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Murphy budget plan seeks revived, narrowed business tax to fund NJ Transit – New Jersey Monitor

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Murphy budget plan seeks revived, narrowed business tax to fund NJ Transit – New Jersey Monitor


Gov. Phil Murphy proposed $55.9 billion in spending for the coming fiscal year during his annual budget address, asking lawmakers to approve a structural deficit and a shrinking surplus while reviving and altering a business tax that sunset mere months ago as the state’s revenue enters a post-pandemic sag.

Murphy will ask lawmakers to approve a 2.5% non-marginal tax on all income earned by businesses making more than $10 million in annual net income. The so-called “corporate transit fee” would replace the recently expired corporate business tax surcharge, which added a 2.5% surtax on business profits above $1 million.

“We will raise this revenue without placing any new burdens on small- and medium-sized businesses. In fact, nearly 2,500 companies will see their taxes decrease from last year. And let me take this opportunity to thank, in advance, the big companies which will be stepping up. Many of them have partnered with our administration since day one,” Murphy said.

Progressive groups have for months urged the surcharge’s resuscitation, but business leaders moved to oppose the tax hike before it was even announced, with Tom Bracken, CEO of the state Chamber of Commerce, calling it “a major step backwards.”

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The new tax is expected to generate $818 million in revenue annually, though it’s expected to raise just over $1 billion this year because it will be applied retroactively to the first two quarters of 2024.

Only 600 businesses are expected to pay the new tax, compared to the roughly 3,100 that paid the old surcharge. But those who do will pay more because, unlike the old surcharge, the new tax will be levied on a larger tax base that includes the first $1 million of business profits.

Revenue from the new transit fee would be dedicated by statute to NJ Transit. The money would help the agency meet the roughly $900 million fiscal cliff it faces in the fiscal year that begins in July 2026, but the statutory dedication means the money can be diverted at the whim of a future governor and Legislature.

“As our friends in the press are fond of reminding me, I have said many times that I would fix NJ Transit even if it killed me. Well, I’ve still got a pulse,” Murphy said.

Despite the additional collections, Murphy’s proposed budget would shrink New Jersey’s surplus to just under $6.1 billion, bringing it under a statutory threshold needed to keep the StayNJ property tax relief program up and running. Democrats proposed StayNJ last year as an effort to reduce senior citizens’ tax bills by half.

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Provisions in StayNJ’s enabling legislation require, among other things, the state to keep a surplus equal to at least 12% of its spending to pay out StayNJ awards. Lawmakers can waive those statutory restrictions through budget language or legislation.

But the state’s surplus is likely to be smaller in reality. The administration is pushing for lawmakers to dedicate revenue from the new tax to NJ Transit. Because corporate tax collections lag by months, fee revenue from the fiscal year that begins July 1 is likely to be used to bridge the fiscal cliff NJ Transit faces starting in July 2026. That could bring the state’s surplus down to just under $5.1 billion, though it’s not clear the agency would need all the funds.

Murphy’s proposed budget would see the state spend $1.8 billion more than it takes in through taxes and fees. It would be the second straight year New Jersey has run a structural deficit, draining the surplus to meet spending priorities.

The governor’s proposal maintains a full $7.1 billion pension payment and makes the largest year-over-year increase to state school aid in more than a decade.

Murphy proposed increasing formula aid to schools by just over $900 million, bringing the state’s school funding formula to full funding levels for the first time in its history. He asked legislators to add another $124 million to fund preschool expansion, including a tranche of $20 million set aside to create 1,000 new preschool seats.

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“I promised — from day one — that instead of short-changing our public schools or skimping on our pension payments we would invest in the long-term success of our state. We promised to build a stronger economy to support our vision for a fairer New Jersey,” Murphy said. “Our strategy is working.”

Despite the worsening fiscal condition, New Jersey will maintain its largest tax relief programs in the coming fiscal year.

That includes nearly $2.3 billion for the Anchor program and a planned $200 million deposit into a lockbox fund for StayNJ.

“At a time when families are grappling with higher prices at the checkout counter, we are putting more money back into their pockets than ever before. Since it was introduced, the ANCHOR Program has effectively lowered property taxes down to levels that, in many cases, our families have not seen in a decade,” Murphy said.

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Is ICE giving up on Roxbury detention center? NJ leaders laud report

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Is ICE giving up on Roxbury detention center? NJ leaders laud report


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  • State leaders were celebrating a New York Times report that federal officials are considering ending plans for ICE dentention center in Morris County.

Federal officials are considering abandoning plans for a controversial immigration detention facility in Roxbury, New Jersey, according to a June 18 report by The New York Times, prompting local leaders and state officials to declare a victory after months of legal and political opposition.

The proposed facility, a warehouse property purchased to serve as an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center, faced intense criticism from local residents, environmental advocates and elected officials who argued the site was unsuitable for housing detainees.

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In a joint statement issued Thursday, Gov. Mikie Sherrill and Attorney General Jennifer Davenport said the Department of Homeland Security appeared to be backing away from the project following legal challenges that halted development.

“Today the New York Times is reporting that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security is backing down on its mass detention center in Roxbury,” the statement said. “That is a big win for public safety, for the township of Roxbury, and for New Jersey.”

According to the Times report, the Roxbury facility is one of seven ICE is planning to dispense with by transferring ownership to other federal agencies or selling them. 

Opponents argued the warehouse was designed as a logistics facility and lacked the infrastructure necessary to support a large detention center. They also raised concerns about the potential strain on local water and sewage systems and the impact on environmentally sensitive land surrounding the site.

