Senator Jim Holzapfel and Assemblymen Greg McGuckin and John Catalano are demanding that any money given to Orsted be returned and reinvested in education after the foreign wind developer announced they were cancelling their offshore wind projects in New Jersey. (SenateNJ.com)

“Our delegation in the Tenth District warned that Governor Murphy’s misplaced energy priorities were rushed and ill-conceived. We argued that real issues like school funding needed to be addressed before blindly handing out subsidies to a foreign entity with glaring financial problems,” said Sen. Holzapfel. “Schools in areas like Toms River and Brick have experienced critical funding cuts over the last few years. The $100 million guarantee from Orsted would be better spent making our New Jersey schools whole again.”

Orsted reportedly put up a $100 million escrow on October 4 to build New Jersey’s first offshore wind farm. If the project was not operational by December 2025, however, Orsted would lose the money.

“Republicans in the Legislature recognized the critical flaws of Orsted’s financial position and argued for an offshore wind moratorium to protect taxpayers and shift the focus back to real issues like education funding. Democrats insisted on pushing through Governor Murphy’s failed energy master plan, ” said Asm. McGuckin. “Governor Murphy should confirm immediately that his administration received Orsted’s escrow payment before they pulled the plug. He should drop his extreme energy obsessions and commit to using that money to fully fund New Jersey schools.”

Governor Murphy, along with several Democrat governors knew that the offshore wind projects were in jeopardy months ago as they begged the Biden administration for more federal subsidies to keep the projects alive. Orsted had threatened to delay, or even walk away from the offshore wind project during the summer due to complications with inflation and supply chain issues. Republicans warned that this project would inevitably fail.

“Orsted and Governor Murphy have wasted time, money, and resources. All of which could have been put to better use had Democrats worked with Republicans to provide funding for schools instead of kowtowing to Governor Murphy’s failed progressive agenda,” said Asm. Catalano. “Now is the time for real leadership in New Jersey. The $100 million should be used to address the school funding cuts that Democrats ignored while blindly supporting subsidies for Orsted.”

District 10 Legislators issued the following joint statement after Gov. Murphy announced that he was vetoing the New Jersey Turnpike Authority’s proposed toll increases. (SenateNJ.com)

“While we support Governor Murphy vetoing unnecessary toll increases the timing of his decision could not be more political. In fact, Governor Murphy did nothing to stop the last three toll increases. New Jerseyans need certainty that this veto isn’t a ploy to delay toll increases until after the election when it is politically convenient for Democrats. We are calling on Governor Murphy to make a commitment to New Jerseyans that tolls will not be increased in the coming year. Republicans will continue standing up for New Jersey families and fighting for legislation that will lower the cost of tolls for commuters.”

Governor Murphy tweeted that he was vetoing the NJTA budget that was approved earlier this week and stated that he needed “more information for why the board is taking this step.”

Senator Holzapfel sponsored S-376 to lower the cost of New Jersey’s tolls and freeze automatic toll increases for a period of three years.

Legislators from the 10th District blasted the Murphy administration after the New Jersey Turnpike Authority approved a $2.6 billion budget that calls for a 3% toll tax increase. (SenateNJ.com)

“Governor Murphy often proclaims that he is a progressive who only taxes the rich, but he’s slamming blue collar workers with regressive toll increases year after year,” said Sen. Holzapfel. “New Jerseyans who use these roads to get to and from work are having more of their hard-earned money stripped away by these unnecessary tax increases. This is all the more reason for the Legislature to pass my bill to reduce the cost of tolls in New Jersey.”

Senator Holzapfel introduced a bipartisan bill, S-376, to reduce the cost of tolls and prohibit the New Jersey Turnpike Authority from implementing automatic toll increases and increasing tolls for three years.

“It is utterly absurd that Governor Murphy remains silent when low- and middle-income families are being decimated by regressive tax increases,” said Asm. McGuckin. “This toll increase is just another tax piled onto the backs of New Jerseyans. If Governor Murphy cares about addressing the affordability crisis unfolding here in New Jersey he can start by putting an end to this ridiculous tax increase.”

The New Jersey Turnpike Authority has increased the price of tolls four times since 2020, costing New Jerseyan’s billions of dollars in the process. The average commuter traveling on the turnpike could spend over an extra thousand dollars a year just to cover the cost of the increased tolls.

“For working families who are already struggling with New Jersey’s affordability crisis, toll increases would only add to the incredible tax burden impacting New Jerseyans,” said Asm. Catalano. “If Democrats in Trenton had worked with Republicans we could have lowered taxes in New Jersey and prevented these regressive toll increases from ever occurring. Governor Murphy should veto this unnecessary increase and work with Republicans to lower the cost of tolls statewide.”

Legislators from District 10 announced their support for a GOP resolution to stand with Israel. (SenateNJ.com)

“The horrific slaughtering of innocent civilians is a detestable act of extremism that must be condemned fully,” said Sen. Holzapfel. “Our united and steadfast commitment to Israel is paramount in the face of this violent extremism.”

Senate Republicans announced their intention to introduce a resolution that shows support for Israel in the wake of terrorist attacks launched by Hamas. Assembly Republicans intend to introduce an identical bill.

“It was incredibly disturbing to see the unjustified and barbaric attack of our ally Israel. We stand in solidarity with New Jerseyans who have loved ones in Israel and fully support Israel’s efforts to defend their country,” said Asm. McGuckin. “The Assembly and Senate GOP resolutions are a testament to our unwavering commitment to stand with our Jewish communities during this difficult time. We strongly condemn the unprovoked attack against Israeli sovereignty and the violent atrocities committed by Hamas terrorists.”

The White House announced on Thursday that the State Department would be arranging flights out of Israel for Americans to predetermined locations in Europe starting today.

“When innocent men and women lose their lives at the hands of savages like Hamas terrorists, it demands action from legislators to condemn those horrible acts of violence. My heart aches for the families who are impacted by this tragedy. I pray that those who wish to leave can evacuate safely back to the United States,” said Asm. Catalano. “The Assembly and Senate GOP resolutions condemning this violent extremism affirms our wholehearted support of Israel and the Jewish People. The Legislature has a responsibility to stand united in the face of evil. We should all return to Trenton to pass this important resolution.”

Sen. Jim Holzapfel, Asm. Greg McGuckin, and Asm. John Catalano are calling for an emergency session and independent committee hearings after a damning report was released by the DOJ detailing the tragic consequences of the Murphy Administration’s COVID-19 policies for veterans homes. (©iStock)

“Since the early days of the pandemic, we—along with every other rational person—warned that forcing COVID positive patients back into nursing homes would be an absolute catastrophe,” said Senator Holzapfel. “Unfortunately, the Murphy Administration didn’t listen to us, or any Republicans for that matter, and instead followed the terrible advice of democrat officials in New York. The report by the Department of Justice is devastating and the Murphy Administration must be held accountable for the appalling treatment of our nation’s heroes.”

The 43-page report, released on September 7, revealed failures at the New Jersey Veterans Memorial Homes at Menlo Park and Paramus throughout the pandemic. The DOJ even accused the state of “unreasonable harm and risk due to inadequate infection control practices and inadequate medical care, in violation of the U.S. Constitution.”

“The lack of accountability from the Murphy Administration is on a whole other level,” added Assemblyman McGuckin. “Governor Murphy, and Governor Murphy alone, is responsible for the disastrous policies he approved, despite countless objections from Republicans and many health officials. We must have an independent, bipartisan hearing to make sure this never happens again.”

More than 200 residents of the homes died during the pandemic. In 2021, New Jersey paid $53 million to settle a lawsuit by families who believed gross negligence led to the deaths.

“During the pandemic, Republicans repeatedly called for investigations,” said Assemblyman Catalano. “The fact of the matter is, the Legislature could have done something to protect our veterans but democrats refused to investigate the issue. The report by the Justice Department has revealed the truth and those who are responsible must be held accountable.”

