TRENTON, N.J. – Assemblyman Brian Bergen challenged the NJBIA’s policy positions and attacked its advocacy efforts on Wednesday after they suggested an increase in the state sales tax rate to 7% as a solution to NJ Transit’s budget deficit. During a press conference on Tuesday, Michele Siekerka, president of...
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TRENTON, N.J. – Raising the sales tax to fund NJ Transit’s budget deficit is a proposal staunchly opposed by Assembly Republican Leader John DiMaio. Lobbyists pitched the idea of raising the tax from 6.625% to 7% to replace Gov. Phil Murphy’s corporate transit fee that will fund NJ Transit...
TRENTON, N.J. – When pressed by Assemblywoman Aura Dunn during Monday’s Assembly budget hearing, the Department of Children and Families Commissioner Christine Norbut Beyer couldn’t address the workforce needs of child care centers, the decline in the number of community-based centers seeking licenses or the discrepancies in safety standards...
TRENTON, N.J. – At Monday’s joint hearing of the Senate and Assembly Environment Committee, several expert witnesses testified on strategies to reduce and eliminate plastics pollution. In a line of questioning from Assemblyman Michael Inganamort, Judith Enck, president of Beyond Plastics and a former EPA regional administrator under President...
TRENTON, N.J. – Facing more than $105 million in state aid cuts under Gov. Phil Murphy’s budget proposal, superintendents and school officials across New Jersey are supporting increased state aid under Assembly Republican Leader John DiMaio’s plan to fully fund schools and cut property taxes. “Fairly funding schools means...
TRENTON, N.J. – Assemblywoman Dawn Fantasia spoke in defense of protecting safe spaces for females and hard-won advances in girls-only sports at the Roxbury Board of Education meeting Monday. The Board was considering whether to abolish its transgender student policy, which allowed males who identify as females to participate...
TRENTON, N.J. – There’s nothing left to cut, Assemblyman Alex Sauickie told the Assembly during its voting session Monday about the Jackson Township School District. Even the state-appointed, district-paid school monitor agrees. Forced to borrow $10 million from the state to fill its budget gaps last year, Jackson is...
TRENTON, N.J. – Districts that have had state aid cut under the school funding formula known as S2 may have some of that aid restored under a bill that passed the Assembly Monday. The legislation (A4161) appropriates $71.4 million to establish a stabilized school budget aid grant program. The...
TRENTON, N.J. – A pilot program that allows popular rideshare companies to transport New Jersey residents with disabilities in place of NJ Transit’s Access Link van could become permanent through a bill sponsored by Assemblyman Michael Inganamort and passed by the Assembly on Monday. The bill (A2607) allows NJ...
TRENTON, N.J. – State aid cuts enacted under the school funding formula known as S2 have devastated dozens of districts across the state, Assemblymen Alex Sauickie and Paul Kanitra say. A bill they introduced Monday aims to restore that aid by appropriating $210.1 million to disburse to schools that previously...