Governor Murphy Highlights More Than $1 Billion Investment in Child Care Sector

Governor Phil Murphy highlighted that his Administration has invested more than $1 billion in expanding access to high-quality, affordable child care across New Jersey. The Governor also announced an additional $17 million in funding for the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA) Child Care Facilities Improvement Program. With these new resources, New Jersey is dedicating more than $140 million to improve child care infrastructure, representing one of the largest investments of any state in the country. The announcement was made at a child care center in West Orange that is expanding access to services thanks to funding from the NJEDA. 

Building on the Murphy Administration’s comprehensive strategy to support the state’s vital child care sector, the NJEDA’s Child Care Facilities Improvement Program provides grants to eligible child care providers for improvements that contribute to high quality early childhood learning environments. Through the program, which awards grants of up to $200,000, the NJEDA has approved $85 million in grants to over 400 child care centers that collectively enroll over 34,000 children and employ over 8,500 staff. With the inclusion of new funding announced, the NJEDA now anticipates another 200 centers will receive awards, bringing the total to more than 600 child care centers across all 21 New Jersey counties. Nearly a third of all awards are to centers located in Opportunity Zones.

“Affordable, exceptional child care is a vital part of a stronger and fairer New Jersey economy, and the increased funding announced today will strengthen our state’s economic security and provide equitable opportunities to working parents,” said Governor Phil Murphy. “Increased access to high-quality child care allows more parents to return to the workforce, bolstering New Jersey’s economic growth and competitiveness. Thank you to the Biden-Harris Administration, who have provided record-high federal funding to expand access to child care, health care, and other critical resources for families in the Garden State.” 

With the additional $17 million in Federal American Rescue Plan State Fiscal Recovery Fund funding announced, the NJEDA anticipates being able to approve all eligible child care centers that applied to Phase One of the program, which is no longer accepting new applications. A significant focus of the program is expanding or unlocking capacity within child care centers, especially for infants and toddlers. All construction work is delivered by New Jersey Department of Labor Registered Public Works Contractors and subject to prevailing wage and affirmative action monitoring.

READ MORE

New Jersey Slated to Get a Total of $168M for Water Infrastructure

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced $3.6 billion in new funding under the Biden-Harris Administration’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) to upgrade water infrastructure and keep communities safe. New Jersey is slated to get more than $168 million for drinking water and wastewater improvements – including the $44 million that was announced as part of EPA’s announcement of the Lead and Copper Rule Improvements earlier this month. This BIL funding will help communities across the state upgrade water infrastructure that is essential to safely managing wastewater, protecting local freshwater resources, and delivering safe drinking water to homes, schools, and businesses. 

These Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funds will flow through the Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Funds (CWSRF and DWSRF), a long-standing federal-state water investment partnership. This multibillion-dollar investment will fund state-run, low-interest loan programs that address key challenges in financing water infrastructure. This announcement includes allotments for New Jersey’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Clean Water General Supplemental funds totaling $101 million, Emerging Contaminant funds totaling $8.7 million, and $13.6 million in funds under the Drinking Water Emerging Contaminant Fund. 

“We are grateful to the Biden-Harris Administration, New Jersey's congressional delegation, and the Environmental Protection Agency for their continued support in helping us build a cleaner and healthier Garden State through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law,” said New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy. “This newly announced funding will help New Jersey communities with the vital tasks of ensuring that everyone in New Jersey has access to clean, safe drinking water and protecting and improving water quality throughout the state. These critical investments in our environmental infrastructure will help protect our citizens from lead and forever chemicals in drinking water, support proper management of wastewater and stormwater to protect our surface and ground waters, and create good-paying jobs for New Jerseyans.”

READ MORE

Governor Murphy Announces Planned Innovation Center Based in Newark

Governor Phil Murphy announced that the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA) and the New Jersey Innovation Institute (NJII), a corporation of the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT), have launched the NJII Venture Studio, the state’s latest Strategic Innovation Center (SIC). The NJII Venture Studio will focus on accelerating and commercializing intellectual property with a focus on high technology and information technology developed by NJIT, NJII and NJIT’s corporate partners, as well as other academic institutions who contribute to the advancement of the industry. This will be the seventh SIC in New Jersey announced under the Murphy Administration.

"Since I took office, my administration has been laser focused on positioning New Jersey as a national leader in innovation and technology development," said Governor Phil Murphy. "The NJII Venture Studio, our seventh Strategic Innovation Center, will provide aspiring entrepreneurs with access to cutting-edge technology and the chance to collaborate with industry experts. This exciting initiative reinforces New Jersey's reputation as a hub for innovation and research and the tremendous expertise within our state’s research universities.”