Sen. Jim Holzapfel, Asm. Greg McGuckin, and Asm. John Catalano blasted the Biden Administration for offering Atlantic City Airport as a possible place to house migrants. (SenateNJ.com)

“The Biden Administration’s disastrous immigration policies have led to an influx of illegal immigrants that have overrun New York and many other sanctuary cities. And now, the Biden Administration and NYC Mayor Eric Adams are attempting to force New Jersey to clean up their humanitarian crisis. As far as we are concerned, this is not New Jersey’s problem. These are the consequences of failed border policies enacted by the Biden Administration and the people of New Jersey should not have to clean up their mess.

“For years we have warned about the disastrous consequences of open borders and sanctuary cities. Such policies not only jeopardize the safety of millions of our residents, but they exacerbate existing hardships for legal citizens who will see their hard-earned taxpayer dollars siphoned off to pay for government entitlements that people in this country illegally should not be receiving in the first place.

“In fact, it’s not just the policies of the Biden Administration that are to blame—New Jersey has enough of its own problems to deal with. Since Governor Murphy first took office in 2018, he’s funded expensive cash payments and free health care for illegals while cutting state aid to schools, jacking up health care costs for teachers and first responders, and driving up property taxes. Unfortunately, there’s no sanctuary for New Jersey taxpayers in Governor Murphy’s sanctuary state.

“New Jersey cannot afford any more failed Democrat policies. We call on Governor Murphy to reject President Biden’s proposal and prevent New York’s problem from being left at our doorstep.”

Senator Jim Holzapfel and Assemblymen Greg McGuckin, and John Catalano continue to pledge their support of Save Barnegat Bay and Toms River Township by opposing the DEP’s settlement with the current owners of the Ciba-Geigy superfund site, BASF. (©iStock)

The settlement which was announced this week by the state Department of Environmental Protection with the BASF chemical company has been a primary source of stress, concern, and health problems for residents. Toxic waste from the site contaminated groundwater resulting in a cancer cluster among children.

“For decades the residents of Toms River have endured the nightmare surrounding the Ciba site and they demand justice and compensation for the toxic waste that leached into the groundwater,” stated Senator Holzapfel.

“It’s a slap in the face to give a $500,000 fine to this company after all the damage and fear caused by the acts of their predecessor,” continued Holzapfel. “The fear gripped the community for decades. Numerous pieces of legislation had to be passed to help strengthen the water system and remediate the area.”

BASF Corp. became the owner of the property more than a dozen years ago when they acquired the Ciba Holding AG. BASF has agreed to preserve 1,000 acres of land to protect the groundwater resources and implement nine restoration projects on 375 acres of preserved land. In addition, BASF must also pay $500,000 to help the state oversee the costs of the plan.

“The environmental impacts of decades of dumping toxic waste just doesn’t stop at the groundwater within the superfund site. It extends way beyond to include our rivers, the bay and ocean,” continued Assemblyman McGuckin. “This settlement doesn’t go far enough to address the full scope of the issue and the residents of Toms River deserve better than this.”

The nonprofit organization, Save Barnegat Bay has hired a legal team specializing in natural resource cases where this issue will likely head to the courts.

“The settlement between the DEP and BASF is unacceptable and was crafted without any input from local elected officials or families who have lived in fear of the water in their taps and under their feet,” added Assemblyman Catalano.

“Think of all the families and children that suffered because of their negligence, and this is the agreement they come to? It’s not enough and quite frankly, it may never be,” Assemblyman Catalano continued. “We will continue to stand by the residents of Toms River and join Save Barnegat Bay and the Mayor and Council in the fight for more accountability.”

Senator Jim Holzapfel and Assemblymen Greg McGuckin and John Catalano announced that they intend to introduce legislation that will defend parental rights in response to the Murphy administration’s recent lawsuit targeting school districts to stop parental notification on matters involving their children.

District 10 lawmakers announced that they intend to introduce legislation that will defend parental rights. (Pixabay)

“It is abundantly clear that Governor Murphy and our activist attorney general are going after schools who do not support their radical identity politics. Not only is this misguided, but it is also utterly absurd that they are actively trying to take away parental rights,” said Sen. Holzapfel. “The Murphy administration needs to step aside and stop trying to keep parents in the dark about their own children. Legislators should return to Trenton to vote on our proposed legislation to restore parental rights and prevent the government from getting in between parents and their right to know about their children.”

