Publications

As one of the most significant federal grants to local governments in American history, the American Rescue Plan Act’s Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (ARPA-SLFRF) were designed to provide robust support to local governments in addressing the public health and economic challenges arising from the COVID-19 pandemic. As highlighted in a previous New […]

The American Rescue Plan Act’s Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (ARPA-SLFRF) represent one of the most significant federal investments in state and local governments in history. Enacted in March 2021 as part of the broader $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan, the ARPA-SLFRF allocated $350 billion in direct aid to state, local, tribal, and […]

The American Rescue Plan Act's Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (ARPA-SLFRF) provides $350 billion to state and local governments, representing one of the largest federal aid programs to local governments in American history.

The American Rescue Plan Act's Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (ARPA-SLFRF) provide $350 billion to state and local governments, making it one of the largest federal aid programs to local governments in American history.

In 2018, New Jersey implemented the S-2 bill, which aimed to reduce adjustment aid to school districts in the state.

The School Reform Funding Act of 2008 (SRFA) was designed to create a new school funding formula to end a long cycle of failed legislative attempts to reduce school spending inequalities across the state. Interestingly, the SRFA created its own revenue inequalities through the provision of “adjustment” aid to school districts. The motivation for distributing […]

During the 2020 general election, New Jersey voters approved a ballot question to amend the state constitution to allow residents 21 years or older to possess and consume cannabis products. By the summer of 2021, the New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission (NJCRC) had published a set of cannabis regulations, including the rules for starting and […]

During the Election of 2020, New Jersey citizens voted to legalize the consumption, production, and distribution of cannabis products. While New Jersey municipalities cannot prevent citizens from possessing or consuming cannabis products, they do have the power to regulate and ban cannabis-related businesses in their own jurisdictions. By the fall of 2021, more than 60% […]

The New Jersey State Policy Lab is publishing our first report, Vacant Commercial Property in New Jersey: Causes and Solutions, written by Michael Hayes and Pengju Zhang. The economic recession caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in an increase in vacant [...]

The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated changes in investment decisions throughout the economy. For example, the growth in virtual work and e-commerce has likely negatively impacted the demand for some commercial property in New Jersey. A significant increase in vacant and under-occupied property can cause many social problems, including increasing crime in local communities, reducing economic […]