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New Jersey legislation aims to end disparities for minority- and women-owned businesses

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New Jersey legislation aims to end disparities for minority- and women-owned businesses


From Camden and Cherry Hill to Trenton and the Jersey Shore, what about life in New Jersey do you want WHYY News to cover? Let us know.

Significant disparities exist for minority- and women-owned business enterprises in the Garden State seeking government contracting opportunities. That’s the finding of the New Jersey Disparity Study, completed at the beginning of this year.

In response, the Assembly Community Development and Women’s Affairs Committee approved a legislative package Monday designed to level the playing field.

What the data shows

Assemblywoman Shavonda Sumter, committee chair, said the study examined 240,000 contracts across more than 60 state agencies from 2015 to 2020, and the findings confirmed what many have long known.

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“The disparities in public contracting have been an opportunity that’s been locked out for minority- and women-owned businesses in New Jersey, and it’s truly unacceptable,” she said.

Assemblywoman Shavonda Sumter, the chair of the Community Development and Women’s Affairs Committee, announcing legislation to level the playing field for minority- and women-owned businesses.

The study found that Black-owned companies make up more than 9% of the available construction businesses in New Jersey but received only 0.014% of government-issued contracts.

“I’ve never heard such bleak numbers in construction contract dollars,” she said. “Nearly 28% of construction firms in the state are minority-owned, yet they receive just 3.47% of prime construction contract funds.”

She added, “Women-owned businesses account for nearly 38% of all professional service firms, yet they received less than 10% of contracts valued up to $800,000. The evidence is clear: Systemic inequities persist.”

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Benjie Wimberl and other members of the General Assembly stand
Assemblyman Benjie Wimberly (left) and other members of the General Assembly support the legislative package.

What needs to be done

“Laws need to be modified and modernized in the procurement practice,” said Sumter. “We want a fair opportunity to compete.”

Assemblyman Benjie Wimberly agreed that action is needed now.

“This is true disparity; these numbers are not satisfactory. Our folks deserve better and they deserve more,” he said.

To address the problem, Sumter said it is crucial that state agency contracting units and prime contractors “adhere to clear criteria that demonstrates a good faith effort to increase participation by minority- and women-owned businesses in state contracting.”



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New Jersey

12 New Jerseyans won big playing, Powerball NJ Lottery games last week

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12 New Jerseyans won big playing, Powerball NJ Lottery games last week


A dozen lottery players in New Jersey won $10,000 or more last week playing Powerball and New Jersey Lottery games.

The New Jersey Lottery announced its weekly winners on Monday. Here’s a look at where these tickets were sold from Nov. 18 to Nov. 24 as provided by the lottery agency:

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Powerball winners

  • $150,000, Powerball, Nov. 18: sold at HC Good Neighbor Pharmacy on Route 37 in Toms River (Ocean County)
  • $50,000, Powerball, Nov. 23: sold at Stew Leonard’s in Paramus Park Mall in Paramus (Bergen County)

New Jersey Lottery winners

  • $500,000, Winter Green, Nov. 19: sold at Red Bank Mart on Newman Spring Road in Red Bank (Monmouth County)
  • $500,000, 50X Cash Blitz, Nov. 22: sold at Deli Works on Berkshire Valley Road in Oak Ridge (Passaic County)
  • $200,000, Plu$ The Money, Nov. 19: sold at Road Runner Convenience Store on Ridge Road in Lyndhurst (Bergen County)
  • $100,000, Candy Cane Cash, Nov. 18: sold at A & M Convenience on South Clinton Avenue in South Plainfield (Middlesex County)
  • $50,000, Super Crossword, Nov. 23: sold at Akar IV Auto on South Orange Avenue in Newark (Essex County)
  • $25,000, Crossword Bonanza, Nov. 22: sold at Speedy Mart on Ridgedale Avenue in Florham Park (Morris County)
  • $20,000, Crossword, Nov. 18: sold at MPM Services Corp. on Communipaw Avenue in Jersey City (Hudson County)
  • $20,000, $250,000 Crossword, Nov. 22: sold at Krauszer’s Food Store on Meadowland Parkway in Secaucus (Hudson County)
  • $10,000, $10,000 Loaded, Nov. 22: sold at Country Farm on Route 530 in Whiting (Ocean County)
  • $10,000, $10,000 Loaded, Nov. 22: sold at ShopRide on Shrewsbury Avenue in Shrewsbury (Monmouth County)



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NJ lottery bonanza: There were 12 big winners that hit jackpots last week

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12 New Jerseyans won big playing, Powerball NJ Lottery games last week


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Ocean County was lucky last week, but not quite as lucky as Monmouth County. Both had big New Jersey Lottery winners.

