New Jersey
Dozens of new lawmakers sworn in as a new legislative session starts – New Jersey Monitor
A fresh-faced state Legislature was sworn in Tuesday, marking the start of a new two-year session that will continue to be shaped by the Democratic majority in both chambers.
More than a quarter of the lawmakers are new to the Statehouse, and six members moved from the Assembly to the state Senate. Democrats retain a 25-15 majority in the Senate and now hold a 52-28 majority in the Assembly, up from 46-34 in the last session.
Senate President Nicholas Scutari swore in all 40 senators Tuesday in Trenton.
“It’s sad to see some legendary figures leave, but I think we’re going to do an outstanding job,” he said. “It’ll probably be easier to manage because we’ll have more people here that I can reliably know are going to be in the chamber.”
The Senate’s 10 new members bring an exciting “new energy in the chamber,” Scutari said.
Down the block at the War Memorial, Assembly leaders swore in 79 members, welcoming 27 first-term members.
Assemblyman James Kennedy (D-Union) missed the ceremony because he collapsed shortly before it started, prompting a bipartisan medical response. Democratic Assemblyman Herb Conaway Jr., a physician, and Republican Assemblywoman Nancy Munoz, a nurse, hurried to his aid. Officials halted the event, dropped the stage’s red curtain, and then resumed 10 minutes later with Kennedy missing from the proceedings.
Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin (D-Middlesex) later told the audience Kennedy had a minor medical emergency but would recover and asked for prayers. Kennedy never returned to the stage; Rhonda Schaffler, a spokeswoman for Assembly Democrats, said only that “a member required medical attention, and we are respecting the member’s privacy at this time.”
New boss, same as the old boss
The Legislature’s top leadership remained as-is, with Scutari (D-Union) leading the upper chamber and Sen. Tony Bucco (R-Morris) leading the Republican caucus. In the Assembly, Coughlin will serve a fourth term at the helm of that chamber, becoming the longest-serving Assembly speaker in state history. Assemblyman John DiMaio (R-Warren) will continue as the leader of the Republican minority, as he has since 2022.
Gov. Murphy urges action on affordable housing, medical debt relief in annual address
Republicans remain the minority in both houses after Democrats made gains in the November election. Bucco said he doesn’t see the shrinking minority as an obstacle, stressing the importance of bipartisanship to pass worthwhile policy.
Coughlin applauded the diversity of the newcomers, who will enter a Legislature whose demographics skew white, male, and older. There is one fewer Black lawmaker and two fewer women than in the previous session.
Affordability, education, and other priorities
Scutari touted the work the Senate achieved under his leadership — lowering prescription drug costs, establishing the child tax credit, rebate checks for homeowners and renters, and investing in school construction. He also suggested he’d be open to extending the corporate business tax surcharge to fund NJ Transit, prompting applause from some in the audience. The surcharge expired in December.
But issues relating to affordability is “our number one, our number two, and our number three priorities,” Scutari added. It was a sentiment echoed in speeches from both parties and both chambers throughout the day.
“We have a workforce shortage in our state, and we have the best public education system in the country. But the brain drain continues because young talent — both homegrown and out of state — simply cannot afford to live here,” Assemblyman Louis Greenwald (D-Camden) told the crowd packed into the War Memorial.
Sen. Teresa Ruiz (D-Essex), elected again as the chamber’s majority leader, shouted out the children who attended Tuesday’s ceremony with their parents.
“Today in this chamber, I heard the most beautiful noises ever — children crying, making noises, clapping. And that’s what it’s all about. We’re here to serve,” she said.
Sen. Britnee Timberlake, an Essex County Democrat moving up from the Assembly, was sworn in with two of her kids in her arms.
“I’m a mommy first,” she quipped as members of the Legislature clapped.
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JAMESBURG, New Jersey (WABC) — When it comes to home deliveries, having your order stolen right off your doorstep can be infuriating, so one New Jersey man did it right.
Peter Tsistinas had his brand-new cell phone delivered to a so-called safe pickup site, designated by the seller, where it was stolen.
Delivery services can drop off your item at any number of safe locations, where you can later pick up your order. But as exclusive video obtained by 7 On Your Side shows, porch pirates are upping their game.
