Governor Phil Murphy

This Week In New Jersey: June 12, 2020

06/12/2020

Governor Murphy Signs Executive Orders Lifting Limits on Indoor and Outdoor Gatherings, Opening Pools Effective June 22, and Opening Additional Outdoor Recreational Businesses

Governor Phil Murphy signed two executive orders 1) raising limits on outdoor and indoor gatherings and 2) opening pools effective June 22 and additional outdoor recreational businesses effective immediately.

Under Executive Order No. 152, effective immediately, indoor gatherings are limited to 25 percent of the capacity of the room, but regardless of the room's capacity, such limit shall never be less than 10 or more than 50 people.  All attendees at the gathering must wear face coverings, unless for a medical reason or if the individual is under 2 years old, individuals must remain six feet apart at all times, and physical items may not be shared by multiple attendees of the same gathering unless sanitized before and after uses.

Under Executive Order No. 153, outdoor swimming pools can open effective at 6:00 a.m. on Monday, June 22, provided that it complies with standards and policies that will be issued by the Department of Health.  Pool facilities may open for the purpose of lifeguard training and lifeguard swimming lessons prior to June 22.

“With more of our businesses reopening, we are no longer requiring New Jerseyans to stay at home, but we are asking you to continue to be responsible and safe,” said Governor Murphy. “These actions will put us even more firmly on our Road Back and complement the steps we’ve already taken to begin our restart and recovery.”

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Attorney General Grewal Outlines Process for Revising New Jersey's Use of Force Policy

Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal outlined plans for revising New Jersey's “Use of Force Policy,” which governs when the state’s 36,000 law enforcement officers may—and may not—use force against civilians. As part of that process, Attorney General Grewal announced that his office has launched an online portal for public comments and will be organizing community listening sessions in all 21 counties.

On June 2, 2020, Attorney General Grewal first announced his intention to revise the Use of Force Policy, the first update in two decades. The initiative is part of the Attorney General’s Excellence in Policing initiative, a sweeping set of policing reforms launched in December 2019 to promote the culture of professionalism, accountability, and transparency that is the hallmark of New Jersey’s best law enforcement agencies.

“The Use of Force Policy affects everyone, and so everyone should have the opportunity to weigh in on its revisions,” said Attorney General Grewal. “We want to hear from a broad cross-section of our state: police officers, civil rights advocates, religious leaders, victims’ rights organizations, and community members. We especially want to hear from those that have had negative experiences with law enforcement officers because we are committed to getting this right. By engaging residents across New Jersey, we will ensure that the updated policy reflects New Jersey’s values.”

NJ TRANSIT Launches Strategic and Capital Plans That Will Guide the Agency Through 2030

Governor Phil Murphy and NJ TRANSIT CEO & President Kevin Corbett unveiled NJ TRANSIT’s ten-year strategic plan entitled “NJT2030: A 10-Year Strategic Plan” and a complementary 5-Year Capital Plan. Together, these plans provide the vision for the agency to build the future of transportation in New Jersey and with it, drive a 21st century economy in an accountable, transparent and environmentally-sustainable way.

“Before our current public health emergency, we made critical investments and undertook long-overdue reforms to NJ TRANSIT’s operations which have unquestionably improved reliability and performance,” said Governor Murphy. “To safeguard that progress, NJT2030 and the Five-Year Capital Plan put forward the vision for how NJ TRANSIT will address a decade-long period of disinvestment, and further transform the agency’s core business functions to regain the confidence of customers, stakeholders, and the communities it serves.”

"The issuance of NJ TRANSIT’s first Strategic Plan and the accompanying Capital Plan mark an important step in fulfilling Governor Murphy’s commitment to restore NJ TRANSIT to one of the nation’s leading public transportation agencies,” said New Jersey Department of Transportation Commissioner and NJ TRANSIT Board Chair Diane Gutierrez-Scaccetti. “Together, they provide the vision and path to deliver a public transportation system that is safe, efficient and reliable for all our customers."

“Through these plans, we will build on the significant progress we’ve already made, support our state’s economic recovery following the COVID-19 pandemic, and lay out a path forward for the next ten years,” said NJ TRANSIT CEO & President Kevin Corbett. “The initiatives and metrics within these plans hold us accountable to our customers and stakeholders, while guiding our actions and decisions that will deliver a modernized, best-in-class transit system for the people of New Jersey.”

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Survey Finds Business Owners Eager to Reopen, but Concerned about Consumer Confidence

The Administration of Governor Phil Murphy released results of an online survey conducted in conjunction with Rutgers University's Heldrich Center for Workforce Development earlier this month that drew responses from nearly 4,000 businesses and non-profits across the state.

Results of the survey demonstrate overwhelmingly that while the business and non-profit community is eager to get back to work, owners understand and take seriously the public health risks posed by COVID-19 and the responsibility to provide a safe experience for employees and customers.  Many worry about the effect of a possible second wave of the virus.

“This survey verified much of what we anticipated as we began the process of restarting the economy,” said Governor Phil Murphy.  “While business owners are eager to get back to work and get their operations back up and running, they remain concerned about consumer and employee confidence and are eager to avoid a second wave of this insidious virus.”

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Department of Education Announces Guidelines for In-Person Summer Learning and Extended School Year

Recognizing the educational and social-emotional value to students of resuming in-person instruction, the New Jersey Department of Education released guidance for school districts to conduct summer educational programming in-person, including Extended School Year (ESY).

“This is a crucial step that allows schools to plan summer learning programs and special education services that will provide assistance to those students who need it the most,” said Education Commissioner Lamont O. Repollet. “We’ve heard from countless parents and educators about the importance of summer learning and ESY, especially now that so many students and families have faced unexpected obstacles with remote learning over the past three months. We believe schools can provide the necessary summer instruction while ensuring the safety of students and teachers, and their families.”

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