In November of 2020 Governor Phil Murphy signed legislation, P.L. 2020, