Texas Senate passes bill to eliminate DEI in K-12 schools
Senate Bill 12, filed by state Sen. Brandon Creighton, R-Conroe, is called the Texas Parental Bill of Rights in Education. The senator explained at its core, the bill solidifies that 'parents are the chief decision-makers for their children.'
The bill aims to strengthen parental rights, reform student transfers in public schools and increase transparency for parents, mandating schools notify parents of any opt-out options on instruction.
But the element of the bill that garnered the most conversation on the Senate floor was the ban on DEI. The bill says schools must remove DEI policies and activities and that school districts must implement discipline policies for any violations.
Sen. Borris Miles, D-Houston, gave a passionate response to the bill on the chamber floor. 'The state has demonized DEI,' Borris said. He added that 'if the achievement gaps for minority students widen, we can look back to this bill as the start.'
Creighton defended his bill and argued DEI policies are actually dividing students even more in the classrooms. 'They're certainly not bringing all students together,' Creighton said on the chamber floor.
Opponents of the bill also argue the elimination of DEI from public schools will make it harder for schools to hire teachers. Sarai Flores, a policy fellow for School Board Members for Latino Equity, testified at a senate committee hearing in February about SB 12.
'At a time where Texas faces a severe teacher shortage, we should be trying to attract diverse talent from around the country to teach at our schools,' Flores said.
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who made this bill one of his top priorities of the session, released a statement following the passage.
'I prioritized SB 12 because parents must be empowered to have an even greater role in their children's education,' Patrick said. 'With more parental input and empowerment, Texas students will be better served by the public education system. I thank Sen. Creighton for his continued commitment to improving public education in Texas.'
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hill
33 minutes ago
- The Hill
Trump doesn't have to quit UNESCO again because we never lawfully rejoined
President Trump recently announced that the United States was quitting the United Nations Economic, Social, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) for the third time. This is good news – UNESCO has championed gender ideology in education, discriminatory DEI policies, and the entire litany of woke doctrines. It has also worked to erase Jewish history in the Holy Land. But the administration did not need to bother with formally withdrawing from the treaty — from a constitutional perspective, the U.S. hasn't been a member at least since Trump first quit it in 2017. When Biden sought to rejoin the Paris-based agency in 2023, he neglected to seek authorization from Congress. No one made a big deal of it then, but it means that, for domestic law purposes, the U.S. never actually rejoined. This is an important point with implications for numerous international organizations, especially as the administration sets out on an agenda of U.N. reform. Membership in international organizations was not supposed to be a political revolving door. Congress authorizes membership at the outset. After the U.S. leaves, a whole new congressional authorization must be obtained by any president wishing to rejoin. Under the Constitution, the president can only bring the country into a treaty with the 'consent' of two-thirds of the Senate. That is a substantial hurdle, and deliberately so: Commitments to foreign countries can be harder to pull out of than domestic ones. They can become a way of imposing obligations on the country that are then out of reach of the democratic process. In the 20th century, presidents have often relied on the approval of a majority of both Houses instead, a dubious practice but now widely followed. When the U.S. first joined UNESCO in 1946 (and the World Health Organization in 1948), President Truman was acting pursuant a law passed by both Houses authorizing him to do so. But Congress did not reauthorize Biden's reentry to UNESCO. Instead, he treated the 1946 authorization as a lifetime membership, when in fact it was only a one-time pass. If the U.S. quit a treaty that the Senate had ratified — say the NATO treaty — then a decision to rejoin would be subject to a new requirement of advice and consent. Congressional authorization is a stand-in for Senate ratification and should be subject to the same rules. Consider a parallel case: If a president fires a senate-confirmed appointee, and he or a subsequent president wishes to return him to the same post, no one would argue that he could do so simply on the grounds that the Senate had previously confirmed him. Indeed, Andrew Jackson's Attorney General resigned from his position, and was then reappointed to it — only to be rejected by the Senate. As a statutory matter, the 1946 agreement on UNESCO allowed the president to 'accept membership' — not accept, and accept, and accept again. If a congressional authorization is good for infinite rounds of quitting and rejoining, it makes getting out of international agreements harder than getting in – exactly the opposite of what the Framers intended. The argument of perpetual authorization was invented by Jimmy Carter, who purported to rejoin the International Labor Organization in 1980 based on a 1934 authorization. President Bush neglected to seek congressional approval when he rejoined UNESCO in 2002, nearly two decades after Reagan quit. Neither instance attracted much attention, and two modern actions do not prove a constitutional rule. There is a good argument for the Trump administration having withdrawn from UNESCO as if it were a member — to avoid any doubt or subsequent quibbling. But the administration should clarify that it is 'quitting' only out of an excess of caution, and does not see the U.S. as properly joined, which is consistent with its nonpayment of any dues. To avoid abuse by future administrations, Congress should repeal the antiquated authorizations for UNESCO and WHO, which Trump also announced withdrawal from. If a subsequent president wants to rejoin, he should have to sell it to Congress on the organization's existing records, not the hopes and dreams of the 1940s.
