Public Administration
Bill Redesigning Primary Election Ballots Becomes Law – On March 6th, Governor Phil Murphy signed Bill A5116 (P.L.2025, c.32.) into law, requiring the use of office-block ballots and eliminating the previous county line format, which a federal judge ruled unconstitutional in March 2024. While many advocacy groups praised the end of the county line format, some expressed concerns that recent senate changes to the measure, such as permitting letter-and-number labels used by party organizations for campaigning, could undermine efforts to create a neutral ballot. The law also eliminates elections for Republican and Democratic state committee members, transferring their selection to partisan county committee members. The law takes effect immediately, and the new format will be used for ballots in the June 2025 primary.
Early In-Person Primary Voting Expanded – On March 4th, Governor Phil Murphy signed Bill S3990 (P.L.2025, c.23.) into law, expanding early in-person voting for state primaries beginning with the June 2025 election. The measure extends early voting to six days, up from the usual three, starting one week before Election Day and ending the Sunday before. The bill sponsor argued the bill improves voter access and modernizes the state’s electoral system. The change follows a surge in early voting in 2024, with 1.2 million residents casting ballots early in the 2024 general election, compared to over 210,000 in the year prior. The law also allocates $6 million for implementation, with additional funds available as needed.
Senate Committee Advances Measure to Codify Limits on Non-disclosure Agreements – On March 3rd, the Senate Labor Committee advanced Bill S1688 by a 4-1 vote. The bill would expand the state’s prohibition on confidentiality agreements that prevent workers from speaking publicly about workplace abuses, including harassment, discrimination, and retaliation. Supporting lawmakers argued the measure would strengthen protections for workplace abuse victims and would codify a May 2024 New Jersey Supreme Court ruling that extended the state’s ban on non-disclosure agreements to non-disparagement clauses. The bill would also remove exemptions for collective bargaining agreements.
Education
State Sues Trump Administration Over Cancelled Teacher Training Grants – On March 6th, Attorney General Matt Platkin, along with seven other states, sued the federal government over its attempt to cancel over $600 million in congressionally approved teacher training grants, arguing the move unconstitutionally exceeded executive authority. The federal administration claimed the grants were terminated for promoting “diverse ideologies,” such as diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). Alongside the constitutional challenge, Attorney General Platkin warned that eliminating the grants would harm special education funding and worsen the state’s existing teacher shortage. A report by researchers from the Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy at Rutgers-New Brunswick University found that, in the 2022-2023 school year, the teacher workforce replacement rate – measured by the number of provisional teaching certificates per teacher who exited the profession – reduced significantly to 1.1, compared to 2.9 in the 2013-2014 school year.
Health
Senate Committee Advances Bill Barring Deceptive Marketing for Substance Use Treatment Providers – On March 3rd, the Senate Health, Human Services, and Senior Citizens Committee unanimously advanced Bill S3955, which would ban deceptive marketing practices in the substance use treatment industry. The measure would mandate providers disclose accurate information about their services, locations, names, branding, and contact details in all marketing materials. It also would prohibit providers from making misleading claims about insurance network status or affiliations with other providers. The committee also unanimously advanced Bill S3952, which would increase criminal penalties for unlawful patient referrals. Supporters argued that these measures are necessary to improve provider transparency and patient access to effective treatment. These measures follow a 2024 State Commission of Investigation report exposing widespread fraud, tax evasion, and deceptive practices in the addiction treatment industry.