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State officials said they joined Roxbury Township in court to challenge the project, contending that federal plans violated local regulations and posed risks to the community.

“DHS’s plans were always illegal,” the statement said. “The Roxbury warehouse is a logistics center fit for packages, not thousands of people.”

Rep. Rob Menendez said in a statement on Thursday: “We are working to confirm reporting that ICE is abandoning its Roxbury warehouse plans, but if true, this would be big news. From day one, we have fought to stop this facility, bringing together thousands of New Jerseyans in opposition. Now we are on the cusp of an important win for our state.” 

The detention center was expected to become part of the federal government’s broader immigration enforcement and detention network. However, the project became a flashpoint in New Jersey, drawing opposition from both local officials and residents concerned about public safety, environmental impacts and the facility’s compatibility with surrounding land uses.

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Federal officials have not publicly confirmed whether the property will be sold or formally removed from consideration. The Department of Homeland Security has not commented on the reported change in plans.

Opponents vowed to continue monitoring the situation until the project is officially terminated.

“This isn’t a partisan issue,” the statement said. “We’re grateful for our partnership with the Roxbury community as we keep DHS’s feet to the fire to ensure this facility is never opened.”



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NJ rabbi faces lawsuit for sexual assault after giving financial aid | The Jerusalem Post

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NJ rabbi faces lawsuit for sexual assault after giving financial aid | The Jerusalem Post


A rabbi in Ocean County is being sued by a woman who claims he sexually assaulted her when she came to him for financial help, then defamed her on a website and in fliers he posted near her children’s school.

Avraham Appel, of Jackson, abused his position as a trusted community leader to sexually assault and exploit the woman, an Israeli immigrant who came to him as a single mother struggling to pay bills, according to the lawsuit, filed in the Superior Court of Ocean County.

Appel is a prominent rabbi and Rosh Kollel, or head of a Jewish institute for advanced Talmudic study, who is based in Lakewood and Jackson, according to court papers filed January 5.

Appel did not respond to calls to his home and cellphone seeking comment on the lawsuit.

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The woman claims she confided in one of her children’s schoolteachers in early 2020 that she was in significant financial distress and having trouble paying for daycare.

A NEW Jersey police car stands guard on November 1, 2017, in Paterson, New Jersey. (credit: EDUARDO MUNOZ ALVAREZ/AFP via Getty Images)

The teacher suggested she contact Appel, according to the suit.

In February 2020, Appel arranged to meet with the woman at a local Starbucks.

“During that meeting, Appel presented himself to (the woman) as a rabbi, mentor, advisor, and friend whom (the woman) could trust, confide in, and depend on,” the lawsuit states.

Appel, who had experience in real estate, allegedly offered the woman an opportunity to solicit investments on his behalf and to “draw,” or advance, money against future commissions.

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Rabbi issues payments to woman after alleged sexual assault

In June and July 2022, Appel issued six payments to the woman, totaling $20,000 and characterized as advances or loans. He also provided the woman with “financial assistance” so she could buy groceries and pay medical expenses and water bills, according to the suit.

The lawsuit claims most of the money was meant to buy the woman’s silence after he attacked her on June 1, 2022.

The suit alleges Appel visited the woman while she was alone at home and sexually assaulted her as she pleaded for him to stop.

“Appel was abusive and unrelenting. The more (the woman) pled for mercy, the more aggressive Appel became,” the suit alleges.

Before leaving her home, he allegedly ordered her to delete Ring camera footage that showed him arriving.

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In the months after the assault, Appel “forced himself upon” the woman and took sexual advantage of her on other occasions, the suit claims.

Appel also allegedly bombarded the woman with demands for sexual acts and sent her a barrage of text and WhatsApp messages containing crude and graphic sexual content.

“I want to squeeze your breasts,” one text allegedly said. In another, he sent the woman a photo of his penis, the suit alleges.

In July 2024, the woman met with another rabbi and shared evidence of the sexual assault and “other incidents involving Appel,” the suit claims.

Woman offered $50,000 for therapy after sexual assault

Appel later contacted his attorney and the two offered the woman $50,000 to cover her future therapy expenses.

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The money would be available only if the woman signed a release of any claims related to the assault and agreed to keep all incidents between them confidential, according to the suit.

The woman refused to accept the money or sign the agreement, the suit says.

Appel then launched a campaign to destroy the woman “personally and professionally,” according to the lawsuit.

On December 15, 2025, the woman became aware of a website with her photos that claimed she was “a danger to all Jews,” and warned the public to stay away from her, according to the complaint.

The website disclosed the woman’s address, claimed she stole money, and characterized her as a “thief.”

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Moreover, Appel and possibly others posted signs smearing the woman. The signs were posted at public locations throughout the community, including the school her two children attended, the suit alleges.

The lawsuit claims sexual assault, invasion of privacy, intentional infliction of emotional distress, defamation, and conspiracy.

The complaint also alleges Appel breached his duty as a rabbi to conduct himself with loyalty and in good faith.





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Shooting investigation underway at South Jersey residential complex, source says

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Shooting investigation underway at South Jersey residential complex, source says


A shooting investigation in Camden County has prompted a large police response, according to a source.

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The shooting unfolded in the area of Locust Court in Winslow Township in the evening of June 17.

SkyForce10 was over the scene of what looked like a residential complex as several police cars were visible lining the streets.

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Police tape appeared to be blocking off the area as officers looked at a sedan that appeared to have crashed into another car.

No word yet on what led to the shooting or if anyone was hurt.



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