Politico
an hour ago
- Politico
Jenkins talks ‘26 Senate race
Good morning and welcome to Wednesday. Democrat JENNIFER JENKINS said she hasn't stopped thinking about the possibility of running for Senate since she opted not to in 2024. Jenkins rose to notoriety in Florida in 2020, when she unseated a future co-founder of Moms for Liberty from the Broward County school board. She went on to clash with now-Rep. RANDY FINE, who was a state legislator at the time, as well as with state officials and other school board members over Covid mitigation measures and LGBTQ+ issues, causing intense backlash. That period was 'absolute hell,' Jenkins said when asked to reflect about it in a 10-minute interview with Playbook, but she added that she ultimately was grateful it happened. 'I was very quickly shaped into somebody who had to take the punches and keep on fighting and keep on advocating for the people who felt like they couldn't do it for themselves,' she said. Jenkins has taken that fight national as the chair of the political committee 'Educated. We Stand.' The organization works to elect school board members that go up against conservative candidates like those backed by Moms for Liberty, as POLITICO's Andrew Atterbury reported. Jenkins said 80 percent of candidates the group backed in 2024 — 20 out of 25 candidates — won their elections. 'I try to look at the more local-level decisions that are being made by the everyday voters, and it tells me that people are sick and tired of the extremism, sick and tired of the chaos and the culture wars,' she said. Because President DONALD TRUMP selected MARCO RUBIO to serve in his Cabinet, Senate hopefuls in Florida now have an opening in 2026. Jenkins, 38, isn't ready to make any announcements yet. But when Playbook spoke with her, she was on her way to meet the Democratic executive committee in Gilchrist County. On Saturday, she's meeting with elected officials in Miami-Dade County. (The Florida Phoenix was first to report in July that Jenkins was considering running.) No major Democratic candidate has entered the Senate race after progressive teacher JOSH WEIL withdrew due to health issues. Whoever wins the nomination would likely go up against incumbent GOP Sen. ASHLEY MOODY, the person Gov. RON DESANTIS picked for the seat. (Moody also has Trump's endorsement.) Democrats who run statewide in Florida face long odds due to a Republican voter registration advantage of 1.3 million, and Moody also has the distinction of having won statewide twice — both times by higher margins than DeSantis. Moody and Jenkins bring different perspectives to politics. Moody is a former state prosecutor, judge and state attorney general, while Jenkins' focus has been education, including as a speech pathologist for elementary school students. Jenkins, whose husband is also a teacher, said she had to work multiple jobs since graduating college to pay the bills and said many politicians 'don't know what it feels like to be everyday people, one of us' amid Florida's 'extreme affordability crisis.' She said Democrats running in 2026 should focus their messages on ways to diversify Florida's economy outside of tourism, including on clean energy. 'We have so many people in this state who are working low-wage service jobs,' she said, 'and they can't afford to live in the communities that they serve.' Have a tip, story, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget that Playbook should look at? Get in touch at: kleonard@ and @leonardkl. ... DATELINE TALLAHASSEE ... HOMECOMING — Hundreds of people from the ranks of academia and Florida's political world gathered Tuesday at Florida State University for a memorial honoring JOHN THRASHER. Thrasher, the former FSU president, former state House speaker and one-time chair of the Republican Party of Florida, died at 81 in late May. The more than two-hour 'Celebration of Life' included a eulogy from former Gov. JEB BUSH, who worked hand-in-hand with Thrasher at the dawn of GOP control in the state Capitol on everything from a massive overhaul of education to tort reform, mandatory prison sentences and changes to higher education governance. 'Tallahassee was changed forever,' Bush said. 'His policy successes as speaker became the building block for a generation of conservative governments.' Bush, who mounted an unsuccessful run for president in 2016, also added a zing at the politics of the moment: 'We now live in a world where owning the other side through social media and going on cable news is the way that you measure your sense of accomplishment. You know what? I thank God I got to work with John Thrasher in an era where getting stuff done mattered a lot more than virtue signaling.' — Gary Fineout IN MEMORIAM — Longtime growth management advocate and lobbyist LESTER ABBERGER was remembered Tuesday by 1000 Friends of Florida as a 'tireless advocate for the people and places that make Florida special.' Abberger, a Cabinet aide to the late Florida Treasurer and Insurance Commissioner BILL GUNTER, died Friday at age 72 from heart failure, WILL ABBERGER, his brother, told POLITICO. In addition to being a past 1000 Friends board chair, he was a lobbyist for the Florida Chapter of the American Planning Association, as well as many other nonprofits and civic groups. — Bruce Ritchie TODAY — DeSantis has ordered flags to be flown at half-staff at the Capitol, in government buildings and in Palm Beach County in honor of Democratic state Rep. JOE CASELLO of Boynton Beach, who passed away in July following a heart attack. 