Category: Statement

Expanding Medicaid to New Mothers Will Keep Families Healthy and Reduce Racial Disparities

Posted on by Brittany Holom-Trundy

Earlier today, New Jersey became the second state in the nation to provide Medicaid expansion to new mothers 365 days postpartum. The new policy, announced by First Lady Tammy Murphy and Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, follows a request by the state to expand Medicaid coverage to advance racial equity in infant and maternal health. In response to today’s announcement, New Jersey Policy Perspective (NJPP) releases the following statement.

Brittany Holom-Trundy, Ph.D., Senior Policy Analyst, NJPP:

“Building a strong economy that works for everyone starts with providing new parents and their children the support they need. By expanding Medicaid coverage for a full year after birth, New Jersey will keep families healthy and reduce racial disparities in maternal health. This is one of the single best investments we can make to improve long-term health outcomes and set children up for success later in life. To ensure no families are left behind from these benefits, lawmakers should further expand access to Medicaid coverage to all New Jersey adults, regardless of where they were born.”

Read more about the benefits of maintaining continuous Medicaid coverage here.

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Big Money in Politics Shuts Voters Out of the Political Process

Posted on by Nicole Rodriguez

On Tuesday, Politico reported that New Jersey’s major political leadership committees have spent more money this election cycle than in any of the last 14 years. In total, the six leadership committees raised $10.1 million and have spent $8.9 million, as of September 30. In response to the increased role of big money in politics, New Jersey Policy Perspective (NJPP) releases the following statement.

Nicole Rodriguez, Research Director, NJPP:

“Big money in politics shuts voters out of the political process and leads to public policies that benefit special interests over the needs of the general public. To strengthen our democracy and keep wealthy individuals from having an outsized influence on policy decisions, lawmakers should extend the public financing of elections to state legislative races.

“While our homes get blanketed with expensive mailers and ads paid for by special interests, everyday New Jerseyans have less actual say in governing because of undemocratic and opaque practices like partisan primary ballot design (also known as “the line”) and redistricting that shuts out citizen input. It should come as no surprise that big spending in state legislative races comes at the expense of democratic participation.

“Sky-high political spending by both parties, combined with little opportunity for public input, is a sign of an unhealthy democracy. It’s time to fix that.”

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NJPP Applauds Signing of Landmark Bills to Prevent Lead Poisoning

Posted on by Peter Chen

Earlier today, Governor Murphy signed landmark legislation that will help put an end to lead poisoning in New Jersey. The three new laws mark a shift away from piecemeal approaches towards more comprehensive solutions to lead poisoning. Rather than wait for lead hazards to emerge, these bills shift to a preventive approach: identifying, disclosing and eliminating lead in homes and water pipes. In response to the signing of these bills, New Jersey Policy Perspective (NJPP) releases the following statement.

Peter Chen, Senior Policy Analyst, NJPP:

“These new laws represent a sea change in how a state can combat lead poisoning. New Jersey is now the first state in the country with a hard target to eliminate lead service lines in ten years, as well as a funding mechanism to finance that investment.

“New Jersey needs robust infrastructure to protect its residents, especially children, and provide safe and healthy homes to future generations. The new laws recognize that lead is a problem across housing infrastructure, including both water infrastructure and paint.

“We are one step closer to ending lead’s toxic legacy in our state thanks to this legislation. NJPP sincerely thanks Governor Murphy and the bill sponsors for their tireless efforts to ensure that these bills became law: Assemblyman Gary Schaer, Senator Troy Singleton, Senator Teresa Ruiz, and Assemblyman Jamel Holley. NJPP also thanks the committed advocates who supported these efforts, including Isles, Inc., the Housing and Community Development Network of New Jersey, and the member organizations of the Lead in Drinking Water Task Force convened by Jersey Water Works.”

The three bills are:

A5343: Requires public community water systems to inventory and replace lead service lines within 10 years, including informing residents if their service line contains lead; provides for recoupment of costs by investor-owned public water systems and allows the costs to be shared among all customers.

A5407: Removes restrictions on special assessments and bond issuances for replacement of residential lead service lines, including replacement of the resident’s section of the service line.

S1147: Requires lead paint inspection on certain residential rental property within two years, as well as upon tenant turnover; establishes lead-based paint hazard education program; appropriates $3,900,000. Each property lead inspection result will then be added to a statewide database to continuously track lead hazards in homes statewide.

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Depleted Rainy Day Fund Shows How Broken the State Budget Process Is

Posted on by Brandon McKoy

Earlier today, NJ Spotlight News reported that the state Treasury has drained New Jersey’s rainy day fund and transferred the balance of $2.2 billion into the state’s general fund. This transfer was a surprise to state lawmakers, the press, and advocates alike, who all celebrated the budget bill for replenishing New Jersey’s historically depleted reserves. The shocking revelation should come as no surprise, as state lawmakers voted on the budget bill a mere 11 minutes after the bill text was made public. In response to the depleted rainy day fund, New Jersey Policy Perspective (NJPP) releases the following statement.

