Most New Jersey residents are supportive of current gun legislation within the state, a year after the school shooting that killed 19, including 17 children, in Uvalde, TX. The poll reported 61% disagreed with the Supreme Court decision in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association, Inc. v. Bruen, which overturned required applicants for a license to carry a concealed pistol on their purpose to show “proper cause.” Meanwhile, 58% said they believed individual states should be allowed to require firearm owners to demonstrate a justifiable need for a firearm in public places when applying for a permit. “Throughout our five decades of polling, New Jerseyans, on the whole, have always been supportive of firearm restrictions and regulations,” said Rutgers pollster Ashley Koning. “As New Jerseyans witnessed at least four mass shootings nationally while this poll was being conducted, and on the heels of multiple active shooter scares throughout the Garden State in recent months, this sentiment remains strong.” North-JerseyNews.com
In a new motion in the legal battle over gun reform legislation, the state has asked a federal judge to fast-track consideration of an appeal and not to limit enforcement of restrictions on where concealed weapons can be carried in New Jersey. “This appeal warrants expedited consideration because the preliminary injunction interferes with a critical public-safety tool adopted by the New Jersey Legislature,” a motion brought by the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office says. “The injunction threatens public safety by allowing loaded guns in crowded theaters, bars, protests, and Fourth of July celebrations in parks, as well as zoos and libraries where children gather — just to name a few.” The Record
The Newton Council unanimously approved a contract with the town’s board of education for a police officer to become a “resource officer” for the district, the first time in a decade the two boards have had such an agreement. The contract is from July through the end of June 2028. New Jersey Herald
Three months of budget hearings ended May 23 with state officials projecting $2 billion less than anticipated after Gov. Phil Murphy introduced his $53.1 billion financial plan for the state earlier this year. New Jersey is well prepared to meet the funding shortfall, offering it would cut into the state’s surplus to $8 billion from $10 billion “with relative ease. We are well prepared to handle this April surprise,” Treasurer Elizabeth Maher Muoio told both the State Senate and Assembly Budget Committees during testimony, who noted New Jersey is not the only government having to deal with declining revenues. “After three years of turmoil, when we experienced precipitous drops in revenue followed by extraordinary growth, it appeared that revenues were beginning to settle back into more stable pre-pandemic growth levels….our underlying fundamentals appear to be stable.” North-JerseyNews.com
State Senate Republicans offered a $4.3 billion property tax relief plan on May 23 as a counter to Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy’s state budget proposal. The proposition would tap debt reduction funds and immediately send $3 billion to New Jersey towns and $1.3 billion to counties on a per capita basis. NJ.com
State Sen. Paul Sarlo (D-36) warned the Murphy Administration against asking lawmakers to back new subsidies to developers who have won contracts to build offshore wind farms. “I am going to have a very difficult time supporting any future subsidy for these developers,” said Sarlo about rumors there is going to be a request to subsidize wind projects currently under construction. “These are players, international players, who knew what they were getting into when they built these facilities. They are going to have to step up their game.’’ NJ Spotlight News
Tom Malinowski will not seek a return to Congress next year in a rematch with Rep. Tom Kean Jr. (R-7) who unseated him in 2022. “It was the greatest honor of my life to represent you in Congress. And I believe strongly that a Democrat can and will win the seat next year,” Malinowski said. “But that is a mountain I have climbed before and I am looking forward to climbing many new ones.” New Jersey Globe
Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) is expected to announce his 2024 Presidential bid in a Twitter space interview with Elon Musk on May 24 at 6 p.m. The interview is part of a multiday rollout for the DeSantis that includes filing paperwork with the Federal Election Commission on Wednesday to make his bid official. The Wall Street Journal
A New York judge scheduled a March 25, 2024, trial date for former President Donald Trump on criminal charges related to his alleged role in paying hush money to a porn star. The date, which the judge said wouldn’t be moved, means the case will be starting as Trumpis in the middle of the GOP primary campaign for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination. The Wall Street Journal
