Governor Murphy Delivers 2025 State of the State Address
Today Governor Murphy delivered the 2025 State of the State Address. The address highlighted the Governor’s progress over the past seven years and his key priorities for the upcoming year. In his remarks, Governor Murphy noted that “…under our Administration we have provided more than $14 billion in direct property tax relief to New Jerseyans through the ANCHOR program and other initiatives. In other words, together – with help of everyone in this room, and under the tremendous leadership of Senate President Scutari and Speaker of the General Assembly Craig Coughlin – we have provided more property tax relief to people of New Jersey than any Administration in history.” The speech outlined the following initiatives of municipal interest: - Enact legislation sponsored by Senator Singleton to change the state’s zoning and permitting laws, such as:
- S-2347/A-4370, which would permit the development of accessory dwelling units (ADUs) on property zoned for single or two-family residential uses and would require municipalities to adopt one of the two model ordinances developed by Department of Community Affairs.
- S-1408/A-2757, which establishes a limited preemption from local zoning regulations for applications to convert certain office parks and retail centers into mixed-use developments.
- S-2974/A-3043, which requires the Department of Community Affairs to adopt regulations implementing certain reductions in the maximum required on- and off-street parking spaces in the Statewide site improvement standards by 20, 30, and 50% depending on the residential development’s proximity to certain public transportation services.
- Enact legislative package sponsored by Senator Cruz-Perez and Assemblymembers Sumter, Wimberly, and Stanley to address disparity in public procurement that includes:
- A-4487, Requires State Contract Mangers to monitor work conducted by subcontractors on State contracts.
- A-4548, Provides corporate business tax and gross income tax credits for employers of certain persons with disabilities.
- A-4586, Establishes “Minority and Women-Owned Businesses State Contractor Remedies Act.”
- A-4648, Provides for State agencies to issue advanced payments to certified business enterprises awarded State contracts.
- A-4719 Requires certain notifications to subcontractors listed on bid for State contract by prime contractor.
- A-4720, Requires Chief Diversity Officer in Department of Treasury and other State officers to conduct certain outreach events, training workshops, and educational programs for minority- and women-owned businesses.
- A-4721, Requires Department of Treasury to update New Jersey Disparity Study every five years.
- A-4722, Requires State agencies to make good-faith effort to increase awarding of contracts procured without advertisement to minority- and women-owned businesses.
- A-4723 (Wimberly/Reynolds-Jackson/Park/Atkins), Modifies title and role of Chief Diversity Officer; establishes New Jersey Office of Supplier Diversity and Business Opportunities.
- A-4724, Establishes sheltered market program for certain business enterprises seeking State contracts.
- A-4725, Requires State agencies to make good-faith effort toward certain goals to use certified minority- and women-owned businesses as prime contractors and subcontractors.
- A-4744, Requires NJTA, SJTA, EDA, CRDA, PANYNJ, and DRPA to consider minorities and women when hiring or awarding contracts.
- Enact legislation (A-2321) sponsored by Assemblymembers Swain, Bailey, and Simmons to update driver education programs focusing on cyclist and pedestrian safety.
- Enact legislation (S-3446/A-4875) sponsored by Senator Pennacchio and Assemblywoman Dunn to reform farmland property tax assessments by establishing a new Farmland Assessment Review Commission to regularly review and recommend appropriate updates to the State’s farmland assessment program.
- Enact legislation (S-1193/A-925) sponsored by Senator Mukherji and Assemblymember Reynolds-Jackson to permit same-day voter registration at polling places on election day or at early voting sites during early voting period.
- Reiterate support for legislation (S-3240/A-4369) sponsored by Senator Mukherji and Assemblymember Tucker to expand voting rights in local school board elections to 16- and 17-year-olds. The bill does not permit 16- and 17-year-olds to vote in any other election.
- Enact legislation that will be sponsored by Assemblymember Speight to reform penalties for technical parole violations.
- Work with NJ Department of Transportation to overhaul the state’s 10 most dangerous intersections.
In addition to the municipal interest initiatives, the Governor also outlined the following initiatives: - Introduce a new paid parental leave policy of 12 weeks of fully paid parental leave for State government employees.
- New proposal requiring school districts to provide full-day kindergarten in the districts that currently do not provide full-day kindergarten.
- Ban cell phones in K-12 classrooms and establish phone-free schools.
- Enact legislation sponsored by Senator Diegnan and Assemblywoman Quijano to permit drivers to obtain a mobile driver’s license and IDs, accessible from a smartphone.
- Enact legislation sponsored by Senator Ruiz and Assemblymembers Speight and Swain to eliminate out-of-pocket costs for abortion procedures.
- Noted that New Jersey will begin to stockpile a supply of Mifepristone.
- Work with Senator Smith and Assemblymembers DeAngelo and Karabinchak to codify clean energy standard of New Jersey running 100% clean energy by 2035.
Contacts: Lori Buckelew, Deputy Executive Director, lbuckelew@njlm.org, 609-695-3481, x112 and Mike Cerra, Executive Director, mcerra@njlm.org, 609-695-3481, x120. |
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