Education
Legislator to Propose Bill to Push School District Consolidation – State Sen. Vin Gopal plans to draft legislation to promote the consolidation of school districts in order to reduce high costs, which necessitate high property taxes and significant funding aid from the state. Merging school districts – or regionalization – should reduce administrative and professional costs for districts. Over half of the revenue collected by municipalities and counties through property taxes went to schools in 2022; school aid formed the largest single pooled expense in the 2025 state budget. Past efforts to promote regionalization include the recently enacted School Regionalization Efficiency Program, which offers grants to districts to study the feasibility of mergers. The Senator hopes to promote regionalization through ballot initiatives, mandated shared service agreements, or even mandated consolidation. However, Gov. Murphy has expressed opposition to mandates in favor of incentives for regionalization efforts.
Environment
NJ Petitions Federal Government for Protections from Forever Chemicals – The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection joined North Carolina and New Mexico agencies to petition the federal Environmental Protection Agency on August 29 to name the four most common per- and polyfluorinated substances (PFAS) as hazardous under the federal Clean Air Act. PFAS, or forever chemicals, are widely used because of their durability and resistance to corrosion, but they have been linked to serious health issues in humans. State leaders have tried to address PFAS pollution, which has led to high levels of the chemicals in dozens of NJ drinking water systems. The federal designation of PFAS as hazardous would enable regulation.
Health
Advocates Seek to Expand Access to Aid-in-Dying Law – Since the 2019 passage of the Medical Aid in Dying for the Terminally Ill Act, demand has increased tenfold for medically assisted death through self-administered medication for those with terminal illnesses. Now, advocates are working to end policies which restrict access to the procedure. Supporters of end-of-life autonomy have called for legislators to pass A1880, a stalled bill that ends a 15-day waiting period for end-of-life medication. They argue the waiting period acts as a barrier to medical aid in dying, as some may become ineligible due to decreased mental capacity or inability to self-administer the medication. Further, in August 2023, two terminally ill women from neighboring states filed a federal lawsuit to remove the state’s residency requirement, arguing it was discriminatory and unconstitutional. Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin asked a judge in January 2024 to dismiss the case.
Nursing Homes and Industry Lobbyists Sue over Staffing Mandates – The Health Care Association of New Jersey, a long-term care industry lobbying group, joined with six nursing homes to sue the state over a 2020 law setting staffing minimums. The law – enacted in response to widespread deaths in nursing homes in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic – requires these facilities to staff certified nursing aids based on the number of residents and imposes $1,000 daily fines for failure to comply. Litigants argue that staffing shortages created by the pandemic make it impossible to comply, making the statute unconstitutional.
Public Administration
Potential Public Health Plan Rate Hikes May Force Municipalities to Seek Alternatives – Commissions tasked with setting premiums for public worker health plans will vote soon on whether to approve recommended rate hikes of 17% for local government workers and retirees; 11% for state workers; and 14% for workers enrolled in the School Employee Health Benefits Program. Steep hikes in 2022 and 2023 have already pushed some municipalities to seek other plan options. Municipal enrollment in state health plans has fallen by approximately 18% in the past two years. If more municipalities continue to leave, this may prompt further rate hikes in the future. Hikes have not significantly affected enrollment in other sectors: state units cannot move off the state plan, and policy changes enacted in 2021 insulate school employees from rate hikes. A pilot program approved in July attempts to alleviate the burden of rate hikes through design changes such as allowing public workers to seek certain procedures at some hospitals without copayments. The rate hikes should be approved shortly to allow time for the transition ahead of the enrollment period beginning in October.
Judge Dismisses Casino Workers’ Lawsuit against Smoking Ban Exemption – On August 30, a state judge dismissed a lawsuit by casino workers over an indoor smoking ban exception on casino floors that workers argue endangers their health and safety. This decision formed a victory for the casino industry and some unions, which opposed the lawsuit over concerns it would drive gamblers to other states, affecting revenue and jobs. Litigants UAW, the union representing casino workers in NJ, and CEASE NJ, an organization of casino workers, plan to file an appeal. In the meantime, they continue to advocate for the passage of legislation that ends the smoking ban exemption, condemning legislators who have refused to act to end smoking in casinos in a Sept. 4 media call.