Brandon McKoy, President, NJPP:

“The now empty rainy day fund is Exhibit A in how broken the state’s budget process is. Every single lawmaker voted on a budget bill that had more than a billion dollars tucked away in reserves. We are now finding out, for reasons that are not entirely clear, those reserves have already been depleted. Regardless of why, the fact is that one of the more positive developments of this budget no longer exists, which takes some lustre off of the finished project. This is yet another reason why having a more considered, transparent, and inclusive budget process is absolutely essential. Lawmakers should know exactly what is in the budget and how it will be enacted before they vote on it or sign it into law, and that requires not rushing and making mistakes.

“A strong rainy day fund can make the difference between falling back on drastic budget cuts and advancing equity with strong investments. The next time New Jersey faces a budget shortfall, which it will, lawmakers will once again cut funding for programs that low-income children, seniors, and families rely on, just as they have in the past when the rainy day fund was depleted. Let this sleight of hand serve as a reminder: This insider’s game that incentivizes politics and short-term decisions will never allow us to live up to our stated values of racial and economic justice. We must raise the standards of state budgeting by embracing transparency and proven best practices to build an economy that truly works for the many, not a chosen few.”

For more on this year’s state budget, read the latest NJPP report, Shining a Light on New Jersey’s FY 2022 Budget:
https://www.njpp.org/publications/report/shining-a-light-on-new-jerseys-fy-2022-budget/

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Senate and Assembly Pass Cover All Kids Legislation

Posted on by Brittany Holom-Trundy

Earlier today, the Senate and Assembly passed S3798 (A5805) to Cover All Kids with health insurance. The bill would make improvements to NJ FamilyCare by eliminating premiums and waiting periods, increasing outreach initiatives, and establishing new coverage options through a buy-in program. In response to the bill’s passage, New Jersey Policy Perspective (NJPP) releases the following statement. 

Brittany Holom-Trundy, Senior Policy Analyst, NJPP:

“All kids in New Jersey deserve access to affordable, high-quality health coverage. This bill creates many opportunities to address the barriers keeping more than 80,000 children in the state uninsured. By expanding coverage, eliminating premiums, and increasing outreach, lawmakers are making an important investment in the state’s future and the long-term health of New Jersey families.

“We urge the Governor to sign this legislation soon and for the administration and health leaders to dedicate themselves to building the best health care system possible for all children in the Garden State.”

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What Happened Today at the State House is Truly Shameful

Posted on by Brandon McKoy

Earlier today, New Jersey lawmakers voted on billions of dollars in state spending and on an expansion to the state’s controversial corporate tax subsidy program without bill language available to the public, press, policy experts, or advocates. Given the size and complexity of these bills, it is all but certain that state lawmakers did not have a chance to fully read and process the bills before they were rushed through for a vote. In response to today’s votes, New Jersey Policy Perspective (NJPP) releases the following statement.

Brandon McKoy, President, NJPP:

“What happened today at the State House is truly shameful. Lawmakers voted on some of the most consequential bills of the year — totalling tens of billions of dollars in both spending and corporate tax breaks — without any of the bill language available to the public. This, after lawmakers promised an open and transparent budget process. Their behavior, in an election year no less, affirms how little they care about good governance and basic democratic principles. At the same time, this should not come as a surprise given the uncompetitive nature of New Jersey’s elections.

“After the year we all just went through, suffering a pandemic and recession that has yet to fully end, lawmakers had a golden opportunity to show their support for true community engagement. Instead, they have doubled down on a process that only values insiders and protects entrenched power. As long as New Jersey continues to construct its budget and legislative processes in this fashion, our state will never reflect the values that we claim to hold dear.”

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NJPP Applauds Passage of the Easy Enrollment Health Insurance Program

Posted on by Brittany Holom-Trundy

Earlier today, the New Jersey Senate and Assembly passed legislation (S3238) to establish the New Jersey Easy Enrollment Health Insurance Program. The program would add a checkbox on state income tax returns where uninsured residents can mark that they want to have their eligibility for health insurance programs evaluated and receive information on those options. Maryland already has a program like this in place and it has proven successful at getting young people, people of color, and low-income residents enrolled. In response to the bill passage, New Jersey Policy Perspective (NJPP) releases the following statement.

Brittany Holom-Trundy, Senior Policy Analyst, NJPP:

“New Jersey should use every tool at its disposal to enroll residents in comprehensive and affordable health care. By adding a simple check box to tax returns and unemployment insurance forms, lawmakers will make the enrollment process as easy as possible, especially for people who face information and technology barriers and struggle to enroll. We applaud the Senate and Assembly for passing S3238 and encourage Governor Murphy to sign this into law as soon as possible.”

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Gov. Murphy’s Budget Makes Big Investments to Fund the Pandemic Recovery

Posted on by Brandon McKoy

Earlier today, Governor Murphy unveiled his FY 2022 state budget. The proposal makes critical investments in public health, education, support for working families, and much more. In response to the budget address, New Jersey Policy Perspective (NJPP) releases the following statement.