'Rep. Casello spent his career committed to public service, and he will be remembered for his dedication to improving his community,' DeSantis said in a statement. TEXTBOOK TUSSLE — Florida is going after two major K-12 textbook publishers — McGraw Hill and Savvas Learning Company — for allegedly 'exploiting' and overcharging state schools by millions. State officials claim there are nearly 6,000 instances of these publishers overcharging school districts from 2016 through 2022, which DeSantis contends is 'fraud' that could amount to between $37.5 million and $60.5 million. Through a lawsuit in state court, Florida is attempting to recoup that money for local schools. — Andrew Atterbury LOST IN TRANSLATION? — DeSantis suggested Tuesday that Trump's denunciation of voting by mail was really aimed at states like California and Nevada, not Florida. Trump on Monday did not make that distinction when he called mail-in ballots a 'hoax' and said he wanted to 'lead a movement' to get rid of them. Florida Republicans pioneered the use of mail-in ballots, and it wasn't until the last few years that more Democrats than Republicans used them. More than 3 million Floridians voted by mail during the 2024 election, including more than 1 million GOP voters. 'I think our model is the best model for the country,' said DeSantis. 'We've really, I think, shown how it's done.' The governor noted that Florida has tighter restrictions on mail-in ballots and does not allow ballots to be mailed to voters unless they are requested. He also pointed out that Florida had created an election crimes office and took voter fraud seriously. DeSantis added that he had 'no confidence' in how elections are conducted in states such as California. DeSantis said he would prefer that voting only occurred on Election Day but noted many people like being able to vote early. — Gary Fineout ENVIRONMENTAL LAWSUIT FILED — The Environmental Defense Alliance and an alliance of waterkeeper groups announced Tuesday they are suing federal officials for failing to set new limits on mercury and other toxins in Florida waterways. The complaint, filed in US District Court in Jacksonville, states that the EPA in 2023 published proposed rules setting new limits for 37 toxins. But the rules were withdrawn in January after Trump took office. The environmental groups are asking the federal court to order EPA Administrator LEE ZELDIN to issue new water quality criteria for 73 priority toxic pollutants. There was no response from the EPA press office to a request for comment. — Bruce Ritchie — ''Psychological warfare': Internal data shows true nature of Alligator Alcatraz,' report Ben Wieder, Ana Ceballos, Shirsho Dasgupta and Ana Claudia Chacin of the Miami Herald. — 'Grieving husband witnesses execution of wife's killer after 43 years: 'I made a promise,'' by Amanda Lee Myers of USA TODAY. PENINSULA AND BEYOND FREE SPEECH SHOWDOWN — Florida's Board of Education today is considering sanctions against Alachua County school leaders in an ordeal sparked by incendiary social media comments about the death of wrestler HULK HOGAN. State Education Commissioner ANASTASIOS KAMOUTSAS wants to dock the pay of Alachua school board members for violating the rights of parents after threatening to toss a speaker at a recent board meeting. The controversy stems from Chair SARAH ROCKWELL scribing a post on social media that generated national blowback from Republicans: 'Oh did Hulk die? I didn't even know. Good. One less MAGA in the world.' A local parent publicly called on Rockwell to resign in the face of the anti-MAGA sentiments, leading to one board member calling for the speaker to be removed in what Kamoutsas described as a 'circus' meeting. The state board is set to weigh 'probable cause for noncompliance' with Florida's parental rights laws. Ahead of today's showdown, Alachua's school board underwent a free speech and social media refresher course, where members were reminded that public comment won't always be 'sunshine and rainbows.' All about the money – The state board also is considering a new budget request for the Florida Department of Education, set to propose millions of dollars in spending on key agency priorities. — Andrew Atterbury STATE OF ORLANDO — Orlando Mayor BUDDY DYER delivered his State of the City Address Tuesday, lauding Orlando's 150-year anniversary and pledging to maintain the city's 'legacy of reinvention.' Dyer made it a point to focus on wise fiscal management, noting the city invested more money in its police and fire department than it collected in property taxes. As a result, he said, homicides in Orlando were down 50 percent this year, and all were solved. 