What’s Important to Know About NJ This Week –06/30/2024

Jun 30, 2024

Teacher’s Union Continues Dark Money Tradition, TANF Not Helping, The NJ Budget Bomb, NJ Transit Sticker Shock

NJEA Continues it’s Dark Money Tradition
NJ Education Report

Matt Friedman at Politico (paywalled) and Mike Lilley at Sunlight explain that in January 2024 Garden State Forward, NJEA’s super PAC, contributed $2 million in teacher member dues to Spiller’s dark money PAC called “Protecting Our Democracy,” which is intended to boost Spiller’s name recognition and credibility. This contribution was duly reported to the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission (ELEC). However, based on a tip, they were able to verify that in 2022 the NJEA super PAC gave Spiller’s PAC two donations, one for $1 million in April 2022 and another for $2 million in September 2022 , that was not reported to ELEC but was visible on Garden State Forward’s IRS Form 8872 filings.

Also, Friedman says NJEA’s spokesman Steve Baker verified that Garden State Forward recently gave Spiller’s PAC another $3 million, “bringing its total funding to at least $8 million.” Read More

TANF Needs an Upgrade
NJ Policy Perspective

For a family of three, the TANF monthly grant provides a maximum of $559 per month – only about $6,708 per year.[v] This is more than $6,000 below the deep poverty level.[vi] When accounting for the actual cost of living in New Jersey, a single parent with two children needs roughly $86,759 per year in order to meet their basic needs.[vii] Even excluding child care costs, a single parent with two children needs almost $63,000 per year, more than twice the federal poverty level for a family of three, to cover bills.[viii] Read More

NJ Budget is a 57 Billion Dollar Money Bomb
NJ Monitor

Gov. Phil Murphy signed the $56.6 billion annual spending bill Friday after the Legislature approved it in votes divided largely along party lines, two days ahead of a deadline that would have forced a state government shutdown.

The budget, the largest in state history, calls for New Jersey to spend $2.1 billion more than it takes in but maintains full funding of the state’s pension obligations and its school funding formula, which will reach full funding for the first time since it was enacted in 2008. Read More

NJ Transit Commuters Facing Sticker Shock
NJ Spotlight News

Commuters who rely on New Jersey Transit trains, buses and light rail are bracing for a 15% fare increase that’s set to go into effect on Monday.

The fare hike, the first in nearly a decade, is meant to help the transit agency address its large projected budget shortfalls. After the 15% increase this year, fares are scheduled to rise 3% annually. Read More

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