Brandon McKoy, President, NJPP:

“In the face of an ongoing public health crisis, the governor’s budget meets the needs of the moment with big investments in public health, housing, schools, and much more. These are the building blocks of strong communities and a strong economy, both during normal times and especially now during a pandemic.

“State government has an important role to play in New Jersey’s economic recovery, and Governor Murphy’s budget recognizes that reality. Learning the lessons of the past — specifically that investments made today will make the difference between a sluggish recovery and a strong one — the budget proposal rejects austerity and spending cuts that only served to fuel racial and economic disparities. Yes, the budget is supported in part by borrowing, but those funds are buffered by strong revenue collections that are being invested in smart, fiscally responsible areas with long-term benefits. This is a marked difference from budgets of the past that borrowed funds to simply support regressive tax cuts for the wealthy and well-connected.

“While this budget has a lot in it to celebrate, it falls woefully short in one key area: it lacks pandemic relief for undocumented residents. This is a frustrating development that will harm our immigrant neighbors and loved ones who are suffering through the pandemic more than most. Immigrants are an integral part of New Jersey’s communities and economy, and while other states have prioritized critical pandemic relief, we continue to fail on this important front. We look forward to working with the Legislature to fix this in the final budget. It’s imperative that no one is left behind in New Jersey’s pandemic recovery.”

New Jersey Policy Perspective (NJPP) is a nonpartisan think tank that drives policy change to advance economic, social, and racial justice through evidence-based, independent research, analysis, and advocacy.

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NJPP Applauds Gov. Murphy for Rejecting Austerity

Posted on by Brandon McKoy

Earlier today, Governor Phil Murphy delivered his third annual State of the State address — the first-ever delivered virtually. In his speech, the governor recognized major pieces of legislation enacted over the last few years that should act as the foundation for the state’s pandemic recovery. In response to the address, New Jersey Policy Perspective (NJPP) releases the following statement: 

Brandon McKoy, President, NJPP:

“In the face of the biggest public health crisis in a century, Governor Murphy and legislative leaders stepped up to keep residents safe and the economy afloat. The governor and state lawmakers deserve an enormous amount of credit for how they are handling the pandemic, especially considering the lack of leadership by the federal government. 

“By rejecting austerity and, instead, investing heavily in public schools, the social safety net, and health care, New Jersey is in a good position to chart a strong and swift pandemic recovery. Putting the needs of the many before those of a few should serve as a roadmap for other states as they continue to respond to COVID-19. To maintain a robust and equitable recovery, lawmakers must expand on these investments, especially for our immigrant communities, to ensure no one is left behind.

“We welcome Governor Murphy’s renewed call for ethics reform in the halls of power in New Jersey. All lawmakers have a responsibility to improve public trust in government. That can only be accomplished by bringing much-needed transparency and accountability back into the legislative process. We look forward to working with the governor and legislature on these priorities, and more, in the year ahead.”

New Jersey Policy Perspective (NJPP) is a nonpartisan think tank that drives policy change to advance economic, social, and racial justice through evidence-based, independent research, analysis, and advocacy.

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New Jersey Deserves Better Than $14 Billion Corporate Tax Break Law

Posted on by Brandon McKoy

Earlier today, Governor Murphy signed the Economic Recovery Act into law. The bill doubles down on corporate business tax incentives, a failed economic development strategy, with a price tag of $14 billion over seven years. In response to the bill signing, New Jersey Policy Perspective releases the following statement.

Brandon McKoy, President, NJPP:

“With a stroke of a pen, New Jersey has chosen to repeat the mistakes of the past by giving away billions of dollars in corporate tax breaks. This is a bloated economic development strategy that has failed to work, not only in New Jersey but in every other state that participates in this costly race to the bottom.

“The reality is, based on a growing body of research, corporate tax breaks of this scale are rarely a good deal for states. They are much more likely to shortchange the Treasury for decades to come. These super-charged programs will leave the state with far fewer resources for a robust recovery. It will also crowd out revenue in future budgets to invest in proven building blocks of a state economy, like education, health care, child care support, mass transit, and job training.

“With this new law, New Jersey continues to be out of step with the rest of the country by digging its heels into a failed economic development strategy. While a number of laudable reforms and innovative incentives are included in the Economic Recovery Act, its size and scope actually surpass that of the expired programs. Simply put, size matters. A $14 billion program is hardly a disciplined and targeted approach to economic development.

“Despite its name, there is little to nothing targeting small businesses and the state’s economic recovery from the ongoing COVID pandemic.

“Instead the ERA mirrors some of the most egregious elements of the previous generation of economic incentives: overly generous tax subsidies for corporations that typically sell them for cash, a program design that favors businesses with the resources to navigate the application process, a deliberate disconnect between the EDA and the annual state budget, and a refusal to entertain the idea of a ceasefire agreement with neighboring states. New Jersey deserves better.”

New Jersey Policy Perspective (NJPP) is a nonpartisan think tank that drives policy change to advance economic, social, and racial justice through evidence-based, independent research, analysis, and advocacy.

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