A bill introduced by the New Jersey state Senate and Assembly would allow 16- and 17-year-olds to vote in local school board elections. If the bill becomes law, New Jersey could become the first state in the United States to implement such a rule. The bill has already received support from the governor. The purpose of the new legislation is to give teenagers more voice in deciding who can enter the school board that directly affects them.
The new bill is based on an ordinance approved by the Newark City Council in January, allowing 16-year-old residents to vote in school board elections, potentially starting in 2025. The ordinance was drafted by Micauri Vargas, deputy consultant of the NJ Institute for Social Justice, following a request from young people in Newark to change the local election rules to involve them. Vargas believes that starting voting at a young age makes it more likely for individuals to become lifelong voters, as many young people are currently disengaged from elections.
Monmouth County is currently investigating possible voter registration irregularities in Allenhurst. The investigation aims to determine if non-local residents are using their summer home addresses for voter registration. According to the New Jersey Globe, the number of registered voters in the city increased significantly last year to 597 people, surpassing the 472 people recorded in the 2020 census for the city. The investigation was prompted by the discovery of several vehicles with New York license plates during Tuesday’s election, raising suspicions. Many voters were asked to provide proof of residency and were placed on a list of questionable registrations.
The city, which is predominantly Republican, has shown strong support for Republican candidates in past elections. In 2020, over 53% of voters supported Trump, almost 61% in 2016, and over 60% supported Romney in 2012. The Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office confirmed that they are investigating allegations of improper voter registration and/or voting in previous elections. While details are still undisclosed, the office emphasizes the seriousness of ensuring fair elections.
Last Thursday, New Jersey Senator Bob Menendez revealed during his ongoing bribery trial that his wife is battling breast cancer and needs a mastectomy. After numerous media inquiries, he decided to disclose his wife’s health crisis as per her request. Menendez’s wife’s lawyer had previously requested a trial delay after she was diagnosed with a severe illness. The trial has been postponed at least until July.
In a raid in June 2022, FBI agents found gold bars and over $400,000 in cash in the Menendez residence, along with 52 items including phones and jewelry. Subsequently, Menendez, his wife, and three other businessmen were charged. Menendez maintains his innocence to charges of bribery, fraud, extortion, obstruction of justice, and acting as an Egyptian foreign agent. His wife also denies the charges. One businessman has pleaded guilty and will testify against others. The trial is expected to last for two months. Menendez has held public office since 1986, serving as a state legislator and a U.S. congressman for 14 years.
New Jersey is using federal funds amounting to millions of dollars to upgrade its unemployment insurance processing system, reducing wait times for users. The new system is designed to be more streamlined and user-friendly, accessible on any mobile device, not just limited to desktop computers. Users can also save application drafts for future completion. Since testing the new system, there has been a 10% reduction in identity verification issues, with 75% of unemployment claimants able to self-solve issues through the website and cloud call center options.
The push for system upgrades stems from a surge in unemployment rates during the COVID-19 pandemic. In just one week in March 2020, nearly 156,000 New Jersey residents filed for unemployment benefits for the first time, a sixteen-fold increase from the previous week. Nationwide, almost 3.3 million people submitted initial claims for unemployment relief. The previous highest recorded number was only 695,000. At the onset of the outbreak, unemployment insurance computer systems in 27 states crashed. The new system’s website is myunemployment.nj.gov.
Two bear attacks have occurred in northern New Jersey, resulting in the death of a pet dog and another being injured, prompting authorities to warn residents to remain vigilant. According to the Sparta Police Department, on May 9th, a Sparta resident was walking his pet dog on Graphic Blvd when the dog chased after a bear upon spotting it. The bear then struck the dog causing injuries. On May 13th, not far from the previous attack, another incident occurred at a residence on Mountain Spring Dr. where two bears, a cub and its mother, appeared in the yard. A small mixed-breed dog from the resident’s home chased one of the bears, leading to the bear fatally striking and killing the dog.