Quick hits: New Jersey news in brief for Friday, Feb. 5
Murphy signs law to create more open space projects
Gov. Phil Murphy has signed into law a pair of bills to create more open space projects.
A-5114/S-3229 allocates $37.16 million to the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) for capital projects and park development. S-3230/A-5115 appropriates $30.3 million to fund the acquisition of land for recreation and conservation.
“I am proud that this legislation will be enacted today,” state Sen. Kristin Corrado, R-40, said in a news release. “These are initiatives that will improve the standard of living in our densely populated Garden State, including the development of parks and recreation lands, and purchasing and maintaining acreage for Green Acres and crucial Blue Acres projects.”
Law provides exemption to civil service examination requirement
Gov. Phil Murphy has signed into law S-3220/A-5122, allowing some entry-level law enforcement officers to skip the Civil Service Commission (CSC) Law Enforcement Examination requirement.
“The exemption only applies if a person demonstrates successful completion of a police training course approved by the New Jersey Police Training Commission,” Murphy said in a signing statement.
The CSC attempts “to create a neutral, objective, and equitable” opportunity for candidates to serve as police officers, the governor added. However, “these tests can sometimes yield eligibility lists that disproportionately reflect non-minority candidates at the top of the list.”
O’Scanlon: Patronize local restaurants to support industry
State Sen. Declan O’Scanlon, R-Monmouth, wants New Jerseyans to patronize local restaurants to support the restaurant industry.
“For many of our beloved establishments these coming months will be like a marathoner, exhausted, being able to see the finish line … but not being able to reach it,” O’Scanlon said in a news release.
“With warm weather and vaccine impact coming this spring we just have to help them make it through the next few months,” O’Scanlon added. “Those of us who love them understand the critical importance of this core, job-creating industry.”
State senator wants to give patients authority to grow medical cannabis at home
A state senator wants to give patients the authority to grow medical cannabis at home and use tax dollars to subsidize products bought at a dispensary.
“We know that medical cannabis has the potential to treat a vast range of health conditions, especially those often addressed with opioid prescriptions,” state Sen. Troy Singleton, D-Burlington, said in a news release. “By authorizing home grow and subsidizing product sold at medical dispensaries, similar to how we cover other medications, we can ensure that cannabis is accessible to all potential medical users, regardless of income.”
– The Center Square
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