Education
NJ Eyes Reforms for School District Evaluation Metrics – The state Department of Education (DOE) has proposed changes to the New Jersey Quality Single Accountability Continuum (NJQSAC), an evaluation of school district effectiveness administered every three years. Several superintendents testified to the brokenness of the current evaluation system at an Aug. 7 Board of Education meeting. The DOE aims to shift performance metrics from student achievement to progress, as poorer and more diverse districts struggle to pass under the current system. School districts which do not passing the NJQSAC must undergo additional monitoring, which may siphon away scarce resources.
Environment
DEP Publishes Proposal for New Rules for Development in Coastal Areas – On August 6, representatives from various NJ environmental advocacy organizations convened on the boardwalk of Asbury Park to celebrate the publication of a proposal for new rules from the state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to promote the resilience of coastal homes and businesses as sea levels rise. The Resilient Environments and Landscapes (REAL) reforms would create coastal inundation zones with five feet of elevation would be required for new development and redevelopment projects. They also may also impose improved stormwater management practices and encourage other reforms to support resiliency and renewable energy. Business and municipal representatives argue that the rules would create an undue financial burden on residents and business owners. The DEP will hold three public hearings on the proposed rules in September and receive public comments until early November.
Public Administration
New Law to Impose Fines on Employers for Threatening Workers Based on Immigration Status – Acting Gov. Tahesha Way signed into law on August 8 legislation codified under P.L.2024, c.51., which aims to strengthen the rights of immigrant workers. Employers who threaten employees based on their immigration status will now face fines of up to $1,000 for the first violation, up to $5,000 for the second, and up to $10,000 for all subsequent violations. Fines may be imposed in addition to penalties for other labor rights violations, such as paying workers less than the minimum wage. The new law protects all workers, regardless of immigration status.
NJ Farm Workers Sue over Lagging Minimum Wage and Overtime Exemption – On Aug. 7, an organization filed a lawsuit challenging the state Wage and Hour Law’s exclusion of agricultural workers from the $15 minimum wage and overtime guarantees. Currently, farmworkers are set to reach a $15 minimum wage by Jan. 1, 2027, three years after most other workers in the state. The Seton Hall Law School Center for Social Justice, the American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey, and the ACLU Immigrants’ Rights Project, which filed the suit on behalf of El Comité de Apoyo a los Trabajadores Agrícolas, or CATA, argue that the exclusion violates farmworkers’ right to safety under the NJ constitution and applies favoritism and immunity to agricultural businesses at the expense of vulnerable workers.
Federal Judge Declines to Rule on Whether Police Officers May Use Cannabis Off Duty – On Aug. 2, District Judge Julien Xavier Neals declined jurisdiction over a lawsuit which would determine whether NJ police officers may use cannabis when they are off duty. The case required the judge to decide whether a federal gun law barring drug-users from owning firearms would override a state law which allows police officers to use marijuana. Following the legalization of recreational marijuana use in the state, NJ Attorney General Matthew Platkin released a memo in April 2022 affirming that law enforcement officers would not be disciplined for off-duty marijuana use. In Jersey City, however, police officers must purchase their own firearms, and Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop has declared the city’s police officers may not use cannabis at all. The Judge declined to rule on the case, citing ongoing legal battles in the state court and at the Civil Service Commission. The city may request to reopen the case within 60 days of the Judge’s order or the resolution of ongoing state proceedings, whichever comes later.
Women/Children
Parents File Updated Lawsuit over Storing of Newborn Blood Samples – On Aug. 2, after negotiations with Attorney General (AG) Matthew J. Platkin broke down, a group of NJ parents filed an updated lawsuit over the storing and use of newborn blood samples. The state collects these samples initially to screen for diseases. However, a public records lawsuit revealed these samples have sometimes been stored for decades and used for alternative purposes such as providing DNA evidence for criminal convictions. While a June 20 AG directive and state Department of Health policy change imposed new limits on this practice, litigants renewed their challenge, arguing the process lacks informed parental consent.