Captured on a security camera, a man calmly walks into the CVS store, asks for a delivery, shows an ID, signs for it, and walks off with a brand-new iPhone. There’s just one problem.
“They saw somebody that was not me getting my package,” said Tsistinas when asked what the police were seeing on the tape.
The real Peter, a popular DJ for hire, was dumbfounded. He chose the safe drop to avoid being porch pirated, but the thief still got the goods.
“Yeah, I actually paid extra for it. It wasn’t much. It was $7.99,” Tsistinas said.
Tsistinas got a notification from UPS that the phone was dropped off at 12:39 p.m., less than two hours later, he got a notice it was picked up.
But Tsistinas didn’t pick it up. It was the unknown suspect who went into the CVS, walking off with the brand-new iPhone for Peter’s son.
Tsistinas reported the crime to the police and alerted UPS, CVS and T-Mobile, which shipped the smartphone. The response to the DJ was what he called, “crickets.”
“I was watching, you know ABC News, and I saw 7 On Your Side and I’m like, ‘you know, you’re the first thing I thought of,’” Tsistinas said
7 On Your Side reached out to both CVS and the cell phone provider.
Within a week, T-Mobile responded, saying, “Our care team is working with Mr. Tsistinas directly to get him the device he ordered from us, and we’re working closely with CVS and our other partners to further protect our customers’ orders from theft. Our dedicated fraud, crime and logistics teams collaborate with vendors to address these issues and improve delivery processes.”
CVS also sent 7 On Your Side an official statement, saying, “We’ve connected with the customer and apologized for his experience. T-Mobile is now working directly with Mr. Tsistinas to help resolve the matter. Anyone picking up a UPS package at CVS Pharmacy must present identification matching the person and name on the package to be released. We’re working with the store team to help prevent similar situations from occurring in the future.”
After weeks of back and forth with the companies, Tsistinas could finally focus on his beats again.
“I paid almost $500 in deposit, and then it was going to be like so much per month. So, they just squashed all that,” Tsistinas said.
Referencing the Rolling Stones, he says he not only got his satisfaction, but also his money back.
“Nina, you’re the best!” Peter said.
Police are still looking for the suspect in the video and say he’s part of a crime ring. If you recognize him, call Jamesburg police in New Jersey.
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A police investigation took place at a Walmart in Cherry Hill, New Jersey on Wednesday morning and shoppers may have noticed an increased presence of officers at the shopping center, officials said.
On social media, the Cherry Hill Police Department alerted residents that an investigation was underway in a Walmart, located along Route 38 in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, at about 9 a.m. on Wednesday.
However, officials did not immediately detail the cause of this increased police presence, other than saying an investigation was underway and “the scene has been secured.”
Police were asking people to avoid the area, if possible, to allow officers the ability to complete this investigation.
However, as of about 10 a.m., police said on social media that the incident was resolved and there was no threat to the public.
OFFICIAL UPDATE: INCIDENT RESOLVED
The police activity at Walmart (500 Route 38) has been resolved without incident. There is no threat to the public.
Thank you to residents and motorists for their patience and cooperation while officers worked in the area. #CherryHillPD pic.twitter.com/668By2Ttht
— Cherry Hill Police Department (@CherryHillPD) July 8, 2026
As of about 10:15 a.m., police had not provided further information on the nature of this investigation, nor did they say if anyone was arrested through the course of this incident.
NBC10 is working to learn more.
This is a breaking news story. It will be updated as new information becomes available.
WILDWOOD, N.J. (WPVI) — Multiple people were rescued from the ocean off Wildwood, New Jersey, over the weekend, and the rescue was caught on video.
It all happened around 7:45 p.m. Sunday on the beach near Schellenger Avenue.
In total, officials say nine people were saved.
The Wildwood Beach Patrol, which was among the responding agencies, posted video of the rescue on Facebook.
A woman who witnessed it all said she was struck by the act of bravery she witnessed.
“What I just experienced was just the most beautiful thing ever. These people just came out of nowhere – I’m talking about like Baywatch – out of nowhere, come out there and save those people in that water. It was so beautiful,” she said.
Officials are reminding beachgoers to only swim when lifeguards are present.
Copyright © 2026 WPVI-TV. All Rights Reserved.
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