Education and Public Administration
Gov. Murphy Signs Bills Strengthening Worker Protections and Labor Education in Public Schools – On September 3rd, Governor Phil Murphy signed two bills into law intended to strengthen workers’ rights and education within New Jersey. The first bill, A1682/S1054, adds new requirements to the state’s Student Learning Standards for Social Studies include that the history and heritage of labor movements in the U.S. are included in grades 6-12 curriculum. The second bill, A4429/S3302, expands upon existing worker protections regarding employer requirements to attend to listen to communications related to political or religious matters. The new bill clarifies that employers cannot mandate their employees to participate in communications about certain political matters, including meetings to related to the decision to join or support a labor organization or union.
NJ School Districts Grapple with Budget Deficits Amid Layoffs and Closures – On September 4th, schools within Jackson Township, New Jersey discussed their reasoning for recent decisions to close down schools and layoff teachers in the district. The Superintendent Nicole Portillo stated, “We had $11 million shortfall in our budget that needed to be filled, so what we have done is close a school, restructured the district, and we are currently selling a school.” Jackson is not the only district to face budget-related issues, as the Camden school district is also attempting to manage a $91 million deficit. While some schools in New Jersey are dealing with deficits others such as Plainfield and Toms River have managed to close or nearly close their districts’ budget gaps—at the cost of increased local taxes.
Health
Gov. Murphy Announces $11M for Addiction Recovery Programs – On September 3rd, Governor Phil Murphy announced that the state of New Jersey will devote approximately $11 million in funds received from the national opioid settlement on “community-based addiction treatment for uninsured people, peer counseling, and recovery support for pregnant and postpartum women struggling with addiction.” A state council recommended those services for funding because they are programs that have proven to be effective in reducing drug overdoses and addiction treatment and yet often have long waiting lists or are at risk of closure without federal funding. The Garden State is set to receive more than $1.1 billion over the next two decades from pharmaceutical companies as part of lawsuit settlements related to the opioid epidemic.