Attorney General Matt Platkin filed a lawsuit against three New Jersey school boards alleging that their parental notification policies were a violation of the law and student’s civil rights. Judge Bauman, who is overseeing the case, ruled in favor of an injunction against the schools on Friday evening to put a temporary hold on the schools from implementing their policies.

“Parents are having their rights decimated by Governor Murphy and his radical education policies. The lawsuits filed by Attorney General Platkin will only drive a larger wedge between parents, their children, and the schools that they attend,” said Asm. McGuckin. “Our legislation ensures that parents are informed about their children’s education, and we believe that it is imperative that the Legislature reconvene in Trenton to vote on this important issue. Parents are the number one stakeholder in a child’s education, not the government.”

Senator Holzapfel and Assemblymen McGuckin and Catalano are calling on the Legislature to return to Trenton for a special voting session to rein in Governor Murphy and his administration’s radical education policies.

The pending legislation sponsored by the District 10 lawmakers would require schools to disclose certain student records and information to their parent or legal guardian, the adult student, or emancipated minor. Some of the information contained in a student record as defined under the bill include name, date of birth, address, sex and gender, grades, status of mental and physical health, and more.

According to an exchange between Judge Bauman and the attorney’s representing the State, the AG believes that a school should be forbidden from telling a parent if their child is transgender, even for students as young as 5 years old.

“Instead of policing schools about how they can communicate with parents, the attorney general should focus on policing our streets and keeping us safe from actual criminals,” said Asm. Catalano. “Telling parents that they have no right to know what’s going on with their children at school is an obstruction of their parental responsibilities. Parents need to be informed to make appropriate decisions for their families. Our bill will make sure that parents are informed.”

District 10 lawmakers warned that Gov. Murphy’s extreme energy policies will drive up energy costs for utility payers and make the state more unaffordable for low- and middle-income families. (SenateNJ.com)

“Governor Murphy’s extreme energy plan is a complete upheaval of our energy portfolio in favor of expensive offshore wind that will raise costs for utility payers in the Garden State. Sadly, Governor Murphy has shown no interest in working across the aisle to diversify our energy portfolio in a way that benefits not only the environment, but taxpayers too,” said Sen. Holzapfel. “In fact, Governor Murphy and Trenton Democrats wasted $1 billion to bail out Orsted for the sake of keeping their misplaced energy priorities alive instead of giving that money back to utility customers. The Garden State needs safe, reliable, and affordable energy options that reduce costs rather than raise them.”

At the expense of New Jersey taxpayers, Governor Murphy approved a $1 billion bailout for Orsted, a Danish energy company that is owned by the Danish government, for the purpose of developing costly wind turbines off the coast of the Garden State. Rhode Island had similar complications with Orsted over development costs, but opted to walk away from the deal as the proposed project was not in the best interest of their taxpayers.

“While Governor Murphy sits atop his ivory tower picking winners and losers to advance his extreme energy master plan he is ignoring the reality of low- and middle-income families. Taxpayers simply cannot afford the estimated $1.4 trillion price tag associated with electrifying their homes and businesses by replacing their natural gas stoves, furnaces, and hot water heaters,” said Asm. McGuckin. “The reality of Governor Murphy’s proposed ban on natural gas is that it would lead to higher costs and fewer options at the expense of homeowners and businesses. Governor Murphy shouldn’t dictate how New Jerseyans heat their homes or cook their food.”

The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (BPU) will consider a proposal on Wednesday that could lead to affordable natural gas being phased out in New Jersey. The building decarbonization plan could force millions of homeowners to fully electrify their homes and replace their natural gas appliances and mechanical systems.

Governor Murphy also announced the filing of a rule that would force car manufacturers to only sell electric vehicles (EVs) in the state by 2035. Although EVs will be the only cars allowed to be sold by manufacturers, Governor Murphy said that consumers are not “obligated” to purchase EVs.

