Public Administration
Murphy Issues Conditional Veto on Pop-Up Party Bill Over First Amendment Concerns – On May 8th, Governor Phil Murphy conditionally vetoed Bill SA4652, which would criminalize inciting public brawls and increase penalties for disorderly conduct. Murphy supports the bill’s intent to prevent public disturbances. However, he returned the bill to the Assembly, citing concerns about its potential impacts on free speech, peaceful protest, and lawful mask wearing. Murphy urged lawmakers to revise the bill’s language to target individuals who “incite” or “attempt to incite” at least four others to disorderly conduct, rather than those who “engage” in or “promote” at least four others to engage in such activity. Civil rights advocates, including the American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey, praised the veto for safeguarding the First Amendment rights.
Federal Judge Sides with Rutgers International Students in Immigration Records Case – On May 8th, a federal judge ruled that U.S. immigration officials likely acted unlawfully when they terminated the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) records of several international students and one recent graduate at Rutgers University. SEVIS is used to track students’ compliance with immigration laws, and termination of these records jeopardizes their legal status and work eligibility. The students sued the federal government in April 2025, arguing that the abrupt action threatened to cause them serious legal and financial harm. This ruling comes shortly after the Trump Administration reinstated student SEVIS records nationwide after widespread backlash and legal challenges.
Legislators Advance Bill to Limit Opt-Out Data Sharing in College Financial Aid Applications – On May 8th, the Assembly Education Committee voted 8-1 to advance Bill S4162, which would limit the collection of personal information through college financial aid opt-out waivers and prohibit schools from sharing that data without the student’s informed consent or a court order. Under a new state pilot program, students must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or the New Jersey financial aid forms to graduate from high school. Students who are ineligible for either must formally waive the requirement. The bill responds to growing concerns that information gathered through the waivers could be used to identify undocumented students and their families. Key educational groups and advocates supported the measure. Some supporters, such as the Education Law Center, called for additional provisions to the bill, including a temporary pause of the entire pilot program due to inconsistent implementation across the state and ongoing federal disruptions.