New Jersey

New Jersey merchants deserve relief from credit card swipe fees | Opinion

Published

9 months ago

June 18, 2025

Press Room

New Jersey merchants deserve relief from credit card swipe fees | Opinion

3-minute read

Joseph Allegre
| Special to USA TODAY Network

The Credit Card Competition Act (CCCA) aims to reduce credit card swipe fees charged to small businesses.
New Jersey small businesses paid over $3 billion in swipe fees in 2023, impacting consumers through increased prices.
The CCCA would introduce competition among credit card networks, potentially saving New Jersey businesses and consumers $475 million annually.
Passing the CCCA is urged to lower costs for businesses and consumers nationwide.

New Jersey residentss are still anxiously awaiting the significant financial relief that was promised on the 2024 campaign trail. Providing economic relief and helping out mom and pop businesses are a cornerstone of sensible policy and the type of kitchen table issues that matter to us as voters. And with Americans more concerned about the economy than ever before, having Senators like Andy Kim and Cory Booker who can help quickly pass legislation like the Credit Card Competition Act will help address those anxieties by boosting small businesses and reducing costs for consumers.

The Credit Card Competition Act, or CCCA, will lower the out-of-control credit card swipe fees levied on small businesses by big banks and card companies. Here in New Jersey, small businesses paid over $3 billion in swipe fees in 2023 alone, with swipe fees across the United States more than tripling over the last decade. This unprecedented increase in fees is the direct result of Visa and Mastercard’s dominance of the payments industry.

In the absence of serious competition, Visa and Mastercard have taken it upon themselves to raise swipe fees repeatedly. Meanwhile, merchants have been forced to pass on those higher fee payments to consumers in the form of increased costs. Unlike credit card executives, however, ordinary Americans aren’t made of money. New Jersey households already spend 32% more than the national average on everyday bills and costs, and an added burden from swipe fees only puts unnecessary strain on the state’s economy. American families are paying on average more than $1,100 a year in higher prices as a result of swipe fees. After four years of historic inflation, we simply can’t afford that.

If Congress wants to reduce costs for businesses in the Garden State and nationwide, it should vote to pass the Credit Card Competition Act which has received overwhelming support from the public, a variety of merchant associations, and even the Teamsters and the SEIU, some of America’s largest unions.

This legislation will let merchants choose between a minimum of two different credit card networks when processing a payment, providing an avenue for more competition in the payments industry and giving Visa and Mastercard an incentive to lower their swipe fees in order to remain competitive. A drop in fees would result in significant savings, upward of $475 million for New Jersey businesses and consumers annually. Saving on swipe fees means more funds to improve wages, hire more staff, and lower prices on goods and services.

It’s time to move past the campaign promises and finally tackle issues that are actively increasing costs. I hope Sen. Andy Kim and Sen. Cory Booker will support passage of the Credit Card Competition Act and exemplify the support this bill has already received. Swipe fees don’t discriminate by party, and lowering costs for Americans should be a top priority for every member of Congress.

Joseph Allegre is owner of Supreme Team Barber Lounge in Hazlet.

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New Jersey

Devils Out to Rattle the Leafs | PREVIEW | New Jersey Devils

Published

11 hours ago

March 4, 2026

Press Room

Devils Out to Rattle the Leafs | PREVIEW | New Jersey Devils

THE SCOOP

The Devils began their season-high seven-game homestand with a decisive victory over the Florida Panthers on Tuesday night. The win was their second consecutive victory after picking up a win in St. Louis earlier in the week.

There’s not a lot of runway left in the season, and stringing together a run of victories is at the top of their minds. New Jersey is 11 points out of the final Wild Card spot, and 13 out of third in the Metropolitan Division. Tuesday will mark the Devils final game before the NHL Trade Deadline, which is on Friday at 3 p.m.

The Toronto Maple Leafs are having a down year, based on where the expectations were set heading into the season. The Leafs have struggled to gain any traction in their season and sit just two points ahead of New Jersey with 64. Toronto is 12 points out of third in the Atlantic Division, and nine points out of a Wild Card spot.

