Latest news with #NewJerseyAssembly
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Federal unemployment funds likely safe through September, commissioner says
Labor Commissioner Robert Asaro-Angelo told Assembly lawmakers he expected no federal cuts through September. (Photo courtesy of New Jersey Assembly) New Jersey's Department of Labor is unlikely to see its federal funding cut through the end of the U.S. government's October-to-September fiscal year, but officials remain concerned about the prospect of future cuts, state Labor Commissioner Rob Asaro-Angelo told Assembly lawmakers Wednesday. 'In my mind, we are status quo through the end of September. At that point, we'll see what Congress does,' Asaro-Angelo told the panel. 'It's hard to predict what's going to happen, clearly. I think most of the cuts being talked about are not in labor. Traditionally, workforce development has been more of a bipartisan issue.' Federal dollars account for a significant portion of the department's annual budget. In the coming July-to-June state fiscal year, the $603.2 million in federal monies the department expects to receive would account for 48.5% of its proposed operational budget. The impact of federal funding on department staffing is greater. Such monies are set to fund roughly 72.6% of the department's 3,184 positions in the coming 2026 fiscal year, including all positions administering unemployment insurance, according to budget materials and the commissioner's testimony. The department, along with all others receiving federal dollars, faced a federal funding freeze earlier this year under an executive order issued by President Donald Trump that called for the U.S. government to stop to all disbursements of federal financial assistance. 'Remember, the week after inauguration, basically our access and many departments' access to federal funding ceased,' the commissioner said. 'It was, no doubt about it, the craziest time in our department since COVID.' That order has since been paused under a preliminary injunction issued by a Rhode Island District Court judge. New Jersey's unemployment fund is still recovering from record-high jobless claims seen during the pandemic. Asaro-Angelo said the state's Unemployment Compensation Trust Fund had a balance of $1.6 billion, which he expected would rise to roughly $2 billion after unemployment taxes billed in the first quarter of 2025 were collected. 'We're very healthy. I give major credit to the folks around me, but also to be clear: We're healthy because we have ever-increasing employment in New Jersey,' the commissioner said. 'These contributions come from workers who are working and employers who are employing people, and as I said in my remarks, we have more workers than ever before, more businesses than ever before.' Still, the department, in separate responses to lawmakers, cautioned that employers' unemployment tax rates would remain elevated through fiscal 2027. It said rates would have been lower in both fiscal 2026 and 2027 were it not for a 2020 law that phased in employer unemployment tax increases in a bid to defray the tax impact of high joblessness. The overall health of the unemployment trust fund determines the range of employer unemployment tax rates used in a given fiscal year, while an individual employer's use of unemployment benefits determines their rate within that range. Rates for fiscal 2025 ranged from 0.6% to 6.4%. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Federal unemployment funds likely safe through September, commissioner says
Labor Commissioner Robert Asaro-Angelo told Assembly lawmakers he expected no federal cuts through September. (Photo courtesy of New Jersey Assembly) New Jersey's Department of Labor is unlikely to see its federal funding cut through the end of the U.S. government's October-to-September fiscal year, but officials remain concerned about the prospect of future cuts, state Labor Commissioner Rob Asaro-Angelo told Assembly lawmakers Wednesday. 'In my mind, we are status quo through the end of September. At that point, we'll see what Congress does,' Asaro-Angelo told the panel. 'It's hard to predict what's going to happen, clearly. I think most of the cuts being talked about are not in labor. Traditionally, workforce development has been more of a bipartisan issue.' Federal dollars account for a significant portion of the department's annual budget. In the coming July-to-June state fiscal year, the $603.2 million in federal monies the department expects to receive would account for 48.5% of its proposed operational budget. The impact of federal funding on department staffing is greater. Such monies are set to fund roughly 72.6% of the department's 3,184 positions in the coming 2026 fiscal year, including all positions administering unemployment insurance, according to budget materials and the commissioner's testimony. The department, along with all others receiving federal dollars, faced a federal funding freeze earlier this year under an executive order issued by President Donald Trump that called for the U.S. government to stop to all disbursements of federal financial assistance. 