New Jersey

We must do more to isolate Iran. This is how New Jersey can help.

Published

6 months ago

July 30, 2024

Press Room

We must do more to isolate Iran. This is how New Jersey can help.

3-minute read

Michael Inganamort
| Special to USA TODAY Network

In early July, the Director of National Intelligence warned that Iran is funding and providing material support to anti-American and anti-Israel protestors across the United States. On July 24, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu cited the DNI report in his address to a joint session of Congress, White House National Security Spokesman John Kirby affirmed it and protesters summarily burned American flags and vandalized statues outside Union Station in Washington, D.C., forcing the shutdown of the train station.

Worse yet, intelligence reports indicate that Iran has been planning to assassinate former President Donald Trump and other former and active senior government officials.

This is, of course, on top of the work Iran does to arm and fund Hamas in Israel, Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen, and a cadre of other terrorists in Iraq and Syria.

How does New Jersey fit in?

What does any of this have to do with New Jersey?

To begin, we are not immune or isolated from Iran’s dangerous behavior. In September 2022, the U.S. Attorney for New Jersey charged two Iranian nationals with hacking and attempting to extort a business in Morris County and a municipality in Union County. And there is no telling whether the anti-America protests that have taken place in New Jersey were among those funded by Iran.

Fortunately, there are tools at our disposal to isolate Iran. Under current law, companies competing for public contracts within the state are ineligible if they concurrently do more than $20 million of business with Iran’s energy or finance sectors. Put another way, these companies are eligible if they do a little less than $20 million of business with Iran’s energy or finance sectors. I believe New Jersey can do better than that. And given Iran’s aggressive and potentially deadly agenda inside the United States, I believe we have to do better than that.

In June, I introduced Assembly Bill 4632 to redefine “persons engaging in investment activities in Iran,” cutting the threshold in half, from $20 million to $10 million. This is an important first step in isolating Iran and dramatically reducing any indirect support gained from New Jersey public contracts. My ultimate goal and intention is for this threshold to be reduced to zero.

Under federal law, states have the flexibility to determine their financial posture towards Iran. The federal Comprehensive Iran Sanctions, Accountability, and Investment Act, signed into law in July 2010, empowered state and local governments to prevent or discontinue contracts with companies doing business in Iran. Then-Governor Chris Christie did so in 2012, establishing the $20 million threshold. As of July, New Jersey has 31 companies on its prohibited list. My bill strengthens this law — and would grow the prohibited list — at a critical time.

At least 13 other states have similar bans to New Jersey’s 2012 law, including California, Connecticut, Florida, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina and Tennessee. Some of these states go further, by not just setting a threshold for Iran investment, but also limiting the size of the public contracts themselves. California and Florida ban public contracts of $1 million or more, Tennessee’s threshold is $1,000, and New York bans all contracts.

Notably, the bill does not create any additional work local certified purchasing agents, as the responsibility for certifying compliance rests with the vendors and bidders. The Division of Purchase and Property within the Department of the Treasury maintains its role in monitoring and enforcing the list of prohibited companies, with stiff penalties at its disposal.

By lowering the financial threshold in New Jersey, we ensure more individuals and companies are scrutinized, putting our state at the front of national efforts to isolate Iran. We cannot leave room for ambiguity when it comes to our position on Iran. It is imperative that we send a clear and unequivocal message: New Jersey will not tolerate indirect support of Iran’s dangerous agenda. Our state’s integrity and security depend on such decisive actions.

Michael Inganamort represents New Jersey’s 24th Legislative District, which includes all of Sussex County and parts of Morris and Warren counties, in the State Assembly.

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New Jersey

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy sends letter on congestion pricing to President Trump

Published

43 minutes ago

January 20, 2025

Press Room

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy sends letter on congestion pricing to President Trump

NEW JERSEY (WABC) — Gov. Phil Murphy said he sent President Donald Trump a letter on congestion pricing Monday to request a reexamination of federal approval on the plan.

“As you begin your second term as President, I welcome any opportunity to work with you and your Administration where we can find common ground,” wrote Governor Murphy. “One area where I believe our priorities align is congestion pricing.”

He went on to call the current congestion pricing plan a “scheme.”

“The current congestion pricing scheme is a disaster for working and middle-class New Jersey commuters and residents who need or want to visit lower Manhattan and now need to pay a big fee on top of the bridge and tunnel tolls they already pay,” continued Governor Murphy. “And, adding insult to injury, New Jersey communities are not being fully compensated for the additional traffic and attendant pollution that will be re-routed to them because of congestion pricing.”

Lawyers for New Jersey told a judge they will file an updated legal challenge to the Federal Highway Administration’s “multiple re-evaluations” of congestion pricing.

The legal move keeps New Jersey’s opposition in federal court to the toll pricing going as Trump takes office.

The state plans to drop its unsuccessful attempts to get a restraining order against New York, denied by both a federal judge in Newark and by an appeals court in Philadelphia.

It will instead continue to file challenges with Judge Leo Gordon in Newark, who largely ruled against attempts to block congestion pricing but seems sympathetic to some of New Jersey’s arguments against it.

“New Jersey intends to seek leave of the Court to file an amended complaint to challenge the Federal Highway Administration’s multiple re-evaluations of the congestion pricing program,” attorney Randy Mastro wrote in court papers. “New Jersey expects to file its application shortly.”

Separately, New Jersey will soon launch a $20 million program to give New York businesses in the central business district grants to allow New Jersey residents to work remotely or at a satellite office in the Garden State.

The state will advertise this new program – dubbed NJ RISE, or New Jersey Re-assigning In State Employees program — with billboards at the major bridges and tunnels.

ALSO READ | Student authors honored after immigration stories featured in book

Janice Yu has more on the 58 immigrant students in Newark recognized for the book they wrote, “We Were Strangers Once, Too.”

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New Jersey

How cold will it be in New Jersey this week? Frigid temperatures grip Garden State

Published

8 hours ago

January 20, 2025

Press Room

How cold will it be in New Jersey this week? Frigid temperatures grip Garden State

1-minute read

Frigid temperatures have gripped New Jersey and are unlikely to thaw before week’s end, locking in place the first legitimate snowfall of winter and creating icy conditions on the region’s roads.

Temperatures were in the teens across much of the state Monday morning, with wind chills making it feel like just 5 degrees as people awoke to shovel out driveways and clear sidewalks. Most of North Jersey received between 2 and 6 inches of snow.

Winds were about 10 mph and the dewpoint was just 5 degrees, making it very dry and cold, according to the National Weather Service.

Monday’s high temperature is expected to be around 27 degrees, making it one of the warmer days this week. But it gets much colder tonight, with a low around 7 and a wind chill that will make it feel like zero.

Here’s a look at the National Weather Service’s forecast for the next seven days (get out your parka).

Tuesday’s weather

Increasing clouds and cold, with a high near 19. Wind chill values between -5 and 5. West wind 6 to 8 mph. At night, expect it to be mostly cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly clear, with a low around 6. Wind chill will make it feel like a temperature between zero and 5.

Wednesday’s weather

Sunny and cold, with a high near 19. Northwest wind 5 to 7 mph becoming calm in the afternoon. At night, it will be mostly cloudy, with a low around 9.