NJII, a non-profit subsidiary corporation established by NJIT in 2014, will operate and manage the Studio. The NJEDA and NJII have entered into a non-binding term sheet to establish the creation, funding, and management of the Venture Studio with an opportunity to make equity investments into participating companies. The Studio, which will be located in the Paul Profeta Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Newark, will seek to launch two to three start-ups a year over a four-year period.

The Venture Studio will provide emerging companies with necessary business training, operating services, physical space, and management guidance to transform their research into commercially viable products and services. Pending approval by its Board, the NJEDA intends to invest $5.8 million into the project on a 1:1 basis with NJII, with program funding for the Venture Studio totaling $11.6 million.

READ MORE

Lt. Governor Way, Attorney General Platkin, and OHSP Director Doran Announce Safeguards to Protect the Right to Vote During the 2024 General Election

Lieutenant Governor Tahesha Way, Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin, and New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness (NJOHSP) Director Laurie Doran announced that the State of New Jersey will be taking a multi-pronged approach to help ensure that the 2024 General Election is fair, transparent, secure, and runs smoothly. Among the efforts highlighted are the Division of Elections Voter Information project and the Department of Law and Public Safety’s (LPS) Voter Protection Initiative.

Presidential general elections see the highest voter participation numbers, and it is important for voters to know what to expect. New Jersey law contains many checks and balances to protect the right to vote, and the State has implemented measures that prioritize voting integrity and safety.

“As chief election official, I am proud to work with my state and federal law enforcement and security colleagues to support our county election officials as they administer free and fair elections for all New Jersey voters,” said Lieutenant Governor Tahesha Way, who leads the New Jersey Division of Elections in her capacity as Secretary of State. “Together, we ensure that our elections are safe, secure, and free from interference. Every New Jersey voter can prepare to participate in this election by visiting vote.nj.gov and making their plan to vote.”

“New Jersey is fully prepared to quickly and decisively identify and resolve any issues related to voting,” said Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin. “Voting is the cornerstone of our democracy and a fundamental right. We will do everything in our power to ensure every eligible voter can exercise their right to participate in the democratic process without interference.”

“Year round, the New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness collaborates with local, state, and federal partners through the Election Security Task Force to protect our elections and uphold our democratic processes,” said NJOHSP Director Laurie Doran. “As we prepare for the 2024 presidential election, NJOHSP and the Task Force are focused on ensuring New Jersey’s public safety and election officials are equipped to handle all threats and hazards, whether physical or cyber, foreign or domestic.”

READ MORE

New Jersey Board of Public Utilities Announces Adoption of Minimum Filing Requirements for Medium-and-Heavy-Duty Electric Vehicles

The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (NJBPU) announced on Wednesday the adoption of minimum filing requirements (MFRs) that direct the state’s investor-owned electric distribution companies (EDCs) to propose programs to expand charging access for medium-and-heavy-duty (MHD) electric vehicles (EVs) and fleets. The expansion of New Jersey’s EV charging ecosystem will catalyze the ongoing clean transition of the state’s fleet, yielding significant greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reductions within the state’s transportation sector and improving localized air quality.

New Jersey’s transportation sector accounts for nearly 40% of the state’s net GHG emissions, with MHD trucks and busses emitting an outsized share of those emissions. Low-income neighborhoods and communities of color are more likely to be exposed to these pollutants due to their disproportionate proximity to freight corridors, ports, and distribution centers. The adopted MFRs allow utilities to provide additional “bonus” incentives for overburdened municipalities and overburdened communities adjacent to Freight EV Corridors, as well as small businesses.

“Today’s announcement by the BPU is a key part of my Administration’s whole-of-government approach to reducing harmful emissions from the transportation sector that negatively impact the health of our residents,” said Governor Phil Murphy. “Along with New Jersey’s action on Advanced Clean Trucks and the Clean Corridors Coalition, we are building a robust charging infrastructure for a clean transportation future.”

“Under Governor Murphy’s leadership and in coordination with New Jersey’s EDCs, the NJBPU remains at the forefront of advancing smart, clean transportation initiatives and infrastructure that provide considerable health and environmental benefits,” said NJBPU President Christine Guhl-Sadovy. “These benefits are especially vital to the overburdened communities that have borne the brunt of air pollution and its health effects for far too long.”

READ MORE