'Remember, the week after inauguration, basically our access and many departments' access to federal funding ceased,' the commissioner said. 'It was, no doubt about it, the craziest time in our department since COVID.' That order has since been paused under a preliminary injunction issued by a Rhode Island District Court judge. New Jersey's unemployment fund is still recovering from record-high jobless claims seen during the pandemic. Asaro-Angelo said the state's Unemployment Compensation Trust Fund had a balance of $1.6 billion, which he expected would rise to roughly $2 billion after unemployment taxes billed in the first quarter of 2025 were collected. 'We're very healthy. I give major credit to the folks around me, but also to be clear: We're healthy because we have ever-increasing employment in New Jersey,' the commissioner said. 'These contributions come from workers who are working and employers who are employing people, and as I said in my remarks, we have more workers than ever before, more businesses than ever before.' Still, the department, in separate responses to lawmakers, cautioned that employers' unemployment tax rates would remain elevated through fiscal 2027. It said rates would have been lower in both fiscal 2026 and 2027 were it not for a 2020 law that phased in employer unemployment tax increases in a bid to defray the tax impact of high joblessness. The overall health of the unemployment trust fund determines the range of employer unemployment tax rates used in a given fiscal year, while an individual employer's use of unemployment benefits determines their rate within that range. Rates for fiscal 2025 ranged from 0.6% to 6.4%. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
07-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Who's running for NJ Assembly in Morris County? GOP looks to maintain edge over Democrats
Will this be the year for Democrats to finally break the Republican hold on state legislative seats representing Morris County in Trenton? All 80 seats in the New Jersey Assembly − including eight in four districts covering Morris towns − are on the ballot this year. It's been a generation since voters chose a local Democrat. While periodic redistricting has moved some towns from one district to another, 30 of Morris County's 39 municipalities are currently in districts 25 and 26. The rest are sprinkled across the 21st and 24th districts. All eight Assembly incumbents are running for re-election and are unopposed in the June Republican primary. So are their Democratic challengers, who history strongly suggests will be underdogs in the November general election. Here's a rundown of who will be on this year's ballot, which will also feature the race for governor. Morris County towns in the districts are listed in bold. Each district has two state Assembly seats up for grabs. TOWNS: Bloomingdale, Boonton, Denville, East Hanover, Florham Park, Hanover, Lincoln Park, Montville, Morris Plains, Mountain Lakes, Parsippany-Troy Hills, Pequannock, Pompton Lakes, Ringwood, Riverdale, Wanaque. REPUBLICANS: Redistricting in 2023 brought Assemblyman Brian Bergen to the 26th District. Bergen, with longtime incumbent Jay Webber, is unopposed in the June primary. The 2023 redistricting also set off a bitter contested primary with County Commissioner Tom Mastrangelo challenging longtime District 26 Sen. Joe Pennacchio. Pennachio emerged as a victor with about 60% of the vote. The eventful 2023 GOP primary also saw former Assemblywoman BettyLou DeCroce seeking to regain the Assembly seat she lost in 2021, when the county Republican Committee endorsed her in favor of Christian Barranco. DeCroce, who served five terms in Trenton, finished third in the primary to Webber and Barranco. Webber, in a Facebook post, said he was a "champion for fiscal discipline, government transparency and individual liberty" and "standing firm against overreach from Trenton." Bergen called himself a "a fierce advocate for lower taxes, supporting small businesses, and protecting the rights of veterans and first responders." DEMOCRATS: Michael Mancuso and Walter Mielarczyk are unopposed in the primary and endorsed by the Morris County Democratic Committee. Mancuso is a former candidate for Pequannock Town Council. Mielarczyk, who also ran in 2023, works as a research and development engineering manager Mancuso's Facebook page states he is a lifelong New Jersey resident and small business owner. "I work daily to support our community," he wrote. "I'm committed to keeping NJ the best place to live and grow, bringing passion and dedication to our state. TOWNS: Boonton Township, Butler, Dover, Harding, Jefferson, Kinnelon, Madison, Mendham Borough, Mendham Township, Mine Hill, Morris, Morristown, Mount Arlington, Randolph, Rockaway Borough, Rockaway Township, Victory Gardens, West