'There is probably going to be a discussion about this,' he said, alluding to how DeSantis has been pushing for property tax reductions and how state Chief Financial Officer BLAISE INGOGLIA has been combing through local government spending. But Dyer acknowledged Orlando faced a housing shortage and proposed adjusting zoning rules and waiving fees to address it. (Read more about the housing plan, shared first with the Orlando Sentinel.) CAMPAIGN MODE DROPPING OUT — Former Key Biscayne Mayor MIKE DAVEY is withdrawing from the US House race in Florida's 27th District to endorse fellow Democrat ROBIN PEGUERO, a former homicide prosecutor. Davey will launch a political action committee on immigration reform called Defend the Dream. The seat, currently occupied by Rep. MARÍA ELVIRA SALAZAR, is one of only three in Florida that the Democrats' House campaign arm has targeted to flip in 2026. Peguero thanked Davey for his support in a statement and said he was 'prepared to prosecute the case against [Salazar] in every corner of the district, in Spanish and English, and pull no punches.' TRANSITION TIME — The Department of Environmental Protection's State Lands Division, for the second time this year, is losing its leader ahead of a key meeting on land deals. ANDREW S. FLEENER, who was appointed interim state lands director in May, said in a resignation letter DEP provided to POLITICO on Tuesday that his decision to leave 'wasn't made lightly,' while adding that it is time to 'pursue different endeavors that align with my evolving aspirations.' Fleener's resignation is effective Sept. 2, ahead of a scheduled Sept. 16 meeting of the governor and Cabinet. — Bruce Ritchie ODDS, ENDS AND FLORIDA MEN BIRTHDAYS: Rep. Kathy Castor … Former Florida Attorney General Bob Butterworth … former Rep. Don Fuqua.
Politico
an hour ago
- Politico
Vote-by-fail?
Good Wednesday morning! Two years ago, New Jersey Republicans were talking about retaking one or both houses of the state Legislature for the first time since the early 2000s. They were coming off big pickups in 2021 and a near miss of the governor's office. The issues appeared to be in their favor. The voter registration trends were in their favor. And then Republicans lost six seats in the Assembly and one in the Senate. There's never just one factor that explains election results, but most agreed at the time that Republican mistrust of vote-by-mail played a role. Now, with less than three months to go before New Jersey's gubernatorial election, President Trump isn't helping on that front. On Monday he pledged to 'lead a movement' to end mail-in voting altogether in time for the 2026 midterms. 'ELECTIONS CAN NEVER BE HONEST WITH MAIL IN BALLOTS/VOTING, and everybody, IN PARTICULAR THE DEMOCRATS, KNOWS THIS,' he wrote on Truth Social. You can read the fact checks of the president's social media post. There were plenty of false claims in it. He's targeting the voting method preferred by Democrats. And he does not have the power to unilaterally end it. States run their own elections, and it would be up to Congress to stop them from using mail-in ballots. But there have been mail-in ballot fraud scandals in New Jersey — famously in Paterson and even more recently in South Jersey, where notorious operative Craig Callaway pleaded guilty to mail-in ballot fraud. Ironically, he was working at the time for the campaign of Republican Rep. Jeff Van Drew, Trump's biggest ally. This can't be welcomed by Ciattarelli's camp. Most people believe this is a close race. And the way New Jersey mail-in voting works, most voters who have voted by mail before automatically receive ballots. That likely increases the chances that lower-propensity voters will cast them. So even if more Democrats vote this way than Republicans, you probably don't want to discourage Republicans from doing it — especially in gubernatorial elections, which have lower turnout than presidential elections. In a statement, the Ciattarelli campaign didn't directly contradict Trump but did not say he wants to end mail-in voting. 'Jack wants all NJ voters who already cast their ballots by mail this year to be fully confident they can do so,' said his campaign manager, Eric Arpert. 