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Trenton NJ, State Senator Joe Pennacchio today thanked Senate President Steve Sweeney and Senate Republican Leader Tom Kean, Jr. for allowing the formation of a special committee to investigate the state’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic crisis.
Continue reading Special Committee to Investigate NJ’s Response to COVID-19 Crisis
“Pickleball for singles is only for world-class players – all other participants (the remaining 99.99% of players) play doubles. So what good does it do to open the pickleball courts if games must be limited to singles? Few, if any, in Ridgewood will be able to play, and the NJ-Nanny-State continues to place undue and uncontitutional demands and restrictions on our freedom of movement and freedom of association.
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Ridgewood NJ, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious-disease expert, told CNBC on Friday that extended lockdowns could cause “irreparable” harm and worse health outcomes. Fauci went on,
“We can’t stay locked down for such a considerable period of time that you might do irreparable damage and have unintended consequences, including consequences for health,”
This was followed by Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin ,who told the Senate earlier this week that there was a risk of “permanent damage” to the economy if states kept strict restrictions in place.
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RAMSEY NJ, Frank Pallotta, Republican candidate for New Jersey’s Fifth Congressional District, offered praise of the New Jersey Republican Party’s lawsuit against Governor Phil Murphy. The lawsuit comes as Murphy faces a crisis of leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic. From long-term care facility deaths approaching 6,000 to an unemployment rate that has soared to 15%, it is clear that in comparing New Jersey to other states that these failures rest squarely on the shoulders of Phil Murphy and his gross incompetence in managing our state through this crisis. On the eve of Memorial Day Weekend, in particular, we should be ashamed of the fact that COVID-19 was allowed to spread unchecked—thanks to the policies of Governor Murphy—at the state-run New Jersey Veterans Home, creating one of the deadliest epicenter for the virus in the state.
Continue reading Time to Stand Up For New Jersey’s Small Businesses
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TRENTON NJ, The Department of the Treasury delivered a budget update to the Legislature today, providing a detailed revenue report that illustrates the devastating impact COVID-19 has had on New Jersey’s finances and laying out plans to close the looming gap for the remainder of the extended fiscal year through a series of deep cuts and spending deferrals.
A report on the financial condition of the State budget for both Fiscal Years 2020 and 2021 was required pursuant to the COVID-19 Fiscal Mitigation Act (P.L.2020, c.19), which extended the end of the state’s fiscal year from the traditional date of June 30 to September 30, and also extended various tax filing and payment deadlines from April 15 to July 15.
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Ridgewood NJ, the Murphy’s administration announced on Thursday policy changes that would allow New Jersey government workers to take voluntary furloughs to avert layoffs as state tax collections plummet.
Facing a $10 billion budget shortfall , the Governor has warned of “historic” layoffs of public workers at all levels of government if the state does not borrow big sums or receive more aid from the federal government.
Continue reading Murphy Administration Clears Furloughs for N.J. Public Employees
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TRENTON NJ, The negative impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on New Jersey’s economy resulted in a record number of monthly job losses and widespread unemployment in April. The mandatory shut down of business activities and stay at home orders to prevent the spread of the virus contributed to total nonfarm employment plummeting by 757,700 jobs in April, while the state’s unemployment rate soared to 15.3 percent, according to estimates released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Both the private (-750,100) and public (-7,600) sectors of the state’s economy recorded losses. The decrease in nonfarm payrolls and the increase in the unemployment rate both represent record-setting monthly shifts for the state.
Continue reading NJ Unemployment Rate Surges to 15.3 Percent
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Ridgewood NJ, A small business owner who had to close her “nonessential business” says that she has had several run-ins with police while she tried to make some money.The latest incident came while Katherine Hermes was conducting a shop-from-home-style Facebook Live video from her Country Home store in downtown Bernardsville. Hermes and a friend were inside the store – both not wearing masks – showing off the products to viewers who can purchase them online. Police showed up around 9 p.m. on Tuesday. This just days after the Murphy Administration shut down a south Jersey gym .
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Trenton NJ, A published report stating that as the coronavirus gained a foothold, the health commissioner was reluctant to send state inspectors into nursing homes because they didn’t have sufficiently protective masks prompted outrage from Senator Joe Pennacchio.
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Trenton NJ, This past Friday it was announced that Katie Brennan settled her lawsuit against Gov. Phil Murphy’s campaign and the State of New Jersey for $1 million.
According to the $1 million settlement, the State will pay $800,000 and the Murphy for Governor campaign’s insurance company will pay $200,000.
Continue reading NJGOP Files For ELEC Investigation Against “Murphy For Governor”
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Trenton NJ, Senator Joe Pennacchio today called the right to vote one of our most paramount rights, and once again criticized Governor Murphy’s governing by edict.
Murphy declared the July 7 primary, delayed from the original June 2 date, will “mostly be vote-by-mail.”
Continue reading Governor Murphy’s Vote by Mail Edict Comes Under Fire
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TRENTON NJ, Nearly 70,000 new unemployment claims were filed in New Jersey last week, as the Labor Department processed another 262,000 weeks worth of federal Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA), and saw total pandemic-related payments rise to $2.7 billion.
The number of initial claims filed since mid-March approached 1.1 million, with more than 725,000 actively collecting state and federal PUA benefits. Data shows workers in casinos, retail, food service, restaurants and airlines hit the hardest by the pandemic.
Continue reading New Jersey Unemployment Payments Reach $2.7B
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Trenton NJ, The State of New Jersey and Katie Brennan today announced a settlement in the case of Katherine Brennan v. Albert J. Alvarez, et al. The State of New Jersey will implement key survivor-centric policy reforms, including allowing State employees who are alleged victims of discrimination, harassment, or retaliation to have an advisor or support person accompany the alleged victim when he or she is interviewed by an Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action (EEO/AA) investigator. In addition, the amount of $600,000 will be paid, in full, to a charity designated by Ms. Brennan to improve the health and welfare of survivors of sexual assault. In settling the matter, the parties have made no admission of wrongdoing or liability with respect to the various claims among them.
Continue reading State of New Jersey, Murphy for Governor, Payout on Katie Brennan #MeToo Claims
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Trenton NJ, Murphy’s state Treasury Department revealed on Wednesday it had lowered revenue projections by $10 billion through next year, including $2.8 billion shortfall in the current fiscal year and $7.3 billion in the next. Without a big influx of cash through borrowing or federal aid, the consequences for public workers are dire, he warned Thursday.
Continue reading Massive State Worker Furlough Bill Heads to Governor Murphy’s Desk
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Senator Kristin Corrado issued the following statement following reports that New Jersey taxpayers will be on the hook for $1.35 million of settlement payments resulting from allegations of wrongdoing by the Murphy Administration.