Milford, Wharton REPUBLICANS: Assembly members Christian Barranco of Jefferson and Aura Dunn of Mendham face no primary challengers in their re-election bids. Barranco, first elected in 2021 in the 26th, was moved to the 25th after redistricting two years ago. Dunn was elected in 2019 to the seat previously held by Anthony M. Bucco, who now represents the district in the state Senate. On her campaign website, Dunn vowed to be "relentless about bringing economic and fiscal security to our families. We can not bring this security to New Jersey by increasing punitive taxes and reckless spending on policies that do nothing to support the honest and hard-working residents of this state." DEMOCRATS: Two Morristown officials, Councilman Steve Pylypchuk and Planning Board member Marisa Sweeney, are challenging the incumbents with no endorsements from their county committees. But they are among many statewide Assembly candidates endorsed by the gubernatorial campaign of Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop, who's framed his race as a challenge of the Democratic Party establishment in New Jersey. 'Families in District 25 need a leader who understands their struggles firsthand,' Pylypchuk, 38, said in his campaign announcement. 'This campaign is about creating a new New Jersey − one where opportunity and equity are within reach for everyone.' Sweeney also is the owner and creator of Be Well Integrative Health Services, a women's wellness center in Morristown. Asked why the Morris County Democratic Committee did not endorse Pylypchuk and Sweeney, committee Chair Amalia Duarte said the pair didn't seek it. TOWNS: Allamuchy, Andover Borough, Andover Township, Branchville, Byram, Chester Borough, Chester Township, Frankford, Franklin (Sussex), Fredon, Green, Hamburg, Hampton (Sussex), Hardyston, Hopatcong, Independence, Lafayette, Montague, Mount Olive, Netcong, Newton, Ogdensburg, Roxbury, Sandyston, Sparta, Stanhope, Stillwater, Sussex, Vernon, Walpack, Wantage, Washington (Morris). REPUBLICANS: Redistricting and the retirements of Sen. Steve Oroho and Assemblyman Hal Wirths brought new faces to the district during the last election two years ago. This time around, the incumbents are seeking re-election. In 2023, then-Chester Township Mayor Mike Inganamort and Sussex County Commissioner Dawn Fantasia were elected to succeed Wirths and Parker Space, who was elected to state Senate. Fantasia and Inganamort are unopposed in the GOP primary this year. DEMOCRATS: Steve Barratt and Eugene Grinberg, both of the Long Valley section of Washington Township, are also unopposed in the primary. Grinberg, an attorney, is endorsed by the Morris County Democratic Committee. Barratt is another state Assembly candidate affiliated with Fulop's campaign. Berkeley Heights, Bernards, Bernardsville, Chatham Borough, Chatham Township, Dunellen, Far Hills, Garwood, Green Brook, Long Hill, Middlesex, Mountainside, New Providence, Peapack-Gladstone, Springfield (Union), Summit, Warren, Watchung, Westfield REPUBLICANS: Assemblywomen Michele Matsikoudis and Nancy Muñoz are the incumbents. Muñoz has been in office since she was first appointed in 2009. Matsikoudis was elected in 2021. The district's state senator, Jon Bramnick, is in the Republican field for governor this year. DEMOCRATS: Andrew Macurdy and Vincent Kearney have no opposition in the June primary. Macurdy is a former federal and state prosecutor and is now a partner and co-chair of the Trial Practice Group at Sanford Heisler Sharp McKnight. Kearney is a two-term Garwood councilman and a Union County sheriff's officer. More: Embattled Sussex commissioner won't seek GOP nod for re-election. Who else is running? Gordon MacInness (1994-1998) is the only Democrat to represent District 25 in more than 50 years. District 26 has not had a Democrat hold a seat since future Gov. Richard Codey served there in 1981, before redistricting moved him into the 27th District. A handful of Morris County towns in the 27th were shifted to another district in 2023. District 24, now comprised mostly of Sussex and Warren counties, has not elected a Democrat since John Sinsimer in 1973, when the district covered different territory in Morris, Union and Passaic counties. In District 21, which includes only three Morris towns, Neil Cohen (1990-1991) is the only Democrat to serve over the past half-century. This article originally appeared on Morristown Daily Record: NJ Assembly candidates in Morris County: Dems, GOP file for primary
Yahoo
25-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Assembly candidacies, contested primaries surge
