New Jersey
New Jersey voters may soon decide whether they have a right to a clean environment
Democratic state Sen. Linda Greenstein, sponsor of the bill, said it would guarantee the fundamental parts of a healthy daily life.
“That means clean water to drink, clean air to breathe and enjoyment of our natural spaces, constitutionally guaranteed to every New Jerseyan today and tomorrow,” she said. “These things should not be considered a privilege afforded to some.”
But the bill does not spell out how the law would work in practice. It designates no entity as the enforcer of the law or the adjudicator of disputes regarding it. That would appear to leave the court system as the main avenue for those who feel aggrieved.
“It would wind up in front of a judge,” Greenstein acknowledged, although she said some preliminary steps including mediation could also be used.
She said lawmakers may need to add language spelling out how the law would work and be enforced.
Ray Cantor, of the New Jersey Business and Industry Association, said the law could have unintended consequences. He said it could enable people who oppose offshore wind power projects to challenge them in court.
“Our concern is many don’t understand the ramifications of this resolution,” he said.
Greenstein and officials with several environmental groups said they do not consider that likely.
The measure would decree that “the state’s natural resources, among them its waters, air, flora, fauna, climate, and public lands, are the common property of all the people, including both present and future generations. The state shall serve as trustee of these resources, and shall conserve and maintain them for the benefit of all people.”
But Bill Wolfe, a former official with the state Department of Environmental Protection and a frequent critic of the agency, said the state already is the trustee of those resources under the Public Trust Doctrine, a legal concept dating back to the Roman Empire that the state has adopted in other areas, including access to beaches and waterways.
“The bill is deeply flawed, and I believe it is more performative than a serious effort,” he said.
Doug O’Malley, of Environment New Jersey, called the bill “the fire axe behind glass that you break in case of emergency.”
“You don’t use it every day, but it’s good to know you have it there in case you need it,” he said.
He and others said they do not expect a flood of litigation as a result of the new law, citing the experiences of other states that have enacted similar provisions.
Several measures have been added to the bill through amendments, including adding “a safe climate” to the list of protected resources, and adding environmental justice concerns to it, according to Democratic Sen. Bob Smith, chairman of the senate committee that advanced the bill on Thursday.
It still requires multiple levels of approval before being placed on the November ballot.
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.
Copyright © 2025 WPVI-TV. All Rights Reserved.
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.
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.
Utah hosts Los Angeles after overtime win against Dallas
Miami takes on Brooklyn, seeks to end 5-game skid
Boston rebels against Trump immigration policies with an ‘ICE Tea Party’ – The Boston Globe
Denver weather: Strong wind and increased fire danger Wednesday
Las Vegas and Seattle are the front-runners if NBA expansion to 32 teams happens
Florida High School Football Rankings: Top 25 teams – Oct. 21
Cleary's 21 help Le Moyne down Central Connecticut State 69-64 in OT
How old is Bo Nix? What to know about Oregon quarterback ahead of 2024 NFL Draft
99th annual Pony Swim held in Virginia
Video: ‘It Didn’t Have to Happen This Way:’ U.Va. Faculty Call for Review of Police Response to Protests
Video: Prosecutors Charge Nick Reiner With Murdering His Parents
HHS probes Minnesota’s use of billions in federal social service funds amid fraud concerns: report
Thousands of dinosaur footprints discovered on rock faces in northern Italy
Nick Reiner will be charged with first degree murder in his parents’ killing
DA: Nick Reiner will be charged with first-degree murder in deaths of Rob & Michele Reiner
-
Iowa2 days agoAddy Brown motivated to step up in Audi Crooks’ absence vs. UNI
-
Washington1 week agoLIVE UPDATES: Mudslide, road closures across Western Washington
-
Iowa1 week agoMatt Campbell reportedly bringing longtime Iowa State staffer to Penn State as 1st hire
-
Iowa4 days agoHow much snow did Iowa get? See Iowa’s latest snowfall totals
-
Cleveland, OH1 week agoMan shot, killed at downtown Cleveland nightclub: EMS
-
World1 week ago
Chiefs’ offensive line woes deepen as Wanya Morris exits with knee injury against Texans
-
Technology6 days agoThe Game Awards are losing their luster
-
Maine15 hours agoElementary-aged student killed in school bus crash in southern Maine