A Winter Green ticket, sold at the Red Bank Mart in Red Bank, won $500,000 on Nov. 19. That was one of two winning tickets sold in Monmouth County. The other, a $10,000 Loaded ticket worth $10,000, was sold Nov. 22 at Shoprite in Shrewsbury.

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There were also two winners in Ocean. A Powerball ticket hit for $150,000 after it was sold at HC Good Neighbor Pharmacy in Toms River on Nov. 18. The other, a $10,000 Loaded ticket, was sold at Country Farm in Whiting on Nov. 22.

Overall, there were 12 people who won at least $10,000. 

On Nov. 18, a Candy Cane Cash player won $100,000 at the A&M Convenience in South Plainfield, Middlesex County. On the same day, a Crossword ticket worth $20,000, was sold at MPM Services Corp. in Jersey City.

On Nov. 19, a Plu$ The Money ticket, worth $200,000, was sold at Road Runner Convenience Store in Lyndhurst, Bergen County.

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On Nov. 22, a 50X Cash Blitz ticket worth $500,000, was sold at Deli Works in Oak Ridge, Passaic County. The same day, a Crossword Bonanza worth $25,000 was sold at Speedy Mart in Florham Park, Morris County.

On Nov. 23, a Super Crossword ticket worth $50,000 was sold at Akar IV Auto in Newark. Another ticket worth $50,000, a Powerball slip, was sold at Stew Leonard’s in Paramus, Bergen County.



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Thanksgiving Tail: NJ Mom Says Anxious Dog Saved Her Son's Life

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Thanksgiving Tail: NJ Mom Says Anxious Dog Saved Her Son's Life


NORTH JERSEY — Ella the dog, a poodle-St. Bernard mix, is not an emotional support animal, says her owner, Beth Fitzgerald of Hoboken.

“She needs support,” Fitzgerald joked during a recent interview. She said Ella, who’s eight years old, has stomach problems and anxiety.

But this Thanksgiving, Fitzgerald, her husband, and her four adult children are thankful that Ella saved one of their lives.

Fitzgerald said that last May, she and her husband moved into an apartment in Maxwell Place in Hoboken. Three of her adult children also live in that city.

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The family grew up in Montgomery, N.J., in Somerset County, but have since moved north.

In May, the family decided to travel to Boston for a ceremony for their oldest child’s graduation from graduate school.

Fitzgerald’s son Liam, 26, decided to stay behind for a day. He slept in his mom and dad’s relatively new rental in Maxwell Place that night and watched Ella, who was going to go to a sitter the next day.

But Ella started acting unusual that day.

At the same time, Liam was having headaches and didn’t feel well.

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Since moving into Maxwell Place on May 1, Beth had smelled gas each day, but decided it was a slight smell and thought it disappeared when she got close to the oven. So she had dismissed it.

But when her son called and said he didn’t feel well — and Ella was acting unusual — she put it all together and knew the gas might be causing a problem.

Beth told Liam to immediately call the gas company, PSE&G, and not just the building supervisors. She also told her son to leave the apartment.

Luckily, PSE&G came and found the source of the leak. It was the oven after all. It’s since been replaced.

Fitzgerald said she’s been beating herself up a bit over leaving her son in an apartment with a gas leak. She said part of the reason she never called was that she didn’t want a big deal with fire trucks coming and the like. But she said she wanted people to learn from the incident.

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“If you smell gas, don’t do what I did,” she said. “I keep thinking, what if it had been midnight [and Liam was asleep]? What if Ella didn’t act weird? Don’t hesitate. You call PSE&G immediately.”

She noted that chemicals are added to natural gas to give it an odor, so people can detect if there’s too much.

“If anything had happened to my son or my dog, I would have never been able to forgive myself,” she said.

Brian Clark, a vice president for PSE&G Gas Operations, said, “We’re so glad Beth took action and told her son to leave the house immediately and call PSE&G. She did exactly the right thing to ensure their safety, and the neighbors’ safety. If you ever smell gas, leave the area immediately.”

IF you have an emergency, you can call PSE&G at 1-800-880-PSEG (7734) or 911. You can learn more at PSEG.com/gassafety.

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Meanwhile, Patch asked Ella herself for a comment on her heroic actions in May.

Ella looked away, licked her lips, then ran and hid behind her mommy.



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