The number of Assembly candidates running in June's primaries is the highest in nearly 50 years as New Jersey faces a governor's race, the end of county lines, and uncertain federal politics. (Photo by Mary Iuvone for New Jersey Monitor) More candidates are running for seats in the New Jersey Assembly this year than they have at any point since Jimmy Carter was president. This year, 209 Assembly candidates — 123 Democrats and 86 Republicans — will vie for their parties' nomination on June 10, up from the 170 that ran for the lower chamber when it was last on the ballot in 2023. To find a higher total, you have to go back to 1977, when 252 office-seekers launched bids for the Assembly. Dan Cassino, director of the Fairleigh Dickinson University poll, cited this year's crowded race for governor as a factor. 'The fact there's a governor on the ballot means there's more money floating around, and there is more interest in the election overall, and that money does matter. The fact that there are higher profile candidates out there raising money, some of that money leaks down,' Cassino said. 'It might not happen in tax policy, but in politics, there absolutely is trickle-down economics.' The breadth of candidacies has ballooned the number of contested primaries in the state. New Jersey has 40 legislative districts, and each one is represented by one senator and two members of the Assembly (senators are not on the ballot this year). More than two Democrats have filed to run in 24 districts, and Republican candidates will face contested primaries in seven. In 2023, when the state's 80 Assembly seats were last on the ballot, only 11 primaries were contested across both parties. Cassino and others cited the increasingly uncertain national political landscape as a possible cause for the surge. 'We're seeing, I think, more of a blending than we ever have of national and state level politics at this point,' said Ashley Koning, director of Rutgers University's Eagleton Center for Public Interest Polling. Assembly candidates recruited by Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop, who is seeking the Democratic nod for governor, account for most of the primary challenges on his side of the aisle. The 37 candidates running under Fulop's 'Democrats for Change' slogan have mounted bids in 23 of the state's legislative districts, including in two solidly Republican ones where the Democrats are unopposed in their primary. The sharp increase in Assembly candidates this year has created six-way primaries in two districts. In Hudson County's 32nd District, Assemblywoman Jessica Ramirez (D-Hudson) is running alongside Jersey City Councilman Yousef Saleh on a Fulop-aligned slate against Hoboken Public Library director Jennie Pu and Crystal Fonseca, division director of buildings and street maintenance in Jersey City. Pu and Fonseca have the endorsement of the Hudson County Democratic Organization. Also seeking the Democratic nods in that district are Hoboken Mayor Ravi Bhalla and Katie Brennan, a former New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency chief of staff. Brennan's allegations of sexual assault against a staffer on Gov. Phil Murphy's 2017 campaign roiled Trenton and spurred legislative hearings. 'That's a hell of a race,' Cassino said. 'What that does is, first off, because these are well-resourced candidates, you're going to get higher turnout. You're going to get more voters.' In Bergen County's 37th district, Assemblywomen Shama Haider (D-Bergen) and Ellen Park (D-Bergen) face challenges from Tamar Warburg, general counsel for the Jewish Community Foundation of Greater MetroWest NJ, and Tenafly Councilman Daniel Park, both of whom were recruited by Fulop. Former Teaneck Mayor Yitz Stern and real estate agent Rosemary Hernandez Carroll have also launched bids there. The swell of candidacies comes as a broad array of gubernatorial candidates vie for the chance to replace a term-limited Murphy and roughly a year after a federal judge's injunction ended a unique New Jersey ballot design called the county line. County-line ballots grouped all candidates that received official party-backing, whether they were running for president or town council, and often relegated non-endorsed candidates to the far reaches of the ballot. Critics of the system alleged it depressed the number of office-seekers by limiting the number of competitive races in the state. 'New Jersey voters are smart, and it's been clear to them for years now that something in the system is broken, and up until now, our state races have been notoriously uncompetitive,' said Nuzhat Chowdhury, director of the New Jersey Institute for Social Justice's democracy and justice program. Lawmakers have since passed, and Murphy signed, legislation to codify the use of office-block ballots, which group candidates by the office they are seeking. 'With the county line no longer being there to allow parties to influence ballots and elections, I think people finally feel empowered to embrace democracy and run for public service,' Chowdhury said. Though the move to office-block ballots will limit parties' influence on primaries, it won't end it altogether. 'Organizations still matter, even without the line,' said Ben Dworkin, director of the Rowan Institute for Public Policy. 