In The News
What's next for N.J. public worker pensions?
With two major government worker pension court battles concluded, the next front in public workers' fight for retirement benefits is a ballot question considering a constitutional amendment forcing the state to make annual contributions in the pension system.
The high court ruled last week that workers in the New Jersey Pension Fund are not entitled to cost-of-living adjustments to their pensions. And almost a year ago, the court ruled the state couldn't be forced to put money into the fund, prompting Democratic lawmakers and public worker advocates to pursue the amendment (A109).
SWEENEY CONFIRMS DEMOCRATS WILL PRESENT THEIR OWN BUDGET BILL TO CHRISTIE
Line-item veto means governor gets the last word on funding for women’s healthcare and other Democratic priorities
N.J. lawmakers want animal-abuse offenders put on a list
Sixty-six dogs were rescued earlier this year after being kept, scarred, and sometimes stacked in crates for several months as part of a multistate dogfighting ring.
Ciattarelli-Singleton bill would expand reach of varsity letters
Assemblyman Jack M. Ciattarelli (R-District 16) has introduced legislation that would lead to varsity letters being awarded at New Jersey high schools for competitions not on the athletic field.
N.J. lawmakers consider expanding lieutenant governor's duties
A measure advancing in the New Jersey legislature would expand the responsibilities of the lieutenant governor.
N.J. Democrats' pension funding push moves forward
State lawmakers are one step closer to putting a constitutional amendment mandating contributions to New Jersey's public pension system on the ballot in November.
The state Assembly Judiciary Committee on Monday advanced a resolution that would create a ballot question asking voters whether they want to write regular payments for the state's underfunded pension system into the constitution.
Unlike NJ population, state’s elected officials mostly white male lawyers
A new study finds the makeup of the state legislature is not representative of New Jersey’s population.
The study from the William Hughes Center for Public Policy at Stockton University found 7 in 10 Trenton lawmakers are male, and 83 percent are white, compared to 69 percent of the state’s population.
Singleton introduces new legislative redistricting reform bill
New Jersey lawmakers are pursuing possible changes to the way the state redraws its legislative districts each decade, and Assemblyman Troy Singleton has introduced his own proposal to inject a nonpartisan perspective into the process.
Proposed Bill Would Create Public Animal Abuser List
Remember Patrick, the pit bull starved and thrown away like garbage by his former owner? Patrick survived, but Assemblyman Troy Singleton wants to deter this kind of abuse by creating a statewide list of animal abusers.
Restarting N.J. hospital billing debate
Surprise medical bills just keep coming for patients in New Jersey, five months after the Legislature’s effort to fix the problem died. Some come from hospital-based doctors who don’t accept the same insurance plans as the hospital where they work. Others are received by patients with out-of-state or federally regulated coverage who go to out-of-network emergency rooms — New Jersey regulations that require the insurer to protect its members from balance billing in such cases don’t apply to their plans