'Jack feels strongly that the strong partnership between his campaign, the NJGOP and the RNC, will result in a 2025 election marked by integrity and inspire public trust in the election process.' Ciattarelli has called for some narrowing of New Jersey's mail-in ballot law, like no longer allowing ballots to be received after polls close (postmarked ballots have to be accepted if they arrive within six days of polls closing). He also wants to expand in-person early voting, which Republicans have embraced. Sean Higgins, the spokesperson for Democratic nominee Mikie Sherrill, said in a statement that 'Mikie, who swore oath after oath to defend democracy, will always fight to make it as easy as possible for eligible citizens to vote, including through vote-by-mail.' I reached out to the three Republican members of Congress from New Jersey about whether they would vote to end mail-in voting, and none responded. FEEDBACK? Reach me at mfriedman@ WHERE'S MURPHY? At the Hard Rock in Atlantic City at 10:30 a.m. for an announcement and 'fireside chat' QUOTE OF THE DAY: 'I was looking to file a police report or potentially even a restraining order against my ex-boyfriend who has been harassing me. He placed recording devices in my home, has continued to text me and call me, and then I just came out last night from work and my car had been keyed and I have no idea who did it, but I don't have anybody else in my life with any animosity. He's also a State Trooper, so I'm especially uncomfortable. I just stopped in the office but nobody was available so the girl at the front desk gave me this number. If you could give me a call back when you have a moment, that would be great.' — Lauren Semanchik in a May 20 phone message to police in Franklin Township, Hunterdon County. The police never called back, according to Semanchik's family. Police believe State Trooper Ricardo J. Santos on Aug. 1 murdered Semanchik and her boyfriend, Tyler Webb. HAPPY BIRTHDAY — Morghan Cyr, Steve Klinghoffer WHAT TRENTON MADE THOMAS THE ECONOMIC ENGINE — 'NJ Transit owns 8,000 acres and is looking to sell, spur development near train stations,' by The Record's Colleen Wilson: 'NJ Transit owns more than 8,000 acres of valuable real estate throughout the region — and now agency officials are trying to figure out which parcels to sell and how to monetize many other underused lots. Kris Kolluri, president and CEO of NJ Transit, directed agency officials to conduct a systemwide assessment of its real estate holdings to figure out what the agency should keep, what could be sold for a one-time cash infusion, and how other parcels could create recurring revenue … Now the agency wants to sell some properties to the state Economic Development Authority under a new plan approved during last year's state budget negotiations. Gov. Phil Murphy and the Legislature approved sending $100 million to the EDA to purchase properties from NJ Transit. The goal, state officials said at the time, is to dispose of properties such as parking lots or underused parcels, and generate development, more ridership and revenue for NJ Transit.' THE BLUE WALL — 'NJ trooper murder-suicide case draws similar domestic abuse claims,' by NJ Spotlight News' Brenda Flangan: 'Shonda Tamaro told NJ Spotlight News she was a victim of domestic abuse by her husband, Toms River Police Officer Victor Tamaro. Shonda Tamaro said she is now seeking a divorce … She said he made her fearful, by locking up shared resources and monopolizing economic assets. And she also alleged her estranged husband has been shielded by law enforcement because of his employment as a police officer … Tamaro said it wasn't until she and her daughters received help from a domestic violence advocacy group that they were able to move out. The alleged abuse finally stopped, but by then, Shonda Tamaro said, she'd made numerous reports with the Beachwood Police Department and filed nine requests for a restraining order. All were turned down … 'They basically were protecting their brother in blue. Like, they just didn't seem to really take my or validate my concerns. … Beachwood Police Chief Daniel Altman said in a statement: 'We recognize the gravity of all matters involving domestic violence. Out of respect for the privacy and safety of those involved, we cannot release specific details on this case. We can confirm, however, that any time a person who meets the classification of a domestic violence victim contacts our department and requests to apply for a restraining order they are provided that opportunity, and that was no different in this case.' STATE OF RACE — 'The Trump-backed candidate for New Jersey governor makes an awkward appeal to Black voters,' by Salon's Garrett Owen: 'When former New Jersey state Rep. Jack Ciattarelli, a self-styled moderate Republican, lost the governor's race to Democratic incumbent Phil Murphy in 2021, he could point to a key failure: his lack of votes from communities of color …. He has worked to court the votes he sorely missed in the last election by reaching out to Black faith leaders across New Jersey … However, taking a look at Ciattarelli's website