TRENTON, N.J. – Assembly Republican Leader Jon Bramnick and the Assembly GOP caucus have respectfully requested that the governor provide answers to constituent questions arising out of the health care crisis.
1) What is the justification for allowing big companies to pave a highway, but not small companies to pave a parking lot or driveway?
2) Your briefings have included Reps. Andy Kim and Tom Malinowski. Which Republican congressmen or legislators do you plan on inviting to join you at future briefings?
3) Why is the Department of Labor requiring legislative district offices to collect sensitive personal information to assist with unemployment claims? Is that not the job of the department?
4) New York allowed golf courses to remain open and Pennsylvania announced the reopening of golf courses. Why are New Jersey golf courses still closed?
5) Please quantify an “appreciable” drop in new Covid-19 cases, hospitalizations and share what other metrics you will use to make decisions.
6) When do you plan to double New Jersey’s testing capacity and begin its contact tracing program? What are the benchmarks necessary for this program to be a success, considering the time and logistics of testing?
7) Why can’t people walk through state and county parks with proper social distancing and precautions?
8) Please provide us with an up-to-date picture of New Jersey’s projected revenue.
9) Over 850,000 of our fellow New Jerseyans have lost their jobs in just the last five weeks. Many of them are still waiting for benefits due to a backlog at the Department of Labor. When can they expect benefits? What are you doing to mobilize the tens of thousands of state employees to relieve this backlog of unemployment? Why not reassign any of the thousands of state employees who have not been furloughed to assist in processing these claims?
10) Why can’t smaller retailers be open while implementing the same social distancing policies as essential retail stores? If they are capable of operating in a safe and health-conscious manner, while limiting interaction, would it not be prudent to help the economy by allowing them to reopen?
11) Why don’t we begin to allow certain closed businesses to conduct business by curbside pick up?
12) If you can pick up beer at a brewery to take home in a sealed container, why can’t you do the same from a restaurant?