The Leafs have a tendency to give up an abundance of shots to their opponents, ranking first in the league in shots against, per game with 31.8, which bodes will for a Devils team that averages 29.4 shots per game, ranking sixth in the league. Despite their overall struggles, the Leafs do have the league’s fourth-best penalty kill, working at an 83.1 percent efficiency.

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New Jersey

Former Lumberton, New Jersey, mayor Gina LaPlaca pleads guilty to 2025 DUI, sentenced to treatment program

Published

23 hours ago

March 3, 2026

Press Room

Former Lumberton, New Jersey, mayor Gina LaPlaca pleads guilty to 2025 DUI, sentenced to treatment program

A former mayor in Burlington County, New Jersey, pleaded guilty to DUI and child endangerment charges after a 2025 traffic stop, according to prosecutors.

Lumberton Township committee member Gina LaPlaca, 46, was indicted last spring on child abuse charges after county prosecutors said she was observed driving drunk with her young child in the car, while serving as the township mayor.

Police arrested her at her home after reviewing video from a witness showing her swerving out of her lane and nearly hitting a utility pole. Lumberton police discovered her blood alcohol concentration was .30%, over three times the legal limit of .08%.

On Monday, LaPlaca was sentenced to three years in a diversionary program for first-time offenders after pleading guilty to driving under the influence and a fourth-degree child abuse charge. As part of the plea deal, LaPlaca will avoid jail time as long as she abides by the terms of the program.

Under the terms of the Pretrial Intervention or PTI program, she must attend regular Alcoholics Anonymous meetings and comply with any requirements set by the New Jersey Division of Child Protection and Permanency.

Judge Craig A. Ambrose also ordered LaPlaca to have an ignition lock device on her car that will prevent it from starting up if the driver has consumed alcohol. She said in court she had already installed one in October 2025, the county prosecutor’s office said.

If LaPlaca violates the terms of the PTI program, she could be prosecuted for the child abuse charge.

LaPlaca completed an intensive treatment program in May 2025 and said in a statement that she is “fully committed to my recovery” and is doing the “daily, intentional work” that comes with it. She apologized to Lumberton residents while acknowledging a private struggle with alcohol addiction that was no longer private.

“The weight of my actions is something I carry deeply,” she said in a statement shared on social media. “What I did was wrong. It was dangerous. It was inexcusable. I drove while intoxicated with my child in the car — a choice that could have caused irreversible harm. That reality is something I will live with, and learn from, for the rest of my life.”

LaPlaca served as mayor through 2025 but remains on the township committee. Terrance Benson was sworn in as mayor of Lumberton this year.

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New Jersey

Newark-bound United flight returns to LA airport for evacuation after reported fire

Published

1 day ago

March 3, 2026

Press Room

Newark-bound United flight returns to LA airport for evacuation after reported fire

NEWARK, New Jersey — A United Airlines flight headed to Newark, New Jersey returned to the Los Angeles airport Monday about 40 minutes after taking off for an emergency evacuation after a reported fire, authorities said.

All flights at the LAX International Airport were ordered to remain on the ground for about half an hour during the flight’s return and evacuation, according to advisories from the Federal Aviation Administration. No injuries were reported.

The flight, which was en route to Newark Liberty International Airport returned to LAX to address an issue with one of the engines, the airline said in a statement. There was no mention of a fire, but the LA Fire Department said it responded and there was a fire that was contained as of an hour after the plane’s landing.

The flight took off at 10:43 a.m., began to turn around at about 11 a.m. and landed again at 11:19 a.m., according to flight tracker FlightAware.

The LA Fire Department said they assisted with the evacuation of more than 250 passengers and crew. Passengers exited the plane on the taxiway using slides and stairs and were taken to the terminal, the airline said.

The airplane was a Boeing 787-9, a variant of the popular line of 787 Dreamliner long-haul aircraft.

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