New Jersey
N.J. Gov. Murphy talks affordability and AI in sixth State of the State address
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For his sixth State of the State address, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy tackled a myriad of issues from housing affordability and taxes to reproductive rights, universal Pre-K, criminal justice reform, voting rights and medical debt resolution. He also issued a call for positioning New Jersey as a potential leader in the realm of generative AI.
“We may be a small state, but we have always thought and acted big,” he said. “And it is time to start thinking and acting big about generative AI.”
State Sen. Shirley Turner (D-Dist. 15) thought Murphy “was firing on all cylinders.”
“He has a very, very comprehensive and very dynamic agenda for this year,” she said.
Asm. Erik Simonsen (R-Dist. 1) said he believes there is common ground on a lot of issues the governor raised in his speech.
“I think we’re in bipartisan agreements on a large majority of things he talked about,” he said.
On certain issues, where opinions do differ, he expressed keeping an open mind.
“I’m always open to negotiation and to hear other people’s opinions,” he added.
GOP Assembly Minority Leader John DiMaio was not impressed.
“The reality is the governor was talking some pie-in-the-sky things, our whole tax burden on our society is pretty much miserable,” he said.
‘Working even harder’ to make New Jersey more affordable
With world events, including a rise in hate crimes and the two wars overseas, as the backdrop, Murphy said “building a stronger, fairer, more inclusive New Jersey has never been more necessary.”
The governor is calling for a package of bills that helps families avoid medical debt and requires doctor bills “to be clear and transparent.”
“Pulling people out from crushing medical debt is vital,” he said. “But so is protecting them from falling down that hole in the first place.”
Murphy asked that the first part of the package be named for Louisa Carman, an aide to the governor who was killed in a car crash on New Year’s Day.
Citing a shortage of affordable housing units, the governor called for accessible homes to be built where they are needed most: “close to jobs, transit hubs, and Main Street businesses.”
The governor also announced a new clemency initiative and renewed his support for universal pre-K and same-day voter registration.
New Jersey
10 hospitalized, including some students, after crash involving school bus in New Jersey
MOORESTOWN, N.J. (WPVI) — Ten people, including several students, were hospitalized Tuesday after a school bus crash in Burlington County, New Jersey.
The collision happened around 3 p.m. at Borton Landing and Hartford roads in Moorestown.
Township officials said in a Facebook post that a car and school bus collided at the intersection, injuring six students, the bus driver and three occupants of the passenger vehicle. All injuries appear to be minor, officials said.
“We have been made aware of a bus accident on one of our routes. There are no significant injuries for our students,” Moorestown Township Public Schools said in a statement.
The remaining students on the bus were taken to a nearby school, where they were picked up by family members.
School counselors will be available this week to provide additional support to students.
The cause of the crash remains under investigation.
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New Jersey
Wrong-way driver charged in I-80 crash that injured N.J. State Police trooper
An alleged drunk, wrong-way driver was arrested following a crash on Interstate 80 in Warren County, officials said.
Robert Felegi was driving a pickup truck west in the eastbound lanes in Knowlton when he crashed head-on into a New Jersey State Trooper’s vehicle near milepost 1.4 around midnight Tuesday, State Police said.
The trooper had emergency lights and sirens activated while trying to alert motorists of a hazard ahead, authorities said.
The trooper suffered minor injuries, while Felegi was not hurt.
Felegi, 67, of Middleport, Pennsylvania, was charged with assault by auto and driving under the influence.
He was brought to the Warren County jail ahead of a detention hearing. An attorney for Felegi is not listed in court records.
investigation, and no additional information is available.
New Jersey
NJ casino workers continue push to end smoking loophole
TRENTON, N.J. (WPVI) — New Jersey casino workers, who are pushing to permanently ban smoking in their workplaces, held a rally in Trenton on Monday.
A hearing was held to discuss a lawsuit that aims to close the smoking loophole in the Garden State.
For years, casino workers have been pursuing protections against secondhand smoke in their workplaces.
RELATED | Judge allows smoking to continue in Atlantic City casinos, dealing blow to workers
New Jersey’s Smoke-Free Air Act largely bans indoor smoking, but casinos have a long-standing exemption.
The lawsuit filed last April by the United Auto Workers, which represents dealers at the Bally’s, Caesars and Tropicana casinos.
In August 2024, a judge ruled in favor of the casinos to allow smoking to continue.
“Casino workers are expected to clock in to work every day despite inevitably facing a toxic environment that could cause countless health issues, including cancer, heart disease, and asthma,” said Nancy Erika Smith, the lawyer representing Casino Employees Against Smoking Effects (CEASE) and the UAW on Monday.
“We’re asking the court to find the exemption in New Jersey’s Smoke-Free Air Act unconstitutional and void it immediately. We hope this case will serve as a precedent for casinos across the country to close their smoking loopholes and stop poisoning their workers,” added Smith.
The casinos have warned that thousands of jobs and millions in gambling revenue and taxes could be lost if smoking was banned.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Copyright © 2025 WPVI-TV. All Rights Reserved.
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