The New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development (NJDOL) this week announced progress of the CARE grant program that launched last March, which is aimed at promoting outreach, education and support toward expanding access to benefits and protections available for eligible workers here in New Jersey. NJDOL says since the launch of the Cultivating Access Rights and Equity initiative, nearly 47,000 workers received targeted information on the New Jersey’s paid leave laws and other work rights. The first round of CARE grant funding – $1.1 million awarded to 13 grantees and four collab ..read more

In Newark federal court on Tuesday, the former owner of a New Jersey marketing company was sentenced for his role in a $6 million fraudulent scheme through the billing of medically unnecessary compounded prescriptions. Michael Drobish, 46, of Cedar Grove, had previously pleaded guilty to a charge of conspiracy to commit health care fraud. U.S. District Judge Katharine Hayden sentenced Drobish to 15 months in prison and three years of supervised release. As part of his plea agreement, he must forfeit $532,650 in criminal proceeds and pay restitution of nearly $6.1 million. According to prosecu ..read more

The state’s top three Democratic leaders announced the appointments of six individuals to a newly established task force assigned with offering recommendations for implementing the new StayNJ property tax relief program. On Dec. 4, Gov. Phil Murphy, Senate President Nick Scutari, D-22nd District, and Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin, D-19th District, said the six-member group will include: Deputy State Treasurer Aaron Binder – state treasurer’s designee Christopher Wheeler, chief data officer, N.J. Department of Community Affairs – DCA commissioner’s designee Dennis Zeveloff, chief policy adv ..read more

New Jersey Department of Environment Protection Commissioner Shawn LaTourette recently announced some of the initial development and construction plans for the Greenway, a 9-mile former rail line that runs through parts of Essex and Hudson counties that is being developed into a new state park. Following a months-long public engagement process, officials revealed last week that the first phase of the multimillion-dollar project will center on a nearly 2-mile span through Newark and Kearny. NJDEP says that the Newark-Kearny segment is comprised of three project areas: The western section, spa ..read more

Democrats in the state Legislature managed to prevail in a tough campaign cycle to maintain control in both houses and even expand majorities. The party kept a 25-15 advantage in the Senate and expanded its majority to 52-28 in the Assembly, after picking up six seats. Despite the hot-button issues of economy, parental rights in schools and offshore wind/clean energy transition, Democrats will retain power for the final two years of Gov. Phil Murphy’s second term. “As a general matter, it was overwhelmingly a good night and it feels good because it validates the work that we have been doing i ..read more

A group of government and labor leaders capped off National Apprenticeship Week during a recent event at the Essex County Hall of Records in Newark, gathering with aspiring tradespeople to highlight the value of pre-apprenticeship and apprenticeship programs. The Nov. 27 summit was organized by Essex County Board of County Commissioners President Wayne Richardson and Pathways to Apprenticeship New Jersey (P2A NJ), a nonprofit organization committed to helping individuals from underrepresented communities gain admittance into various registered building trades apprenticeship programs. In addit ..read more

The New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA) announced the opening of the $100 million NJ Capital Access Fund late Tuesday afternoon, aimed at providing working capital loans with competitive interest rates to help support New Jersey small businesses. Last December, the U.S. Department of Treasury approved New Jersey’s federal State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI) application, awarding the NJEDA $255 million to create programs that will provide financial and technical assistance to small and micro businesses as well as early-stage, innovation-focused companies located here i ..read more

A slew of the state’s top leaders gathered in Woodbridge Tuesday for a highly anticipated New Jersey Business & Industry Association event to discuss the year that was – and the year ahead – as well as broader trends impacting the state’s economy and business climate. Following opening remarks from NJBIA President and CEO Michele Siekerka, the 2023 Public Policy Forum’s first batch of panels kicked off on topics including: New Jersey’s economic outlook; the looming fiscal cliff; and election perspectives. “This is about relationship-building,” said Siekerka at the top, as she spoke a ..read more

After sitting on Gov. Phil Murphy’s desk since late June, legislation that would ease some of the state’s restrictions on breweries, cideries and distilleries was sent back to lawmakers this week. In issuing a conditional veto Nov. 27 of Senate Bill 3038/Assembly Bill 4360, the Democratic governor said he believes the measure on its own “does not sufficiently enhance our antiquated liquor license laws” and that a “more modern approach” is needed to update the state’s Prohibition-era laws so that the regulations better reflect the current economy, as well as support business owners. Murphy was ..read more

The New Jersey Business & Industry Association (NJBIA) hosts its 2023 Public Policy Forum Tuesday morning, bringing together many of the Garden State’s top policy, business, academic, and political leaders and experts. The event, which takes place from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Delta Hotels by Marriott Woodbridge in Iselin, will feature: A keynote speech by Gov. Phil Murphy; A legislative leaders panel; Additional featured discussions with business, government and media leaders; and An awards ceremony that includes the posthumous honoring of the late Lt. Gov. Sheila Oliver with the Candy Strai ..read more