“The hypocrisy of the Murphy administration has shown no limits as he tries to force electric vehicles down the throats of consumers after using taxpayer dollars to purchase an expensive fleet of gas-powered SUVs earlier in the year. Why didn’t he lead by example and purchase a fleet of EVs if the environment is truly his number one concern?” Asm. Catalano asked. “Governor Murphy has shown that the rules simply do not apply to him, his administration, or other top Democrat officials in New Jersey. It’s beyond ridiculous to tell consumers they are under no ‘obligation’ to buy EVs after he’s taken away every other choice.”

District 10 lawmakers issued a stern warning about public safety after Democrats passed legislation that will help violent criminals evade prison time. (Flickr)

“Trenton Democrats just passed soft-on-crime legislation that violent offenders and sexual predators will be able to exploit to evade prosecution and jail time,” said Sen. Holzapfel. “Individual prosecutors will have the authority to divert almost any offender into a Mental Health Diversion Program prior to prosecution without the input of a judge. There would be no jail time, even for violent crimes, and the offender’s record would automatically be eligible for expungement. This legislation will put public safety at risk and significantly weaken the justice system for victims of crimes.”

The legislation, S-524, creates a Mental Health Diversion program that could be used to prevent prosecution of violent crimes, Megan’s Law offenses, arson, and more.

Senate Republicans have warned that disorders as common as depression would qualify an offender for the diversion program. A child sexual predator charged with a Megan’s Law offense, for example, could hire a social worker to say they suffered depression at the time of the crime and avoid prosecution and jail time. Upon completion of the program, they would be treated to a graduation ceremony and have their criminal record eligible for expungement.

“It is utterly incomprehensible that we would allow violent offenders and sexual predators off the hook just because a hired social worker diagnosed them with depression,” said Asm. McGuckin. “Diversion might be okay for low-level, non-violent crimes, but the bill as currently written is absolutely insane. Governor Murphy needs to send it back to the Legislature so we can work on a bipartisan solution that respects victims and enhances public safety.”

Governor Murphy also increased the justice system’s burden on New Jersey taxpayers by signing S-3771, which repealed the law concerning payment for services provided by the Office of Public Defenders.

Under the new law, public defenders are required to provide representation to defendants free of charge. Additionally, any outstanding costs previously assessed for services will be cleared.

“Everyone has the constitutional right to representation when they appear as a defendant in court. This should not preclude public defenders from obtaining a reasonable fee for their services from the individuals that they are representing,” said Asm. Catalano. “By eliminating public defenders fees, the government is making taxpayers bear the full burden of legal representation for people accused of breaking the laws of society. Financial assistance programs were already in place to help defendants cover their legal charges prior to this legislation becoming law. This is another example of Democrats finding a solution for a problem that doesn’t exist.”

District 10 lawmakers criticized Gov. Murphy and Trenton Democrats for their lack of transparency and accountability during the final days of their fiscal year 2024 budget negotiations. (©iStock)

“Looking back at last week, the $54.3 billion budget that was rammed down our throats lacked both transparency and accountability to the taxpayers of this state. Democrats provided no explanation for the more than one billion dollars of pork that was added to the budget at the last minute,” said Sen. Holzapfel. “It is unconscionable that Democrats inappropriately rushed the process, shut down public testimony, and forced our Republican colleagues on the budget committee to vote using inaccurate scoresheets for a bill that didn’t exist at the time when votes were cast. Democrats in Trenton may not value accuracy, but the taxpayers of New Jersey deserve transparency, honesty, and the ability to speak on how their tax dollars are being spent.”

Governor Murphy signed a record $54.3 billion budget into law for the 2024 fiscal year after Democrats nearly caused a government shut down over hundreds of unexplained last-minute changes to the budget bill. Some of the funding that was not explained during the budget process included $24 million in new funding for a French Arts Museum. Republicans criticized this new funding, citing that the museum currently has $28 million sitting in a state account that will carry over into 2024.

This money represents unspent funds from previous budget appropriations that were made in 2021 for $24 million and earlier in 2023 for $10 million.

“It is entirely unacceptable that Democrats bring us down to the wire year after year only to pass flawed budgets with no explanation of how tax dollars are being spent. Spending an additional $24 million dollars for a French Arts Museum that already has $28 million is an egregious abuse of taxpayer dollars when you have schools that are underfunded throughout the state,” said Asm. McGuckin. “No one had an opportunity to review this budget in committee, but Democrats rushed it through to avoid having to explain more $1 billion of pork that was added at the last minute. There was no transparency during this budget process and zero accountability from the Democrats to the taxpayers of New Jersey.”

