Public Administration
Gov.-elect Sherrill Announces New Heads of NJ TRANSIT, Treasury, Department of Children and Families, and More – In the weeks since being elected the next governor of New Jersey, Mikie Sherrill has announced a slate of new department heads to various state agencies including: retaining Jacquelyn A. Suárez as Commissioner for the Department of Community Affairs, Dave Cole as Chief Innovation Offer for the Office of Innovation, Victoria L. Kuhn as Commissioner of the Department of Corrections, and Lisa Asare as President and CEO of the NJ Maternal & Infant Health Innovation Authority. Sherrill also selected Kris Kolluri to lead both NJ TRANSIT and NJ Turnpike Authority and Margo Chaly to serve as the Secretary of Higher Education. Additionally, she has put forth nominations for various agencies, including nominating Shirley Emehelu for State Comptroller, Dr. Stephen Cha for the Department of Human Services, and Brig. Gen. Yvonne L. Mays for the Department of Military Affairs and Vincent Solomeno for the Department of Veterans Affairs. All further information on respective appointments and nominees can be found on the Governor-elect news feed.
Health
Assembly Considers Bill Expanding Mental Health Protections for First Responders – On January 6, NJ Spotlight News covered upcoming legislation being discussed in the Assembly Appropriations Committee to expand employment protections for first responders that have been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The bill would protect first responders including paramedics, police officers, and firefighters from harassment and discrimination by their employers and would also be protected from firing if they take leave due to a PTSD diagnosis. To qualify, the disorder would have to be obtained from experiencing or witnessing traumatic events on the job, and employers would be required to reinstate an employee who has been cleared to return to work by a licensed doctor or medical health professional. Last month, Attorney General Matt Platkin announced a new wellness and resiliency grant which would provide $500,000 in funds to support wellness programs for New Jersey police officers, civilian staff, retirees, and their families.
Education
Gov. Murphy Signs Phone Ban for K-12 Schools – On January 11, Governor Phil Murphy signed bipartisan legislation which will require New Jersey school districts to implement policies restricting the use of cell phones and internet-connected devices for students during the school day, beginning with the 2026–2027 academic year. The law directs the Department of Education to review and update existing statewide guidance for internet-enabled devices, which is expected to be released in mid-January. In December 2025, the DOE announced that 86 school districts were awarded grants under the state’s Phone-Free Schools Grant Program, which supports schools committed to implementing school day cellphone bans by awarding them funds for training sessions and to purchase equipment like phone pouches.
Environment
Senate Budget Committee Advances Bill to Charge Data Centers for Rising Electricity Costs – On January 8, the Senate Budget Committee voted to advance legislation that would require electric companies to develop new tariffs to be levied on “large-load” data centers in an effort to protect New Jersey residents and businesses from increased electric costs. The bill would require public electric utilities to submit proposed tariffs to the state Board of Public Utilities and incentivize data centers to increase data efficiency by adopting technologies that capture and use the heat generated by the centers. Energy users that use more than 100 megawatts monthly would be charged the new tariffs.