Governor Murphy and Senators Vitale, Cryan, Diegnan, and Lagana Announce Collaboration on Veterans' Services and Reform
“After thoughtful discussion, we are announcing a conceptual agreement to pursue structural reforms to the delivery of veteran services in New Jersey. As highlighted in both the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) and the State of New Jersey Commission of Investigation reports, comprehensive reform – from ensuring we have adequately paid staff, to upgrading communication and physical infrastructure, to instilling a thorough understanding of best practices – is necessary.
Following the U.S. DOJ’s report, we anticipate the appointment of a federal monitor to oversee improvements at our Veterans Memorial Homes and recognize that –as with the meaningful progress made with the New Jersey Department of Children and Families – a federal monitor can work with the State to create a thorough plan of correction, set clear targets for improvement, and hold us accountable with continuous and transparent reporting.
Further, we are actively working on legislation that will elevate the veterans’ services currently provided by the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs (NJDMAVA), including oversight of the Veterans Memorial Homes, to a veterans-centric cabinet level position, much like the federal model and that of several other states. This elevated departmental position will provide an ongoing, visible, institutionalized voice for veterans and their families at the highest level of government.
Finally, to provide an independent check on our commitment that will outlive any federal monitor, we will establish a veterans advocate to investigate complaints and ensure we are providing effective, appropriate, and timely responses to our most vulnerable veterans.
We anticipate that matters related to active members of the military will remain under the purview of the presently-named Department of Military and Veterans Affairs. The staff at NJDMAVA have made meaningful improvements recently, and these structural changes should not substantively change their individual roles. We intend to pursue these reforms in a way that is minimally disruptive to the service members and veterans served by NJDMAVA and the dedicated public employees who carry out NJDMAVA’s work.
While it will take time to identify and address all the considerations that such wholesale change demands, we are committed to our goal and will work diligently to deliver thoughtful legislation in a timely manner. Our collective aim is ensuring the best possible care for our veterans, and we remain dedicated to this objective.”
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Acting Governor Way Signs Joint Resolution Commemorating State Troopers Fraternal Association on 60th Anniversary
Acting Governor Tahesha Way signed SJR123/AJR224, which honors the accomplishments of the State Troopers Fraternal Association (STFA) on its 60th Anniversary. The STFA, which was founded on October 28, 1963, currently represents 1,700 rank-and-file New Jersey State Troopers as their collective bargaining association. Through the years, the STFA has created a legacy of advocating, supporting, and protecting New Jersey’s State Troopers and their families.
The STFA has enhanced working conditions and protected the rights of State Troopers across New Jersey to effectively improve the safety of the citizens of the state. In addition, the STFA has established a swift and fair process for the settlement of grievances for and against its members and has provided financial and other assistance for members and families of members who have been killed or injured in the line of duty.
“Day in and day out, our State Troopers put their lives on the line to protect and serve the residents of New Jersey,” said Acting Governor Way. “Serving over 7,000 law enforcement officers since its founding in 1963, the State Troopers Fraternal Association has represented New Jersey’s best and brightest State Troopers and their families with honor, duty, and fidelity. As a proud pro-labor state, it is only right that we recognize the six decades of work provided by the State Troopers Fraternal Association for our State Troopers.”
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NJEDA Announces $12 Million Funding to 48 Cannabis Equity Grant Awardees
New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA) Chief Executive Officer, Tim Sullivan, and Chief Community Development Officer, Tai Cooper, joined Bloomfield Mayor, Michael J. Venezia, along with representatives of the New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission (NJCRC) to announce the awarding of $12 million of grant funding to 48 cannabis businesses, an increase from the originally planned 24 awards, thanks to a further allocation of available funding by Governor Phil Murphy.
This substantial investment aims to enable entrepreneurs, particularly those from communities historically harmed by the War on Drugs, to start and expand their cannabis businesses in New Jersey. This funding initiative is designed to eliminate long-standing barriers to entry and provides the startups with a $250,000 grant, the largest cannabis social equity grant of its kind in the nation.
The first phase of the Cannabis Equity Grant Program, known as the Joint Ventures Grant, launched earlier this year with a primary objective of assisting recreational cannabis startups with the capital to manage financial burdens and challenges when transitioning from a conditional license to an annual license. To ensure the communities harmed by racially-biased marijuana arrests also reap these financial benefits, 40 percent of the Joint Ventures Grant funding was allocated for qualifying social equity applicants, and an additional five percent was designated for businesses located in Impact Zones.
“As the cannabis industry continues to reach new heights in New Jersey, it is important that we build on our efforts to support the businesses seeking to enter and grow within this emerging market. The Cannabis Equity Grant Program allows us to simultaneously expand the pool of cannabis businesses in our state while also focusing on those communities most impacted by the unethical War on Drugs,” said Governor Murphy. “As we work to create a stronger, fairer, and more equitable cannabis market, our Administration will continue to increase access and opportunity to the small businesses entering the industry.”
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Murphy Administration Launches First Phase of Smart Move Program to Help Communities Affected by Hurricane Ida
The New Jersey Department of Community Affairs (DCA) launched the first phase of the Smart Move Program, which aims to assist local governments that will partner with housing developers to construct affordable single-family housing in areas that have reduced flood risk from future storms.
During the program’s first phase, DCA will work with local governments in counties impacted by Hurricane Ida to fund projects that create energy-efficient, resilient, and affordable homes of good quality in lower flood risk areas. Local governments will partner with nonprofit or for-profit housing developers on these projects.
When the housing projects are completed, DCA will help link homeowners who have voluntarily accepted a property buyout through the State’s Blue Acres Buyout Program to move out of harm’s way with the new resilient housing developments. This new approach will give people safer options to remain in their communities and help offset tax ratable loss in municipalities where homeowners are participating in the buyout program.
The Smart Move Program is the sixth Hurricane Ida recovery program that DCA has launched and is part of the third phase of the Murphy Administration’s Ida Recovery Strategy, which is focused on helping households and communities still in need of assistance from the damaging effects of Hurricane Ida, which hit New Jersey in September 2021.
“In the face of climate change and more frequent severe storms, DCA is finding innovative ways to encourage and support efforts to make housing stock less susceptible to flooding. The Smart Move Program is one of these creative, proactive initiatives,” said DCA Acting Commissioner Jacquelyn A. Suárez. “We also want to ensure that these new resilient, energy-efficient homes are affordable to families, especially those whose lives were upended by Hurricane Ida. We are hopeful the Smart Move Program will help advance housing resiliency endeavors both in New Jersey and nationwide.”
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NJCCIC Kicks of Cybersecurity Awareness Month, Cyberstart America Competition in October
Following Gov. Phil Murphy’s Sept. 15 proclamation recognizing October as Cybersecurity Awareness Month, the New Jersey Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Cell is ramping up efforts to promote the nation’s leading cyber competition, along with cyber safety across the Garden State this month and beyond.
Cybersecurity Awareness Month
New Jersey’s observance runs parallel to the national Cybersecurity Awareness Month campaign, an initiative that’s marking its 20th anniversary in 2023.
The federal Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency leads the campaign, and this year, will encourage individuals and organizations to take personal responsibility and ownership of their role as it pertains to cyber safety.
“Cybercriminals can strike from any location and at any time and they are growing increasingly more sophisticated while using highly advanced tactics to infiltrate systems,” said NJOHSP Director Laurie Doran. “Since most cyber incidents have a human nexus, we hope these awareness campaigns will mitigate potential cyber threats by providing both the public and private sector with the necessary tools, knowledge and resources to safely navigate the new digital world we live in.”
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Official Site of The State of New Jersey
