State Begins Sending Out Senior Freeze Property Tax Relief – On July 21st, the state government announced it has begun distributing Senior Freeze property tax reimbursements, expected to save the average new recipient $211 and repeat recipients $1,348, to over 125,000 eligible senior and disabled homeowners. The deadline to apply for this and other state property-tax relief programs, including Stay NJ and Anchor, is October 31st. This process follows a record $4 billion allocation towards property tax relief in the Fiscal Year 2026 budget approved earlier this month.
Governor Murphy Signs Bill Allowing Digital Driver’s License Issuance – On July 23rd, Governor Phil Murphy signed Bill A3518 (P.L.2025, c.115.) into law, which requires the Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC) to issue digital driver’s licenses and ID cards, allowing residents to display identification on their mobile device. The bill notes that displaying a digital ID on a phone does not provide consent to a police officer or judge to search the device. Lawmakers contend the measure will make it easier for drivers to both show and securely update their identification. This change comes after at least 15 other states have implemented digital driver’s license programs and another 10 plan to follow suit.
Electric Auction Results Threaten to Raise Consumer Prices – On July 22nd, PJM Interconnection reported electric capacity auction prices 22% higher compared to last year, potentially raising state ratepayer bills by 5% starting next summer. Governor Phil Murphy, Democratic lawmakers, and environmental groups such as the Sierra Club condemned the decision, arguing that structural issues inside PJM and its slow implementation of renewable energy projects are to blame for the increase. Some Republican lawmakers, however, contended that Governor Murphy’s reliance on offshore wind specifically has caused the increase, while PJM officials maintain that rising costs stem from limited power supply and increasing energy consumption from data centers. This result follows consumer electricity bills already rising around 20% beginning this summer.
Assembly Advances Bill Adopting State Definition of Antisemitism – On July 24th, the Assembly State and Local Government Committee unanimously advanced Bill A3558, which would create a state definition of antisemitism based on the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s definition. Supporters, including the Jewish Federation of Northern New Jersey, argued the bill is necessary amid rising rates of antisemitic hate crimes. Opponents, including the American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey and pro-Palestinian activists, contended the measure is overbroad and could be used to infringe on freedom of speech by criminalizing criticism of Israel and questioned the need for a separate definition of antisemitism compared to other forms of discrimination.
Federal Court Rules State Cannot Ban Private Immigrant Detention Centers – On July 22nd, a federal appeals court ruled in a 2-1 decision that New Jersey cannot prohibit private companies from contracting with the federal government to detain immigrants, arguing that the ban would violate the federal government’s authority over immigration law and upholding a prior 2023 ruling. Attorney General Matt Platkin and immigrant advocacy groups such as the New Jersey Alliance for Immigrant Justice opposed the decision, arguing the ruling endangers the health and safety of immigrants and infringes on states’ democratic authority.