Governor Murphy Signs "Daniel's Law"
Governor Phil Murphy signed legislation (A1649), which protects the home addresses and telephone numbers of judges, prosecutors, and law enforcement officers from public disclosure. The bill, known as “Daniel’s Law,” is named in honor of Daniel Anderl, the late son of U.S. District Court Judge Esther Salas. Daniel fell victim to a senseless act of gun violence committed by an individual who had compiled a dossier of personal information about Judge Salas, including the judge’s home address.
“This is a renewed commitment to ensure our judiciary, prosecutors, and members of law enforcement who answer the call of justice can do so without fear for their personal safety, or that of their loved ones,” said Governor Murphy. “By shielding the home addresses and private contact information for those who serve on the bench and enforce our laws, we are demonstrating that in the face of unspeakable tragedy, New Jersey responds not with thoughts and prayers, but with concrete action.”
“My husband, Mark, and I would like to thank Governor Murphy and all the men and women of the New Jersey State Legislature for enacting this trailblazing legislation,” said U.S. District Court Judge Esther Salas. “We hope this law can be a steppingstone to improving the security of my sisters and brothers who serve as federal judges throughout the country. Nobody should be forced to endure the kind of pain my family has experienced ever again. Together we can work to ensure that all members of the judiciary (federal, state, and municipal courts) can perform their duties without fear of retribution or harm. Daniel used to say, ‘Mom, I love talking with you.’ I know Daniel is listening now, and he is smiling down on us today because he knows that with this bill signing, we are doing our part to ensure that his death will not be in vain."
“To everyone who played a role in getting this done, I thank you. However, our work does not end here. We must extend these privacy protections nationwide, so that no one lives through what Judge Salas and her husband lived through,” said U.S. Senator Bob Menendez. “We are living in a time of endless vitriol, rising hate crimes, and increased personal attacks. And while we may not be able to eliminate hatred from someone’s heart, we can take action to better protect the men and women of our federal bench. That’s why I am proud to see Governor Murphy sign Daniel’s Law here in New Jersey– and why I remain committed to the passage of the Daniel Anderl Judicial Security and Privacy Act in Washington.”
“No person who takes on the responsibility of serving as a federal judge should ever have to live in fear that they or their family could be targeted by someone who is able to easily access their personal information,” said U.S. Senator Cory Booker. “Judge Salas and her husband, Mark, have gone through something that no parent should ever have to endure. I am grateful for the leadership of Governor Murphy, Senator Cryan, and Assemblywoman Quijano as we honor the memory of Daniel with a commitment that this should never happen again.”
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Governor Murphy Signs Executive Order Lowering Limits On Indoor And Outdoor Gatherings
Governor Phil Murphy signed Executive Order No. 196, which lowers indoor and outdoor gathering limits. Effective Tuesday, November 17 at 6:00 a.m., the indoor gathering limit has decreased from 25 to 10 people. The outdoor gathering limit has decreased from 500 people to 150 people, effective Monday, November 23 at 6:00 a.m.
“As we have been saying for weeks, this will not be a normal a holiday season, and it’s incumbent on all of us to avoid the type of gatherings that have proven to be particularly dangerous places for COVID-19 to spread,” said Governor Murphy. “With the alarming numbers we are seeing right now, we have to take these steps today to preserve and protect public health and to slow the spread of this virus.”
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Governor Murphy Highlights Investments In Critical Infrastructure Projects To Enhance Regional Port Operations
Governor Phil Murphy, joined by Department of Transportation Commissioner Diane Gutierrez-Scaccetti, officials from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, Mayor Ras Baraka, Mayor Jimmy Davis, Senator Joseph Cryan, and labor officials, announced a series of infrastructure projects that will enhance safety and vehicle movement, including on routes serving the broader regional port operations. The Port of New York and New Jersey is comprised of facilities in both states, serving more than 134 million people regionally. Roughly 500,000 jobs are supported by Port activities, which generate billions of dollars in economic activity each year. The Port is an economic driver not only for New Jersey, but the entire region. Based on record-breaking total cargo volumes in 2019, it is now the busiest port on the East Coast and second busiest port in the nation.
“For decades, New Jersey and our ports have been the corridor through which much of our nation’s economic activity has flowed,” said Governor Murphy. “I’m thrilled that these critical projects will further enhance regional operations and contribute to a stronger, more modern infrastructure that will both deliver safer roads and bridges as well as fuel our state’s economic recovery — not just as we work toward the end of the pandemic, but for decades to come. In doing so, the jobs here at the Port, and the jobs created by the infrastructure projects around us will help ensure a stronger, fairer, and more resilient post-COVID economy.”