begins to raise some questions. In the tab entitled, 'Coalitions,' among the groups listed (alongside 'Law Enforcement'; 'Muslims'; and 'Parents') is one for African Americans. Only, it's called 'Blacks.' Clicking it takes you to a page of Ciattarelli standing proudly with his hands on his hips and the phrase 'Blacks Back Jack' in big block letters. Beneath it are photos of Ciattarelli with about a half-dozen Black people, none of whom are identified … When asked about the 'coalition,' Ciattarelli's Deputy Campaign Manager Nick Poche did not have specific details on 'Blacks Back Jack,' but instead talked about the need for the campaign to 'engage' minority groups.' —'Robinhood sues Nevada, New Jersey over sports wager threats' TRUMP ERA INTIMIGRATION — 'The children in Newark Immigration Court,' by NJ Spotlight News' Hannah Gross: 'On a hot summer afternoon, a middle-school-aged girl … took her seat at U.S. immigration court in Newark. She lives with three family members but showed up to court with a woman she had only met once before. The girl's mom, also facing deportation, was too scared to come to court, the woman who had accompanied the child at the mother's request explained. Judge Tamar Wilson called the mother's failure to appear 'unacceptable.' … When her mother arrived in the courtroom, she sat down next to her daughter and wrapped her arms around her as the girl leaned into the embrace … That family's apparent fear inside the Newark courtroom is one example of the environment created by the Trump administration's increased immigration enforcement, which includes immigrants being detained just outside of court. Some parents, afraid of deportation themselves, are increasingly deciding to stay home and send their children facing deportation to court with someone in their circle who is a legal resident … Children, some of whom arrived in the country alone, often face the uncertainty and fear of appearing in immigration court without an attorney, since they do not have the same right to a court-appointed lawyer that U.S. citizens do.' —'New Jersey leads lawsuit demanding Trump abandon immigration-related conditions on crime victim funds' —'Bondi threatens to cut Hoboken's federal funding, Bhalla says city still won't aid ICE' —'Menendez demands DHS rescind advance-notice policy for detention center visits' —'Trump blames 'stupid and ugly' NJ project for rising energy costs' LOCAL DOOBIE AC — 'Atlantic City's weed store glut raises concerns from businesses,' by The Press of Atlantic City's Bill Barlow: 'One of the funny things about a gold rush is how few people get rich. For Atlantic City's green gold rush, the surge of cannabis dispensaries and the city's wide-open approach to approving new weed businesses appears to have resulted in a glut on the market and some businesses struggling to get by … There are 15 cannabis dispensaries open in 48 blocks of Atlantic City, with numbers 16 and 17 on the way. 'Really, there's too many of them,' City Council member Kaleem Shabazz said Monday. 'They're cannibalizing each other, and some of them can't make it.' Mayor Marty Small Sr. has remained bullish on cannabis, and his administration has expressed a goal to make Atlantic City the cannabis capital of the East … On the City Council agenda for Wednesday is a resolution to 'sunset' previous letters of support for cannabis businesses if there has not been substantial progress toward a state license in the previous year. But on the agenda for the same meeting are resolutions in support of six different cannabis businesses' AN APPLE A DAY KEEPS THE DOCTOR AWAY, BUT THOUSANDS ATTRACT THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT — 'Beloved N.J. apple-picking farm closing forever after health department fight,' by NJ Advance Media's Emma Ferschweiler: 'Hill Creek Farms in Mullica Hill will close after this year's apple picking season, ending decades of family-friendly fruit picking, hayrides and sales of its renowned apple cider donuts … [Owner Fred] Sorbello blamed clashes with the local health department with prompting his retirement from farming. 'I refuse to deal with the Gloucester County Board of Health here forward. And sadly, potentially another New Jersey farm lost,' he wrote on the farm's websites … Annmarie Ruiz, a health official from the Gloucester County Department of Health, told NJ Advance Media the county has had a multi-year correspondence with the farm about operations. The exchanges started in 2018 when Hill Creek Farms applied for permission to add an employee bathroom on the market building's second floor with no mention of expanding food facilities, Ruiz said. Three years later, the county discovered the farm expanded to a full-size kitchen and a rental venue that were not mentioned in its first application, she said… Hill Creek Farms agreed to scale back services, but the county later found operations again