Governor Murphy Announces Departure of Chief of Staff George Helmy
Governor Phil Murphy announced the departure of his longtime Chief of Staff George Helmy.
“I don’t know where we would be without George,” said Governor Murphy. “Simply put, you cannot write the history of our Administration without recognizing George’s singular role in leading our team for over four and a half years. His unique mix of public and private sector experience, strong management skills, and deep relationships across the political spectrum made him uniquely capable to excel in this job. From managing our all-of-government response to a once-in-a-century pandemic to driving nearly every single one of our legislative goals to completion, George has put his heart and soul into serving the people of New Jersey.
“George will continue to play a key role as a point person for our key relationships with national and state level political leaders,” continued Governor Murphy. “I wish him well in his next chapter, and I look forward to continuing to rely on his wise counsel as not only a trusted colleague, but more importantly, a close friend.”
“It has been the honor of my life to serve Governor Murphy and his Administration,” said outgoing Chief of Staff George Helmy. “When I started this job in early 2019, I had no idea what to expect. From dealing with a global pandemic to negotiating six on-time state budgets, I’ve approached every challenge with gratitude for the trust and confidence that the Governor and First Lady have placed in me. I tried to approach every issue we faced by upholding the high moral and ethical standards the Governor set for us and by leading with the same compassion and empathy the Murphys brought to governing every day. I look forward to continuing to support the Governor and First Lady during the remainder of the second term and beyond.”
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NJ DOBI Adopts Regulations to Require Comprehensive Abortion Coverage in Department Regulated Health Insurance Markets
As part of the Murphy Administration’s efforts to protect access to reproductive health care, the New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance announced the adoption of rules to require comprehensive abortion coverage as a part of all health benefits plans regulated by the department. This requirement, which was in place as of January 1, 2023 in the individual and small employer health insurance markets, will now be in effect for the fully-insured large employer health insurance market upon plan issuance or renewal.
“New Jersey remains a leader in safeguarding reproductive rights and health care services. Implementation of this requirement across department-regulated plans will provide access to abortion services without exceptions limiting coverage — reaffirming a women’s ability to make medical decisions about her reproductive health,” said Governor Phil Murphy. “This rulemaking is another step forward in ensuring residents can access the reproductive care they both need and deserve.”
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First Lady Tammy Murphy to Host Family Festival in Trenton
First Lady Tammy Murphy will host a Family Festival at Hedgepeth-Williams Intermediate School on Saturday, September 23, from 11am to 3pm. The Family Festival serves as a one-stop-shop for state, county, and local care, support, and resources including services for expectant and new moms, healthcare, housing support, food assistance, child care, New Jersey Motor Vehicles Commission services, and more.
The Trenton Family Festival will be hosted by the First Lady’s Nurture NJ initiative in partnership with Senator Shirley Turner, Assemblywoman Verlina Reynolds-Jackson, Assemblyman Anthony Verrelli, Boys and Girls Club of Mercer County, Capital Health, City of Trenton, Greater Mount Zion AME Church, Henry J. Austin Health Center, HomeFront, Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of NJ, KinderSmile, the John S. Watson Institute at Kean University, NJ Motor Vehicle Commission, Salvation and Social Justice, Smith Family Foundation, The Burke Foundation, The Children’s Home Society of NJ, Trenton Health Team, and Trenton Public Schools.
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Governor Murphy, Attorney General Platkin Announce $5.5 Million in Hospital-Based Violence Intervention Program Grants
Governor Phil Murphy and Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin announced that $5.5 million would be made available through a competitive grant process to support continuation of the New Jersey Hospital-Based Violence Intervention Program (NJHVIP). Funding for this program is provided from the Cannabis Regulatory, Enforcement Assistance, and Marketplace Modernization Fund, which is dedicated to reinvestment in communities most impacted by cannabis criminalization. Grant awards for this cycle will begin in 2024.
With this announcement, the State will enter its fifth year of the NJHVIP initiative, funding partnerships between hospitals and community-based organizations to connect victims of violent crime, including gun violence, to services starting at their bedside. NJHVIP was launched in 2020 with support for nine hospital-community partnerships, and grew to 11 programs in January 2023. Overall, the Murphy Administration has now made available more than $45 million in federal and state funding for NJHVIP sites across the state.
NJHVIP is overseen by the Division of Violence Intervention and Victim Assistance (VIVA) through the Office of Violence Intervention and Prevention (OVIP). VIVA was established by Attorney General Platkin in September 2022 with the goal of elevating and formalizing violence intervention and victim services work within the Department of Law and Public Safety.
“Through the New Jersey Hospital-Based Violence Intervention Program, our Administration is making progress on our commitment to creating a safer state for all New Jerseyans,” said Governor Murphy. “These innovative violence intervention programs allow providers to tend to vulnerable victims of violent crimes in the early days of their road to recovery in order to break the patterns of violence that have tragically taken the lives of too many New Jerseyans. We will continue to do what we can to support this work to prevent and overcome violence in our communities across the state.”
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Murphy Administration Financial Aid Expansion Supports Student Success in New Jersey
New Jersey’s Higher Education Student Assistance Authority (HESAA) released new data about an initiative that is making postsecondary education more affordable in the Garden State.
Through a pilot providing eligible students Tuition Aid Grant awards during 2023 summer terms (“Summer TAG”), more than 11,000 students who enrolled in summer courses received additional financial aid awards that totaled more than $24 million – helping students graduate faster with less student loan debt. The State’s Summer TAG awards promote student success in combination with federal need-based aid. A 2023 study on the federal Year-Round Pell grant program found that students receiving summer grants take less time to graduate, avoid summer learning loss, and earn higher wages.
“Access to a high-quality postsecondary education is key to cultivating an educated workforce and increasing opportunities for many New Jerseyans. The steps our Administration is taking to create pathways to an affordable degree are yielding positive results for both current and aspiring students,” said Governor Phil Murphy. “Our investments in these critical programs and initiatives get us closer every day to putting higher education within reach for anyone seeking a college degree in our state.”
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