Publications

As e-bike adoption increases across the United States, policymakers are exploring incentive programs that make e-bikes more accessible while advancing broader transportation, environmental, safety, and equity goals. This report examines best practices from e-bike incentive programs across North America and considers their implications for New Jersey in light of the state’s recently enacted 2026 NJ […]

Background New Jersey agencies increasingly use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to improve access to public information and services. During the pandemic, the State launched a COVID-19 Information Hub to centralize guidance and help residents find resources quickly. Since 2024, New Jersey has also provided a secured internal AI Assistant and training so staff can produce […]

As urban areas have developed in New Jersey, some water bodies such as ponds, streams, and wetlands have been filled in, developed over, or rerouted through stormwater systems. In some cases, this process may have increased local flooding. In addition, rerouting surface water into stormwater systems has increased the amount of water flowing through these […]

New Jersey’s Summer 2026 economic outlook presents a picture of tempered growth and a labor market that, while stabilizing, remains under pressure. The state closed out 2025 with solid GDP growth, but the momentum is expected to ease considerably over the near term, with growth projected at 0.9% in both 2026 and 2027, roughly a […]

Opioid use disorder (OUD) affects millions of Americans and has contributed to hundreds of thousands of overdose deaths in the past few years (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2022). Medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD), including buprenorphine, are the best available treatment for people with OUD and provide protection against relapse, overdose and death […]

It is my privilege to serve as the Executive Director of the New Jersey State Policy Lab. Since its launch in 2021, we have worked to build something meaningful—producing high-quality blogs and reports, sharing them widely on our website and across social media, and holding ourselves to a standard of excellence in everything we do. […]

Amidst accelerating climate change and deteriorating soil health, the agricultural sector faces unprecedented challenges. Regenerative agriculture, an approach centered on soil health, biodiversity, and ecosystem resiliency, offers critical tools for building climate resilience, improving long-term soil productivity, and enhancing local food system stability. This report, based on a survey of New Jersey’s regenerative farmers and […]

R/ECON’s economic forecast for New Jersey at the beginning of 2026 is a mixed bag. The state, like the nation, is likely to finish the year with notably stronger GDP growth than forecast earlier in the year. At the same time, the outlook for 2026 continues to show a slowing trajectory for economic growth, coupled […]

The last thirty years have seen a revolution in the role of computing technology generally, and internet access specifically, in the basic patterns of American social, economic, and civic life. Yet in state prisons across the country, there has been little movement toward developing comprehensive, forward-looking policies regulating their use in incarceration. Whether it’s a […]

In February 2024, New Jersey Advocates for Aging Well (NJAAW) conducted a Statewide Survey of Older Adults. This survey gathered both quantitative and qualitative data from residents aged 60+ on the challenges and concerns related to aging in New Jersey. The findings show that the cost of living, including taxes, housing costs, and overall expenses, […]

Corporate ownership of single-family homes and other small residential properties has drawn growing concern from housing advocates and policymakers in New Jersey and nationally. While the large rental home companies that sprang up in the aftermath of the foreclosure crisis are virtually absent from New Jersey, prior research has found that corporate owners account for […]

The New Jersey State government proactively advances equity through its Office of Equity in the Office of the Governor, and through budget initiatives such as the “Cover all Kids” program ensuring that the state’s children receive access to quality health care coverage. However, the state’s executive branch departments are not required to specifically account for […]