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FROM NJ SPOTLIGHT 21 APRIL 2023

Today marks the one-year anniversary of legal sales of marijuana for recreational use in New Jersey. Some 25 dispensaries are now open to the public, double the initial number approved as of last April; all are major retailers who already held licenses to sell medical marijuana in the state. According to the latest figures from the N.J. Cannabis Regulatory Commission, recreational marijuana users have spent more than $325 million, yielding more than $20 million in tax revenue. ——————————————————————————————————–

FROM NJ SPOTLIGHT 20 APRIL 2023

RUTGERS strike still threatens the health and well being of the University. Leaders of faculty unions at Rutgers University said today that their members could renew their historic strike in the absence of progress on remaining contract issues in negotiations with management. READ MORE

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Highland Park School District came out a big winner in Gov. Phil Murphy’s $531 billion budget proposal with an increase in funding of 34.2 percent. The proposed state aid for 2023/24 HP School District is $6,416,165, an increase of $1,636,138 or 34.2 percent. The biggest slice of Gov. Phil Murphy’s  budget proposal for the next fiscal year is state funding for public education. And the biggest slice of that is direct aid to local schools. Funding is set to increase for 400-plus districts, but 157 districts face cuts. READ MORE

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The six remaining members of the council must take a majority vote to fill the mayor’s position through December 31, 2023. A general election for a full, four-year mayoral term starting January 1, 2024 will occur on November 7, 2023.
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Plan for Your Child’s College Education With NJBEST

New Jersey’s 529 College Savings Plan, NJBEST, can help you get a head start on saving for your child’s education. Taxpayers with household adjusted gross income up to $75,000 are eligible for a one-time match of up to $750 with an initial deposit into a new NJBEST plan account for new beneficiaries. https://www.njbest.com/?utm_campaign=20221111_nwsltr&utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery

Get Covered New Jersey: Open Enrollment Happening Now

More options and lower premiums are available for residents seeking health insurance coverage at Get Covered New Jersey, the official health insurance marketplace of New Jersey. About 9 in 10 residents who enroll through Get Covered New Jersey will qualify for financial assistance with health coverage premiums. No one will pay more than 8.5 percent of their income for health insurance through Get Covered New Jersey. The Open Enrollment Period for 2023 coverage at Get Covered New Jersey will run from November 1st, 2022 to January 31st, 2023. READ MORE

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Today is Election Day. Polls are open from 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Find a polling place near you. Find your ballot https://www.ballotready.org/v/

If you requested a mail-in ballot, it is not too late to return it! You can return it one of the following three ways:

Mail: It must be postmarked on or before 8:00 p.m. Election Day and be received by your county’s Board of Elections on or before 6 days after Election Day.Secure Ballot Drop Box: Place it in one of your county’s secure ballot drop boxes by 8:00 p.m. on Election Day. Secure Ballot Drop Box locationsBoard of Elections Office: Deliver it in person to your county’s Board of Elections Office by 8:00 p.m. on Election Day. County Election Officials

If you need information about how to vote or if you are encountering any problems while voting, please call the voter hotline at 1-877-NJ-VOTER (1-877-658-6837). Find a Polling Place
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From the Washington Post, Friday, November 4, 2022 by Dan Diamond:

Early this Sunday morning, Americans will engage in the annual autumnal ritual of “falling back” — setting their clocks back one hour to conform with standard time. If some lawmakers had their way, it would mark the end of a tradition that has stretched for more than a century. But a familiar story unspooled of congressional gridlock and a relentless lobbying campaign, this one from advocates that some jokingly call “Big Sleep.”

A bill to permanently “spring forward” has been stalled in Congress for more than seven months, as lawmakers trade jabs over whether the Senate should have passed the legislation at all. House officials say they’ve been deluged by voters with split opinions and warnings from sleep specialists who insist that adopting permanent standard time instead would be healthier, and congressional leaders admit they just don’t know what to do. “We haven’t been able to find consensus in the House on this yet,” Rep. Frank Pallone Jr. (D-N.J., Highland Park’s representative in Congress) said in a statement to The Washington Post. READ MORE

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George Street Playhouse (GSP)is excited to welcome back audiences to the New Brunswick Performing Arts Center and announces casting for the upcoming production of Her Portmanteau a new play by Mfoniso Udofia, directed by Laiona Michelle. Performances go through October 30, 2022. “We can’t wait to welcome audiences back and jump start our exciting 2022-23 season with Her Portmanteau, a moving play about a mother and her daughters.” said David Saint, Artistic Director, George Street Playhouse. Her Portmanteau by playwright Mfoniso Udofia will be directed by George Street Playhouse’s Artistic Associate Laiona Michelle (Little Girl Blue, Book of Mormon). Mfoniso Udofia’s moving work, which The New York Times called “extraordinary,” touches on universal themes of mother-daughter relationships, forgiveness, reconciliation, and the struggle associated with leaving our countries of origin behind, while still holding on to its rich cultural heritage. READ MORE

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Mayor Gayle Brill Mittler said the following about Highland Park’s $22,530 grant for installation of parklets in the downtown and how this initiative fulfills an important goal of community life. “One of the things we learned from the pandemic was the importance of community and the need for more public gathering spaces. These two issues don’t go away when the virus recedes. Public spaces for human contact, sharing ideas, sipping coffee or tea, or just connecting with neighbors outside of our usual contact groups all help to build a better sense of community. This goes beyond supporting our local businesses. READ MORE

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