A bipartisan group of Washington lawmakers has reached an agreement on a sweeping compromise immigration bill, the broadest such effort offered in Congress in a decade. The legislation—led by Reps. María Elvira Salazar (R-FL) and Veronica Escobar (D-TX) and backed by at least half a dozen more lawmakers—offers millions of immigrants in the country illegally a 12-year path to citizenship, along with changes streamlining the asylum system at the border and an expansion of available work visas. The bill has no immediate hope of passing, with House Republicans vowing not to take up any immigration legislation this term other than to tighten the border. New Jersey Monitor
The South Carolina Senate passed a ban on abortion after six weeks of pregnancy on May 23, after a filibuster led by five women senators, including three Republicans, failed. The bill requires any woman seeking an abortion to first have two in-person doctors’ visits and two ultrasounds. Though the bill offers exceptions for victims of rape and incest, and in cases of fatal fetal abnormalities or where the woman’s life and health are at risk, those exceptions are only available up to 12 weeks of pregnancy. At least 25 states have moved to restrict abortion since the overturning of Roe last June; 14 of those states now ban most abortions. The New York Times
The U.S. Surgeon General issued a public warning about the risks of social media to young people, urging a push to fully understand the possible “harm to the mental health and well-being of children and adolescents.” Dr. Vivek Murthy noted that the effects of social media on adolescent mental health were not fully understood and that social media can be beneficial to some users. Nonetheless, he wrote, “There are ample indicators that social media can also have a profound risk of harm to the mental health and well-being of children and adolescents.” The New York Times
Bipartisan legislation requiring school districts to teach students how to cope with grief and loss was unanimously passed by the New Jersey State Senate. The bill (S-3330), sponsored by State Sens. Jon Bramnick (R-21) and Joseph Cryan (D-20), would mandate public school districts to add instruction on grief for students in grades eight through twelve as part of the New Jersey Student Learning Standards in Comprehensive Health and Physical Education. “Although grief and loss are difficult for any person to go through, we have the tools to teach kids healthy ways to cope and teachers who are eager to provide support,” said Bramnick. North-JerseyNews.com
Most college students in New Jersey will be able to get free mental health help 24/7 under a new partnership Gov. Phil Murphy’s administration announced May 23, the first of its kind in the U.S. The state has partnered with Uwill, a mental health and wellness platform, to offer round-the-clock virtual services to students at 44 higher education institutions — both public and private — in the Garden State. The state has earmarked $10 million in coronavirus relief funds from the American Rescue Plan approved by Congress for the program. NJ.com
Douglas Petty, the former Lodi superintendent of schools whose resignation was approved last month, will be paid his full salary through September, according to a settlement agreement with the district. Petty, who was arrested and charged with simple assault in August after allegedly punching a woman in Seaside Heights, will receive his salary and health benefits through Sept. 30, when he will formally leave the district and “have no further contractual or statutory entitlement to the position.” The Record
Montclair is taking steps to block public access to court proceedings involving an allegation by a township official that she faced retaliation for whistleblowing and complaining about a sexist, hostile work environment. Padmaja Rao, Montclair’s chief financial officer, claims she was bullied after accusing Township Manager Timothy Stafford of improprieties related to health insurance for local elected officials, fraudulent time cards for the fire department, and improper public bidding. The attorney representing Montclair, Derrick Freijomil, asked Superior Court Judge Stephen Petrillo to block public access, saying some documents are “confidential, privileged, and/or otherwise protected from public disclosure.” New Jersey Globe
The New Jersey Department of Environmental protection will hold a public forum on plans for the remediation and redesign of Liberty State Park at 6 p.m. on May 24 at the Central Railroad of New Jersey Terminal building inside the park. The DEP will present the progress made on the LSP Revitalization Program after two years of public engagement and extensive design engineering work, officials said. Attendees will be invited to view a poster and video exhibit and provide feedback on options for new public amenities in each phase of the revitalization. The Jersey Journal
And finally…The price of a Jersey Shore vacation increased 4% in 2023 compared with a year ago. ROI-NJ.com