exceeded the approvals, Ruiz said' … While Hill Creek Farms will be closing down, Sorbello announced MC Farms, run by Mario Caltabiano, will take over the apple picking traditions at the site.' O. HENRY — 'A New Jersey town planned a dozen new affordable homes. They may never be built.,' by WNYC's Mike Hayes: 'New Jersey state Sen. Owen Henry is angry. Before he was elected to the Legislature last year, he'd negotiated as the mayor of Old Bridge to build 12 new affordably priced homes — many of them for veterans — on an empty lot not far from the beach, in the Laurence Harbor neighborhood on the town's east end. Builders said they should have already broken ground. But the project is on an indefinite hold because Owen's legislative colleagues decided in June to divert $125 million from a long-standing state trust fund for constructing affordable housing across the Garden State and spend it instead on other initiatives, including down payment assistance for first-time homebuyers. Gov. Phil Murphy supported shifting the funds, touting them as a way to provide New Jerseyans with immediate housing assistance. ' I'm very upset. In my opinion, the diversion of those funds is totally asinine,' Henry, a Republican, told Gothamist.' CODERUPTION— 'City code enforcement officer accused of seeking bribes from N.J. business,' by NJ Advance Media's Nicolas Fernandes: 'A Newark code enforcement officer has been indicted over allegations that she solicited bribes from a business in exchange for letting them reopen. Sonia Rogers, 50, of Newark, was indicted by a grand jury on Tuesday on the charges of second-degree official misconduct, bribery in official and political matters, theft by extortion and acceptance or receipt of an unlawful benefit by a public servant for official behavior, the state Attorney General's Office said in a statement. As part of her job, Rogers visited a store on Broad Street in Newark to conduct an inspection in September 2024. Following the inspection, she ordered the store to be closed due to an expired municipal business license, officials said. State investigators allege that Rogers then asked the owner for an $800 cash bribe in exchange for waiving the required fines, reinstating the license and reopening the store. When the store owner turned down the offer, Rogers said she would settle for taking some free merchandise, authorities alleged.' —'Six Flags defends keeping elderly elephant after animal rights group calls her captivity 'harmful' —'After 3% raises, Paterson school district now pays 12 officials over $200K' —'[Edison] judge denies ethics charge that he lied about having only one drink before crash' —'Bergen man who put swastikas on his car loses EMT license plates' —'Katie Brennan backs Solomon for Jersey City mayor' —'Hackensack calls on NJ Transit to improve safety at crossings after recent fatalities' —'How a new Tony Soprano mural ended up in a historic [Montclair] hub. See the renovation' —'Egg Harbor Township to spend $600K to restore West Jersey Avenue after Atlantic Shores pullout' EVERYTHING ELSE SHOCCKER — 'N.J. soccer mom demanded justice for daughter after violent foul. Her team got banned instead,' by NJ Advance Media's Patrick Lanni: 'The video tells an undeniable story. Amid a highly contested youth girls soccer match, a player grabs her opponent by the back of the neck, yanking her back and forth before throwing her to the grass face-first. The girl's spontaneous fit of anger is clearly a foul and draws a swift yellow card from the referee … Woodstown Borough, the team with the player who committed the hard foul, was welcomed back to the South Jersey Girls Soccer League for the upcoming 2025 fall season. Monroe Township, the team on the receiving end of the penalty, was not. The ugly foul and the ensuing fallout have now thrust two communities and a volunteer-driven soccer organization into the center of a raging debate over conduct at games, parental involvement in on-field disputes and social media's role in magnifying youth sports incidents and fanning them into viral clips. Lauren Astore, the parent of the Monroe girl who was thrown to the turf, claims her persistent complaints about the incident — and pursuit of accountability from league officials — led to her daughter's team being banned from the league this fall … Online comments, reviewed by NJ Advance Media, show Monroe parents, including Astore, calling the Woodstown player 'trash' and 'evil' as well as other expletives on various Facebook threads' —'U.S. News public high school rankings are out. How did your NJ school do?' —'This South Jersey educator has been named national high school principal of the year: 'I love what I am doing'' —'Study ranks women's equality across all 50 states. Here's where New Jersey stands' —'More Jersey Shore beaches may ban swimming as Hurricane Erin strengthens, creates dangerous surf conditions'