"The New Jersey Department of Transportation has invested hundreds of millions of dollars in advancing projects in the port district that directly and indirectly support the efficient movement of goods,” said Transportation Commissioner Diane Gutierrez-Scaccetti. “The investment in these Portway projects today ensures our road and bridge network will be able to handle the intermodal freight needs of the future in a safe and efficient manner.”
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Governor Phil Murphy Announces First Tenants Of The Hub In New Brunswick
Governor Phil Murphy announced Princeton University, Rutgers University, Hackensack Meridian Health and RWJBarnabas Health will be the first tenants of The Hub, a new collaborative site in downtown New Brunswick designed to foster research, entrepreneurship, innovation, and start-up incubation in New Jersey.
“This project is a major step in helping New Jersey reclaim its spot at the top of the innovation economy,” said Governor Murphy. “With its three core partners and first institutional tenant, The Hub will allow us to harness the collective experience of two of the country’s most prestigious research universities and two of its largest healthcare systems, which will serve to revolutionize research and development in our state.”
The New Jersey Economic Development Authority will also serve to drive activity at The Hub.
The primary mission of The Hub, scheduled to open in New Brunswick in 2024, will be to nurture the growth of start-up companies and new technologies in a range of industries and to support the rapid translation and real-world application of innovation so that those new ventures grow and expand the New Jersey economy.
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Regional Coalition Of Northeast Governors Announce Colleges Will Be Encouraged To Provide Testing For Students Before Leaving For Thanksgiving Break, Recommend Expanded Remote Instruction To End Fall Semester Safely
New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy, New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo, Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont, Delaware Governor John Carney, Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf, Rhode Island Governor Gina Raimondo, and Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker announced they will encourage residential colleges and universities in their respective states to provide testing for all students traveling home for Thanksgiving break to the maximum extent possible before they leave campus. Any student who tests positive will be encouraged to isolate on campus before they can travel or detail arrangements of their safe travel home with the local department of health. These efforts will help mitigate the threat of college students returning home for the holidays importing COVID-19 into their communities. In addition, colleges should inform students and their families of relevant quarantine policies in their home state.
“With Thanksgiving and the broader holiday season fast approaching, we have to recognize that any large family gathering — particularly among different age groups — runs the risk of turning the dinner table into a COVID hotspot,” said Governor Murphy. “To reduce the risk of transmission across our region, we are encouraging colleges and universities to ramp up testing for students returning home, and for anyone who tests positive to adhere to their state’s quarantine restrictions. If we collectively recommit ourselves to the commonsense mitigation practices that got us through the first wave of this pandemic, we can save lives before a vaccine becomes broadly available.”
“As everyone predicted, cases are rising as temperatures drop, and New York is not immune. With the holidays approaching, we are fighting ‘living room spread’ from small gatherings in private homes -- and adding college students’ interstate travel will be like pouring gasoline on a fire,” said New York Governor Cuomo. “We know this virus does not respect borders, which is why governors from across the region are working together to stop the spread. Colleges and universities have to do their part by testing all students before they leave, informing them about quarantine rules, and keeping classes online between Thanksgiving and Winter Break. We beat back the COVID beast in the spring, and by working together we can do it once again this winter."
"College students returning from highly infected states could accelerate the spread of COVID in Connecticut,” said Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont. “I appreciate the joint effort of all our regional governors to clearly state the testing/quarantine rules for returning home from college."
“There’s no sugarcoating it: this will be a difficult winter,” said Delaware Governor John Carney. “We are seeing rising cases, hospitalizations and deaths from COVID-19 in our region and across the country as we enter the colder months. The holidays present a significant challenge. I’m thankful for the cooperation in our region, and will continue to urge Delawareans to do what works. Wear a mask. Don’t gather with anyone outside your household. Stay vigilant.”
“It is our collective responsibility to protect our communities and our most vulnerable from COVID-19 and to continue to work together to get through this pandemic,” said Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf. “These targeted mitigation efforts, combined with existing ones, are paramount to decreasing the spread of COVID-19. We need everyone to be united in wearing a mask, practicing social distancing, and washing our hands in order to save lives and help protect our economies.”
“As our COVID cases and hospitalizations continue to rise, it’s critical that we come together as a region to slow the spread and keep our constituents safe,” said Rhode Island Governor Gina M. Raimondo. “We all need to be more vigilant about keeping our circles small and our masks on, while at the same time we’re continuing to ramp up asymptomatic testing across-the-board. This collaborative approach among Northeastern states will help us flatten the curve and contain spread over the Thanksgiving holiday.”
“The region is experiencing a surge in COVID cases and a surge in the serious health impacts this disease brings with it. Working together on travel and higher education policies like these, states can have a bigger impact on COVID spread as students travel for the holidays,” said Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker. “Gathering with friends and family significantly increases the risk of spreading the virus and while testing and isolation guidelines can help slow the spread, it is up to everyone to wear a mask and avoid gathering indoors with people outside of your household.”
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