'If you've got a cadre of volunteers, lists of voters who trust you and are willing to listen to your pitch — an organization with those resources to employ on behalf of specific candidates is very likely to make a difference in these races.' Some party organizations, Dworkin added, are better prepared to campaign for their chosen candidates than others. Just two sitting legislators are seeking reelection unopposed. Assemblywoman Verlina Reynolds-Jackson (D-Mercer) and Assemblyman Anthony Verrelli (D-Mercer) have no primary challengers, and no Republicans filed to run in their 15th Legislative District. They could still face challenges in November from unaffiliated and third-party candidates, who must file their nominating petitions before 4 p.m. on June 10. The number of candidates running this year could decline as petition challenges are filed in the coming days. Murphy in February signed legislation that more than doubled existing signature thresholds needed to get on the ballot, and challenges could knock some candidates beneath the 250-signature threshold needed to run for Assembly. In the 28th District, which is largely a collection of Essex County towns, Democrat Nadirah Brown filed to run with 255 signatures and Republican Toye Kumolu filed with 260. Their names would be removed from the ballot if enough of their signatures were invalidated. Though party organizations have sometimes eschewed challenges to longshot candidates' petitions for fear of antagonizing rank-and-file voters over an uncompetitive challenger, they have little reason to fear such backlash this year. 'Unfortunately, we don't know if the public's paying attention. When we talk about state and especially local politics, this is so hard for voters to follow in any state,' Koning said. 'New Jersey has an election every year. Put on top of that the national climate and the barrage of breaking news that voters are experiencing, and it's really hard for voters to pay attention to elections at this level.' Four sitting members of the Assembly — Reginald Atkins (D-Union), John Allen (D-Hudson), Julio Marenco (D-Hudson), and Shavonda Sumter (D-Passaic) — are not seeking reelection. Their decisions to forgo bids for another term were earlier reported by the New Jersey Globe. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
18-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
In surprise move, Shavonda Sumter won't run again for Assembly seat in Passaic County
PATERSON — Shavonda Sumter, who has served in the New Jersey Assembly since 2012, announced Tuesday she won't be running for re-election this year, a decision made a month after she fell short in getting picked to fill a vacant state senator seat. Political operatives called Sumter's announcement surprising, saying the news started to spread among insiders late Monday. But Democratic leaders didn't waste much time finding a replacement. Passaic County Commissioner Orlando Cruz emerged as the party leaders' choice on a ticket that would include two recent appointees — Benjie Wimberly running for Senate and former Paterson councilman Al Abdelaziz for Assembly. Sumter issued a statement highlighting what she described as achievements on economic, health, and social justice issues. 'The time is now to seek other opportunities where I may deploy my talents, gifts and skills,' Sumter said. Wimberly, who beat Sumter by one vote on Jan. 16 to gain the Senate seat, declined to comment on the Assemblywoman's announcement. The two of them have been Assembly colleagues and running mates, representing the state's 35th legislative district for more than a decade. The 35th district includes Paterson, Haledon, North Haledon, Prospect Park, Garfield, and Elmwood Park. Abdelaziz called Sumter 'a dedicated public servant and hard-working advocate.' He did not say who he would like to see become his running mate in the June primary and possibly November general election. Local politics: NJ prosecutor says Paterson councilman should go to jail over cellphone passcode dispute The primary will be complicated by candidates running on tickets with various gubernatorial hopefuls. Cruz, who is head of the Greater Paterson Chamber of Commerce, said he wanted to continued Sumter's 'advocacy for our constituents.' He said he appreciated the support he has been getting for the Assembly seat. 'Representing the district where I have built strong relationships across all communities is a privilege and a responsibility I do not take lightly,' Cruz said. 'As a proud Latino leader in a majority Latino district, I understand the challenges and opportunities facing our families.' Cruz, who has been on the county governing body for two years, said he would be committed to 'inclusivity.' 'If I am elected in the June primary and again in November,' Cruz said, 'I will fight every day for the issues that matter most — strong schools, safe neighborhoods, economic opportunity, and a better future for all.' This article originally appeared on Shavonda Sumter won't run again for NJ Assembly seat in Passaic County