In addition to the chaos surrounding the budget process, Democrats delayed StayNJ property tax relief plan until 2026.

“In an attempt to divert attention from their trainwreck of budget follies, Democrats promised an idea of property tax cuts for seniors with no guarantee that they will ever see a penny of relief. Democrats pushed the delivery of StayNJ property tax relief until 2026, and blocked Republican amendments that would have started the tax relief program immediately,” said Asm. Catalano. “This budget is nothing but smoke and mirrors. People weren’t told what was in the budget when it passed without an actual bill being available, and what they were promised under StayNJ may never materialize. This is not good for our state and does not represent good governance.”

In an effort to address the concerns with the reselling of tickets by prohibiting tentative ticket sales also known as “speculative ticketing,” District 10 Lawmakers have introduced a bill aimed at stopping this deceptive trade practice. (Pixabay)

“Speculative ticketing has duped consumers for years and puts a strain on both verified ticket sellers and the venue,” said Senator Holzapfel. “Before a seller like Ticketmaster has even put tickets on sale for a concert or sporting event, websites claiming to have seats available allow consumers to purchase tickets that may not even exist.”

“This bill is an attempt to improve the buying experience for ordinary customers so they can purchase guaranteed tickets at a fair price,” continued Holzapfel.

Following the sale of tickets for concerts like Taylor Swift, millions of fans were not able to buy tickets through Ticketmaster, forcing customers to search for tickets on resale websites. By not purchasing tickets from a reliable source, this caused fans to buy tickets at astronomical prices and sometimes people did not even receive a valid ticket.

“Event ticket resellers are selling tickets they don’t even have and they’re hoping that when the actual on-sale date arrives, they can use bots to secure the tickets and fulfill the order,” stated Assemblyman McGuckin. “There have been plenty of instances when fans end up with worse tickets than they were promised or no tickets at all.”

Specifically, the bill removes provisions of current law that allow for the sale of tickets not in the reseller’s possession under certain circumstances.  The bill prohibits resellers from employing tentative ticket policies, whereby the reseller sells tickets that are not in the reseller’s possession at the time of sale.

After hearing lengthy testimony in the Assembly Commerce and Economic Development Committee and as a member of the Assembly Consumer Affairs Committee, Assemblyman Catalano believes that this bill will make ticket buying more transparent and fair.

“It’s important that this bill becomes law to ensure that consumers are purchasing from a reputable source, have access to all the appropriate information when buying, and end up with the tickets they intended to buy,” added Assemblyman Catalano.

In response to the DEP issuing a fine against the Division of Fish & Wildlife, District 10 lawmakers will introduce legislation that will prohibit state agencies from imposing civil penalties on other state agencies or bureaus. (©iStock)

“In light of the conflict that has unfolded between the DEP and one of its own divisions, we must take the extraordinary step of introducing legislation to restore some common sense to New Jersey’s regulatory policies,” Senator Holzapfel said. “No state agency should be able to fine another state agency much less a division of one. New Jersey taxpayers have had enough of these legal loopholes that only serve to expand an already bloated government bureaucracy.”

According to the DEP, its own bureau—the Fish and Wildlife’s Bureau of Land Management—violated state law by illegally clearing protected forest wetlands during a wildlife management project in Glassboro. The Bureau of Land Management was fined $266,000 for “unauthorized” forest clearing.

During the project, which took place in February, 2.79 acres of freshwater wetlands were illegally destroyed, including thousands of trees. The project also cleared an additional 12 acres of protected wetlands transition area.

The legislation sponsored by the District 10 lawmakers would prohibit state agencies from assessing, imposing, or enforcing civil penalties on state agencies, or a division, board, bureau, or office of an agency. There is no such prohibition under current law.

“It’s bizarre that we even have to introduce a bill for what should be common sense,” Assemblyman McGuckin added. “After the DEP issued that fine to itself, no one even knew how it would be paid or where the money would go. It was a complete waste of time and taxpayer resources.”

