Education
First Students Lead NJ Statewide Mental Health Summit – On October 8th, New Jersey held the first statewide student-led mental health summit at Kean University, highlighting youth voices in shaping mental health policy and awareness. Hosted by the New Jersey Office of the Secretary of Higher Education (OSHE), the summit featured peer-led panels, yoga sessions, and interactive exhibits designed to address mental health and spark conversation. Many school systems and states have adopted mental health policies, but student involvement is often limited to consultation rather than leadership. In New Jersey there are state-level mandates for school mental health services (counselors, psychologists), grants or funding streams for school-based mental health programs and partnerships between health agencies and schools for referrals and support.
Public Administration
Affordability, Immigration, and Housing Top Priorities as Election Day Nears – As of October 14th, the New Jersey gubernatorial election is weeks away, with election day scheduled for November 4, 2025. With two-thirds of residents citing dissatisfaction with the economy, voters’ attention has focused on affordability, including high property taxes and rising utility costs. Other issues in the race between Democrat Mikie Sherrill and Republican Jack Ciattarelli focus on immigration, improving education, infrastructure, and transportation. The approaching election has highlighted how each candidate proposes to navigate these issues through tax cuts, lowering energy prices, and reforms to policing and education. The outcome of the race may also influence legislative posture, depending on which party gains control of the legislature.
State Senate President Calls for Oversight of State Anti-Corruption Unit After Prosecutorial Errors – On October 10th, the New Jersey Monitor published an article discussing calls from New Jersey Senate President Nicholas Scutari to install an independent monitor to oversee the work of the Attorney General’s Office of Public Integrity and Accountability (OPIA). This came a week after a state Superior Court judge dismissed charges against correctional officers accused of misconduct and other charges and claimed the indictments were “unconstitutionally vague.” In two other cases in 2022, judges dismissed charges after alleging prosecutors withheld exculpatory evidence. OPIA was first created in 2018 as a response to court decisions that weakened federal bribery and corruption laws and with the intention of boosting public confidence in police oversight.
Over 3,000 People in New Jersey Have Been Arrested by ICE in 2025 – On October 9th, NJ Spotlight News published an article discussing reports that the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) have arrested more than 3,000 people in New Jersey since the start of the Trump administration in January 2025, the ninth-highest total of any state in the country. As of September 21, approximately one-third (34%) of people ICE had arrested and detained had been convicted of criminal charges.