JOHN MOONEY, EDUCATION WRITER | APRIL 8, 2021 

NJ Spotlight News

In a bit of a surprise, the Murphy administration has won permission from the federal government to hold off on the state’s student testing program for this spring and to administer an abbreviated version in the fall.

But after what turned out to be a busy 24 hours of discussion on the topic, what exactly will take place to measure student performance in the meantime remains in question, as worries mount over the potential damage the pandemic has wrought on school instruction and learning.

Gov. Phil Murphy on Wednesday confirmed in his daily coronavirus media briefing that the federal Department of Education has permitted the state to suspend its standardized Student Learning Assessments for the second year, due to the many challenges to carrying out such testing during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Posted Apr 06, 2021

By Jonathan D. Salant | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

In this image from video, Rep. Jeff Van Drew, R-N.J., speaks as the House debates the objection to confirm the Electoral College vote from Pennsylvania on Jan. 7, 2021.

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Posted Apr 06, 2021

By Larry Higgs | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

Gov. Phil Murphy is shown the controls of NJ Transit's newest locomotive Tuesday morning, April 6, 2021, at Newark Penn Station, which was just delivered from Germany. 

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JON HURDLE, CONTRIBUTING WRITER | APRIL 7, 2021 

NJ Spotlight News

Replacing lead service lines in Newark

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New Jersey has an increased chance of replacing lead service lines carrying water to homes, schools and child care centers because of federal funding in President Joe Biden’s proposed $2 trillion infrastructure package, according to advocates for water industry-renewal.

Although the funding is subject to congressional approval, campaigners for an overhaul of New Jersey’s creaking water infrastructure said the package will likely allow the state to take a significant step toward fixing a problem that has been highlighted by a drinking water crisis in Newark, as well as that in Flint, Michigan.

Newark’s success in replacing more than 18,000 of its lead service lines over the last two years, at no cost to homeowners, has become a template for fixing the problem effectively and efficiently. But it has not been clear how to replicate the Newark project statewide, given the estimated $2.3 billion cost of replacing the estimated 350,000 lines that remain, said Chris Sturm, managing director for policy and water at New Jersey Future, a nonprofit that promotes “smart growth” policies. New Jersey Future estimates it costs $6,600 to replace each service line.

JOHN REITMEYER, BUDGET/FINANCE WRITER | APRIL 6, 2021 

NJ Spotlight News

Despite the ongoing pandemic, New Jersey will close out its fiscal year in a few months with even more revenue than Gov. Phil Murphy’s administration has recently forecast, according to new estimates from the nonpartisan Office of Legislative Services obtained by NJ Spotlight News.

These latest estimates add nearly $430 million to the total revenue the Murphy administration projected in its most recent forecast for the 2021 fiscal year, which closes at the end of June.

The new revenue estimates are due to be reviewed by lawmakers for the first time Tuesday, and they’re just the latest to reflect an ever-brightening fiscal outlook for the state in the face of the health crisis.

Posted Apr 04, 2021

By Kevin J. O’Toole

Kevin J. O’Toole, chairman of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey says these past 12 months have been difficult. "There is so much hate."

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When my children were born a generation ago, I envisioned they would grow up in a better world than I had. It is a universal hope of parents that the societal failures of the past will be corrected before their children experience discrimination and potentially, hate-fueled violence. Sadly, my children have not inherited such a world.

This month, in Atlanta, eight individuals were murdered, including six Asian American women. While the motive for the most recent mass shooting in America is still unclear, there is no ambiguity that six of the victims were Asian American. Nor is there any ambiguity that crimes against Asian Americans and members of the Pacific Islander community are on the rise.

If COVID-19 was not enough of an insidious disease spreading literally from mouth to mouth, we have racial hatred spreading in the same way. These past 12 months have been difficult.

COLLEEN O'DEA, SENIOR WRITER | APRIL 5, 2021 

NJ Spotlight News

New Jersey State House

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The deadline for filing to run in New Jersey’s June 8 primary elections is today. While the governor’s race will be the big political news later this year, an unusually high number of legislative openings means intraparty primary battles for Senate and Assembly seats, with the possibility of the biggest shake-up among legislative members in recent years.

While the governor’s race tops the ballot, there is not likely to be a serious challenge to either party’s frontrunners, Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy and Republican Jack Ciattarelli, a former state assemblyman.

There’s much more action among legislative races. Four seats in the Senate are open; a fifth vacancy that arose when longtime Republican Gerald Cardinale died earlier this year was filled last month by former Assemblywoman Holly Schepisi. Nine seats are open in the Assembly, including five vacancies caused by members who are seeking Senate seats. At least three more Assembly members are at serious risk of losing their seats after failing to win party backing.

Montana Samuels, Patch Staff

Posted Thu, Apr 1, 2021 

Patch.com

As some New Jersey colleges celebrate an expected return to normalcy this fall, others plan for the new semester with cautious optimism.

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Posted Apr 01, 2021

By Samantha Marcus | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

Gov. Phil Murphy on Thursday signed a bill providing $25 million to small businesses slammed by the pandemic.

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