“The DEP case is a perfect example of something that would only happen in New Jersey,” Assemblyman Catalano said. “Instead of spending weeks trying to figure out how to pay a fine to itself, the obvious thing to do would be to fix the mess that was made by the Bureau of Land Management. Thankfully, this legislation will allow state agencies to better focus on their priorities.”

Sen. Jim Holzapfel and Assemblymen Greg McGuckin and John Catalano are asking how the New Jersey DEP is going to issue a fine to the Division of Fish & Wildlife’s Bureau of Land Management. (Pixabay)

“Setting aside the glaring communication issues between different divisions within the DEP, I would really like to know how the DEP plans on paying a penalty to itself,” Senator Holzapfel said. “Where will this payment even go—the state’s general fund? How is taking away more than a quarter of a million dollars, which should be used for environmental purposes, and handing it over to the Treasury an acceptable solution? Only in New Jersey could this make any sense.”

According to the DEP, its own bureau—the Fish and Wildlife’s Bureau of Land Management—violated state law by illegally clearing protected forest wetlands during a wildlife management project in Glassboro. The Bureau of Land Management was fined $266,000 for “unauthorized” forest clearing.

During the project, which took place in February, 2.79 acres of freshwater wetlands were illegally destroyed, including thousands of trees. The project also cleared an additional 12 acres of protected wetlands transition area.

“Does anyone in the administration see the irony here?” Assemblyman McGuckin asked. “Perhaps the DEP should put that money toward improving communication between its divisions so it doesn’t accidentally bulldoze 15 acres of protected land again.”

“This is a perfect example of something that would only happen in New Jersey,” Assemblyman Catalano added. “Instead of spending weeks trying to figure out how to pay a fine to itself, maybe the DEP should just fix the mess that was made by the Bureau of Land Management.”

Senator Jim Holzapfel, Assemblyman Greg McGuckin, and Assemblyman John Catalano (all R-10) questioned Governor Phil Murphy’s use of pandemic relief funds to develop a “Transgender Information Hub” website while other critical needs that could have been funded have been ignored.

Ocean County lawmakers questioned Gov. Phil Murphy’s use of pandemic relief funds to develop a ‘Transgender Information Hub’ website while other critical needs that could have been funded have been ignored. (Pixabay)

“When we have billions in unspent pandemic relief funds that Governor Murphy has failed to put to effective use, it’s shocking that building a transgender website is where he has chosen to spend American Rescue Plan Act money,” said Holzapfel. “He could have helped struggling businesses, prevented cuts to our schools, or fixed the broken unemployment system, but building a transgender website was his priority. It’s ridiculous.”

The governor announced the launch of Transgender.NJ.gov yesterday, a new “one-stop hub” to help the state’s “transgender and non-binary community in finding information about essential programs and services,” including how to change a name.

The new website was paid for with some of the $6.2 billion of pandemic relief funds New Jersey received through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARP).

“We received more than $6 billion in American Rescue Plan Act funds nearly two years ago, but barely any of the money has been spent,” said McGuckin. “More than $5 billion continues to sit idle in state accounts while our schools are being hit with unnecessary budget cuts and New Jersey businesses continue to be hit with round after round of payroll tax increases to replenish the unemployment fund. Instead of funding those urgent needs with pandemic relief funds, paying for a transgender website was Governor Murphy’s misplaced priority.”

According to Governor Murphy’s press announcement, the website was funded as part of the Resident Experience Initiative. The Resident Experience Program received a $40 million appropriation of ARP funds in the current FY 2023 state budget.

“Governor Murphy had billions of relief funds at his disposal throughout the pandemic, but he did next to nothing when one-third of our small businesses were going out of business,” added Catalano. “He did nothing to keep our unemployment fund solvent without harmful tax increases on small businesses, and he has done nothing to prevent years of unnecessary school funding cuts while our teachers are struggling to get students caught up from the devasting impacts of his shutdowns. The critical needs that Governor Murphy has repeatedly ignored say as much about his priorities as things like the transgender website that he has chosen to fund.”