Public Administration
Governor Murphy Signs and Conditionally Vetoes Key Legislation – On October 20, Phil Murphy signed four bills into law and issued conditional vetoes on seven others. Among the laws signed: revisions to the Athletic Training Licensure Act; new requirements for public-body contractors to submit payroll records; the enactment of a Travel Insurance Act; and tighter regulation of second-hand cellphone and wireless device dealers. Governor Murphy conditionally vetoed bills covering a wide range of topics: establishing a centralized affordable housing directory; revised timeline for early guardianship filings; minimum qualifications for public works contract workers; updates to public contracting law; a reproductive health travel advisory; a Chronic Absenteeism Task Force; and data center water/energy use reporting. The Governor’s vetoes, accompanied by line-by-line recommendations, will require negotiation as they are sent back to their respective bodies.
Education
NJDOE Announces Approximately $13.6 Million in Literacy Grants – On October 22, the New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE) announced that it has awarded nearly $13.6 million to grants in the first year of the federally funded Comprehensive Literacy State Development (CLSD) program. In this first year, NJ established four distinct grant programs: Cultivating Ongoing Achievement Through Coaching in Literacy (COACH-L grants) for teacher coaches, Reading Intervention for Secondary Engagement (RISE) for middle and high school readers, Instructional Materials for Professional Advancement and Coherent Teaching (IMPACT) for high-quality instruction materials and training, and Literacy Initiative for Families and Thriving Communities (LIFT) for family outreach. These grants are intended to build upon the recently launched New Jersey Literacy Framework, the NJDOE’s latest resource to support school districts with “valuable evidence-based guidance on the implementation of high-quality literacy screening assignments and strategies for successful literacy instruction and intervention.” The Garden State was awarded a total of $50 million in the federal CLSD grant to be used over the course of five years.
Health
Newark Hospital Breaks Ground on $1.8 Billion Project – On October 23, Gov. Murphy, Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, and leadership from University Hospital and Rutgers University broke ground on a $1.8 modernization plan to rebuild and revitalize the 45-year-old University Hospital campus. The hospital already serves as the hub for Rutgers’ health care programs. This modernization plan will replace outdated buildings with new administrative and clinical facilities, expand the trauma and surgical wing, and create state-of-the-art classrooms for Rutgers Health students. The upgrades are considered overdue by many, as the hospital’s emergency room has more than doubled the number of patients it sees in a year from when it was first built in the 1970s.
Jersey City Hospital Announces It Will Begin Ending Some “Non-Essential Services” in Order to Remain Open – On October 22, NJ Spotlight News reported that Heights University Hospital in Jersey City had announced it will begin winding down some “non-essential services” in order to remain operational. The decision reflects financial constraints on the institution due to low reimbursement rates and high levels of charity/uninsured patients. The hospital affirms it will “maintain core services including its emergency department, critical care, operating rooms and medical-surgical services.” Hudson Regional Health, the group that oversees the hospital, claims that it has spent nearly $300 million in an effort to stabilize the hospital’s facilities thus far. Heights University Hospital is considered a “safety-net hospital” in that it takes in a high rate of uninsured patients. The decision to cut services still requires state regulatory approval. Cutting services at a hospital in an urban center carries significant access-to-care implications, especially for underserved communities.
Republican Representatives Call for “Conservative Path” to Protect ACA Tax Credits – On October 22, NJ Spotlight News reported that Representatives Jeff Van Drew (R-NJ-02) and Tom Kean Jr. (R-NJ-07)—among other GOP lawmakers—signed a letter to Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, urging a “conservative path” that would prevent the expiration of enhanced premium tax credits under the Affordable Care Act. The New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance estimates that New Jerseyans who have coverage under the ACA will see premiums rise an average of 15.9% in 2026 unless Congress passes legislation to extend these tax credits. Bipartisan support for extending the tax credits signals broad concern over the cost of healthcare, and recent polling indicates the public overwhelmingly wants Congress to extend these credits.