate for re-election in 2023. The 87-year-old Thompson, who switched parties just two weeks ago when he alleged Republicans had abandoned him because of his age, said the change of heart is due to the health of his wife. “My priority should be my wife,” he said. “She’s 91, and she’s had two falls in the last year and has trouble getting around. We are celebrating our 66th anniversary on Thursday. I owe her my full attention.” New Jersey Globe
Hoboken may eliminate its residency requirement for police officers, a direct response to a hiring slump that has left the department understaffed. The police department would still give preference to Hoboken residents, but would no longer exclude non-residents from the process, as it currently does with one exception. The Jersey Journal
Bergen County has launched its own mutual aid emergency medical services unit to help with recent shortages of volunteers and higher demands in calls. Through grant money from the American Rescue Act, the county purchased four used ambulances, two from New Milford, and has hired four full-time and 28 per-diem employees. A billing system is in place to sustain the operating costs moving forward. The Record
Morristown’s first cannabis dispensary is officially in the works after the town Planning Board gave approval for a two-story building on Ridgedale Avenue that will house the business. The board voted 7-0 to OK the 4,650 square-foot dispensary, following more than three hours of testimony. No opening date was discussed for the store—which will be run by Massachusetts-based Uma Flowers—which will offer both recreational and medicinal marijuana products. The Daily Record
Harmony Dispensary in Secaucus will launch recreational sales March 1, making it the first store in Hudson County to do so. The establishment received state approval last December for recreational sales, months after recreational cannabis businesses had opened across the state following the legalization of marijuana. Town officials don’t expect the launch of recreational sales to be different from medical sales, and that police will monitor the new business as it does the medical marijuana operations. The Jersey Journal
Repairs are being made to the water main that sent millions of gallons of water into the streets of Hoboken Feb. 27. Hoboken public schools are closed due to the water main break. The city remains under a state of emergency that was declared Monday after contractors working for PSE&G ruptured the water main while working on gas main updates. News12 New Jersey
And finally…As one messy storm exits, keep an eye for another later this week. NJ1015.com
