Posted by
Essex County Politics · January 01, 2021 3:41 AM
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JOHN REITMEYER, BUDGET/FINANCE WRITER | DECEMBER 31, 2020
NJ Spotlight News

The hourly minimum wage in New Jersey goes up by $1 for most low-income workers starting Friday, bringing it to $12.
The mandatory pay increase is the latest installment in the state’s ongoing ramp-up to a $15 hourly minimum wage and comes during the economic downturn triggered by an international pandemic that has hit low-income workers particularly hard.
Other minimum-wage workers in New Jersey, including those employed by farmers and seasonal and small businesses, will also get modest raises as the calendar turns to 2021.
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Posted by
Essex County Politics · January 01, 2021 3:29 AM
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By David Wildstein, December 31 2020
New Jersey Globe

Former New Jersey Republican State Chairman Michael Lavery.
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Republicans seem ready to make an issue of a Phil Murphy administration decision to provide COVID-19 vaccinations to some state prison inmates ahead of residents of state-run veterans homes.
“It is unconscionable that Governor Murphy’s administration is vaccinating the convicted criminals in our prisons before the heroes in our state’s veteran home,” said newly-elected GOP State Chairman Michael Lavery. “From the beginning of this crisis the Governor has failed to protect the veterans homes from Covid, has refused to share details of what, if any, actions he took to minimize spread, and just recently missed a deadline to get our state’s heroes and vulnerable vaccinated promptly.”
Murphy has seen his approval ratings soar as a result of his handling of the pandemic, and Republicans seeking to defeat him in next year’s gubernatorial campaign are widely expected to use the deaths of nearly 7,500 nursing home residents and nearly 200 veterans as wedge issues to bring the governor’s standing to a politically competitive level.
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Posted by
Essex County Politics · December 31, 2020 3:36 AM
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LEAH MISHKIN, CORRESPONDENT | DECEMBER 30, 2020
NJ Spotlight News
Carole Johnson, Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Human Services, has been tapped by President-elect Joe Biden’s administration to join the White House COVID-19 Response Team, specifically to help with testing on the federal level.
At home, Gov. Phil Murphy announced Wednesday the state is launching a new website to share vaccine news and help clear up confusion about eligibility and registration for the vaccine. According to the Murphy administration, nearly 63,000 people had been vaccinated as of Wednesday morning, with a goal of reaching 70% of residents by the spring. However, Dr. Perry Halkitis, dean of Rutgers School of Public Health, said states aren’t getting enough vaccines from the federal government to meet their goals. Correspondent Leah Mishkin reports.
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Posted by
Essex County Politics · December 29, 2020 3:18 AM
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By David Wildstein, December 28 2020
New Jersey Globe

Governor Phil Murphy bobblehead collectible.
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A bobblehead of New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy is exceeding sales expectations, according to the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum.
The Milwaukee-based company launched a series of gubernatorial bobbleheads this year as governor’s were at the forefront of the battle to control the spread of COVID-19.
Murphy was part of the third set of governors released by the company and ranks sixth in sales out of twelve.
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