On January 12, the New Jersey Legislature concluded its 2024-25 session by voting on over 100 bills. Some of these measures aim to protect residents, while others have raised concerns about fiscal responsibility and future challenges for lawmakers.
The New Jersey Policy Perspective (NJPP) responded to several key pieces of legislation. Regarding the expansion of job protections for paid family leave (A3451/S2950), NJPP Senior Policy Analyst Peter Chen stated: “No New Jersey worker should ever have to choose between bonding with their new child and keeping their job. This bill protects hundreds of thousands of workers from being fired or demoted for taking family leave. The next legislature should finish the job by closing remaining loopholes and extending these protections to everyone.”
Addressing higher rates for heavy users of electricity (A5462/S4307), Alex Ambrose, Policy Analyst at NJPP, commented: “As New Jerseyans are already dealing with sky-high utility bills, this bill makes sure energy-intensive businesses, like data centers, pay for the costs they’re passing on to families. With PJM adding more data centers to the grid, New Jersey needs to protect residents from footing the bill. Governor Murphy must sign this to hold heavy electricity users accountable and keep costs down for families.”
On legislation that would loosen and expand corporate subsidy programs (A6298/S5025 and A6306/S5031), Peter Chen added: “The state is staring down a deficit of more than $1 billion and working-class families are struggling to afford basics. Now is not the time for more giveaways to politically connected corporations. A $300 million tax credit to the Prudential Center and loosened accountability rules chip away at the reformed 2020 corporate subsidy law. Governor Murphy should reject these bills and protect his legacy of reining in billionaire giveaways.”
The legislative session’s final day saw both support for worker protections and criticism over increased subsidies amid budgetary concerns.
