Gov. Phil Murphy has done enough State of the State addresses to know the deal: highlight your successes – and give a sneak peek of what may be coming in the more extensive budget address.
Tuesday in Trenton, he didn’t disappoint.
“As I stand before you today, I am honored to report that the state of New Jersey is strong, ascendant, and ready for our greatest chapter yet,” he said. “And though we have come far over the past seven years, let me be absolutely clear: Our jobs are not done. Not by a long shot.”
He then regaled the joint session of the legislature with a large list of items:
On how he will deal with incoming President Donald Trump and the with the preservation of women’s health rights;
On how he will ensure pre-K and all-day kindergarten are available for everyone – while arguing that the cell phones of all kids should be left behind;
And, of course, on how he will help the most needy – whether it be more affordable housing or a fair shot at government contracts.
Murphy recognized that his time as governor soon will be up. And he pledged he will keep working for the 370 days he now has left in office.
“To all of our neighbors in New Jersey who feel as if they have been forgotten, I give you my word: We are going to spend every minute we have left fighting for you and your economic future,” he said.
With that, a look at some of his talking points, in the order in which they were delivered.
Donald Trump
Murphy has long talked of his personal relationship with the president-elect. He explained how that will impact his relationship with Trump after Trump returns to the oval office on Jan. 20.
“Here is my promise to the people of New Jersey: I will never back away from partnering with the Trump Administration where our priorities align,” he started. “But just as importantly, I will never back down from defending our New Jersey values — if and when they are tested.”
He then quoted who he called a former Trenton-area bartender better known as Jersey’s own Jon Stewart: “If you don’t stick to your values when they’re being tested, they’re not values: they’re hobbies.”
Quick take: Murphy is one of a small handful of governors still in office who were in office during the first Trump administration. Trump is going to do what Trump is going to do. But that political familiarity – combined with their personal relationship and the fact Trump has a home here – puts New Jersey a few steps ahead of most states.
Minimum wage
Murphy took a bow for his efforts to raise the minimum wage, which now stands at $15.49 an hour – or more than twice as high as it was when he first took office.
Quick take: You can argue the rise in wages is a cause of some of the rise in prices, but that is stretching it a bit. There are a lot of issues with the economy and economic prosperity, raising the minimum wage has not been the doomsday scenario so many business leaders said it would be.
Retire Ready
Murphy took a bow for Retire Ready NJ, the state’s first-ever, publicly run retirement savings program. It offers nearly every worker in our state an option to invest in their family’s future.
Murphy said it cost taxpayers close-to-nothing to launch the program — and it is providing a big help to families.
Quick take: The program already has been a huge success, one the administration probably hasn’t touted enough. If you ‘re not familiar with it, that’s likely because you don’t need it – and wrongly assume that no one does.
Paid parental leave
Starting this year, as part of first lady Tammy Murphy’s Nurture NJ initiative, the state will introduce a new paid parental leave policy for the tens of thousands of public servants who work in state government.
This will ensure that these workers can continue earning a full salary while caring for a newborn during one of the most crucial stages of development.
Quick take: I have five kids. Raising them has been the most important – and most gratifying – part of my life. Paid parental leave (for mothers and fathers) should be mandatory for all companies.
Full-day K
Murphy said he is going to work the Legislature to enact a new proposal requiring school districts to provide full-day kindergarten in the communities that still lack it.
Quick take: This – in addition to free pre-K – is the best economic investment we can make in families and the state. The best by far.
Phones in classrooms
Murphy, a father of four, said he knows from personal experience that cell phones are an obstacle to education and a vehicle for cyberbullying – noting that the rise in smartphone usage has coincided with a growing youth mental health crisis.
He announced his support for a new proposal that will direct school districts across New Jersey to adopt policies that ban cell phones from our K-12 classrooms and help establish phone-free schools.
Quick take: Good idea … and good luck with that. But, perhaps, making it a state law would make it a lot easier for schools to enforce.
