A new Quinnipiac University poll shows over 50 percent of New Jersey voters do not like certain parts of President Trump’s new tax plan. The plan calls for the elimination of the federal deduction for state and local taxes. New Jersey residents pay the highest effective property tax rate in the nation. ##
Proceeds from the New Jersey Lottery may be used to pay off the public pension debt. The Christie administration unveiled its plan this week to pay down the debt with excess money from the lottery. So far the proposal has received a positive response from labor unions. ##
New Jersey drivers will be getting more time to settle outstanding parking tickets before their licenses are revoked. Governor Christie signed a new bill into law that will delay the potential suspension of a drivers license for 30 days to give drivers more time to pay up. ##
New Jersey could officially become the Garden State soon. Lawmakers in Trenton approved a measure Monday that would officially use the words “Garden State” as the official slogan of the State..even though the slogan already appears on license plates. A Girl Scout troop proposed the official slogan after realizing New Jersey didn’t have a slogan…
New Jersey is now offering members of the public cash rewards for tips that lead to sustainable corruption charges against public officials. Attorney General Christopher Porrino held a news conference Tuesday and announced a new anti-corruption whistle blower program with maximum rewards set at $25,000. ##
Governor Christie has vetoed a law that would have given control to police and firefighters’ pensions to the unions. Christie said he would only approve the bill if so-called “golden parachutes” including huge payouts for unused sick time were wiped out. ##
The so-called “Snooki” law is on the books. Governor Christie signed a bill into law Monday that caps the amount of money a university can pay for a guest speaker at $10,000. The law comes after “Jersey Shore” star Snooki Polizzi was paid $32,00 to speak at Rutgers University six years ago. ##
A 20 year old man from Ocean County has been indicted on charges that he was going to support ISIS by building a bomb to be exploded in New York City. Gregory Lepsky is accused of trying to build a pressure cooker type bomb to explode in New York. Lepsky is from Point Pleasant. ##
President Trump has arrived in New Jersey, and he will stay in the Garden State through the weekend. The President arrived late Thursday night and he will stay at his golf club in Bedminster. Trump was last in New Jersey as he was assembling his presidential transition team. ##
Performance does not count, but seniority does, when it comes to local school districts who want to lay off teachers. A Superior Court judge ruled this week that layoffs must occur on a seniority basis in school districts regardless of a teacher’s performance. ##