Media
An Energizing Initiative for Small Businesses
Rarely does a day pass that we don’t read or hear a news story related to energy and the environment. And no matter how well-meaning or interested we are, the relevance sometimes still seems distant.
Drinking-Water Panel to Renew Call for Regulation of Toxic Chemical
Panel collecting new evidence on 1,2,3-TCP, a substance know to cause cancer in humans
A scientific panel that recommends safe drinking-water standards will issue a new recommendation on the regulation of a carcinogenic chemical in coming months. That measure is likely to be adopted by New Jersey officials, the panel’s chairman said on Wednesday.
Public meeting on Centerton Road Bridge attracts crowd
WESTAMPTON — The Centerton Road bridge closure has continued to draw criticism from area residents, including more than 100 who turned out to a public meeting Wednesday.
The Burlington County Board of Freeholders, sitting on the county engineer's firm recommendation to demolish the 112-year-old bridge that spans the Rancocas Creek and go after $21 million in state funding to replace it, held the meeting to seek input from area residents.
Protecting the Elderly from Financial Exploitation
The language describing the financial abuse of the elderly is direct and explosive: “Rampant, largely invisible, expensive and lethal” is how Kathleen Quinn, executive director of the National Adult Protective Services described it at a recent Senate Special Committee on Aging. You can watch the debate at http://1.usa.gov/1BV0R4R.
Lower Returns on State’s Pension Investments Raise Questions, Concerns
Officials say 4 percent gain is still better than most similar plans, but state workers worry about impact on severely underfunded system
After seeing investment returns swell into the double digits for several years in a row thanks to a booming stock market, New Jersey public-employee pension system’s gains have come back down to earth.
Analysis: Average property tax bill in Burlington County up 4.6 percent
New Jersey's dreaded property taxes are on the rise again in Burlington County. An analysis of data released this month by the Burlington County Tax Board revealed that the average tax bill in the county grew this year by 4.6 percent to $6,327, about $278 more than the average bill in 2014.
Recapping the Summer Policy Series
During this past summer, I wanted to try something different that I hadn’t done previously. I decided to publish my Summer Policy Series, which is a quick overview of some of the initiatives I have authored on a variety of policy topics. I pride myself on trying to be transparent and informative when it comes to my legislative service. That is why I created the Summer Policy Series. I wanted everyone to know where I stand on issues of vital importance to our state and why I take those positions.
To familiarize yourself with or to catch up if you missed them, you can access the Summer Policy Series here:
Nearly 1M people live in poverty in N.J., new Census data shows
Nearly one million people live in poverty in New Jersey, an increase of just short of 250,000 people in the past 10 years, according to 2014 Census data released today.
The rate of state residents living in poverty dropped slightly between 2013 and 2014, from 11.4 percent to 11.1 percent, though an estimated 973,000 people live below the federal poverty line.
In the past decade, the poverty rate in New Jersey has jumped from 8.7 percent to 11.1 percent, according to the Census data. There were about 739,000 New Jersey residents living in poverty in 2005.
Support for NJ bill to rein in health costs
A coalition of consumer health groups gave its support Wednesday to proposed New Jersey legislation to rein in surprise medical bills for consumers who inadvertently use out-of-network health care providers.
AARP poll shows support for state-administered retirement plans
TRENTON — Most New Jersey voters are anxious about their retirement savings, and a majority of them support the idea of the state administering retirement accounts for private workers who don't have them through their jobs, according to a new AARP poll.