Disparity study
Murphy, citing the shameful disparity study that the state needed six years to produce, said he is calling on the Legislature to enact a package of bills that will connect businesses from underserved communities with new public contracting opportunities.
Quick take: The study was released nearly a year ago (Jan. 23); the legislative package was introduced nearly four months ago (Sept. 23). It’s easy to argue, if the state really wanted to do something, they would have by now.
My guess: Not a single owner of a minority or women-owned business believes anything will change. Not one.
Housing
Murphy noted that his administration and the Legislature already had passed the most sweeping affordable housing legislation in more than 40 years. This year, he said he’s calling on the Legislature to reform our state’s zoning and permitting laws, which he said will make it easier to build new housing in the communities where it’s needed most.
By cutting red tape and easing outdated restrictions, Murphy said the state can build potentially thousands of new, affordable housing units over the next decade.
Quick take: Everyone is in favor of this – but it’s hard to see how any legislation will truly impact housing costs. If there was such a solution, every state in the nation would be using it. Fully support the idea. Fully support the effort. Just wonder if it’s possible.
Transportation/NJ Transit
Murphy said his administration embarked on a historic undertaking to rebuild and reimagine our entire transportation system. He noted a dedicated funding stream to support the future of NJ Transit (read: A major tax on business). And he noted N.J. didn’t ‘mooch’ off its neighbors (his words) to meet its fiscal needs (though we’re guessing it has led to increased NJ Transit ridership).
Murphy also noted the full-funding of the Hudson River Tunnel Project, which will reduce transit delays and double the number of one-seat rides to and from Manhattan.
Quick take: This is all true. But no one thinks the transportation issue is anywhere close to being fixed. Up to you to decide if the administration has taken major steps to fixing a major problem – or only made major proclamations.
Mobile IDs
Murphy said he wants the Legislature to send him the proposed bill that will allow every New Jerseyan to obtain mobile driver’s licenses and IDs that are accessible from their smartphone.
This is just common sense, he said.
Quick take: He’s right.
No more farm credits
New Jersey’s Farmland Assessment Act of 1964 has been criticized for being abused by wealthy landowners and corporations. (Imagine that.) The program was originally intended to help struggling farmers, but it often his used as a loophole for tax avoidance by the wealthy.
Murphy said he’s calling on the Legislature to reform New Jersey’s tax system and eliminate this flaw once and for all.
Quick take: Murphy’s right to want to do this. And he’s right to suggest it’s an example of government listening to the people (the idea came from the ‘Ask the Governor’ radio show). This can be done quickly – if there’s truly a will to do it.
Women’s health
Murphy, who has long been a staunch supporter of women’s health care freedoms, noted the state worked proactively to protect abortion rights months before Roe v. Wade was overturned.
He’s now calling on the Legislature to pass a law that will scrap out-of-pocket costs for abortion procedures – and announced that New Jersey will begin stockpiling a supply of Mifepristone, so every woman can access this crucial form of reproductive care.
Quick take: Women should have complete control of their bodies.
Clean energy
Murphy said one of his proudest accomplishments has been making generational progress in protecting the environment. The state already has set one of the most ambitious clean energy goals in the country – running New Jersey on 100% clean energy by 2035. He’s asking the state to now codify that clean energy standard into law.
Quick take: Everyone is in favor of clean energy. The debate is on what is a reasonable way to reach that goal.
Voting rights
Murphy said it’s time to pass legislation that will make same-day voter registration a reality in the state.
Quick take: All good. Just make sure people have to show ID to be able to register – and to vote.
Conclusion
Murphy told those close to him that he wanted this speech to be no different than any other. In other words, you wouldn’t be able to tell if it was his first year in office or his last.
He pledged to keep moving forward, impacting life in New Jersey as best he can.
“The best way to predict the future is to create it,” he said.
The upcoming budget battle will determine just how much say he will have in doing just that.
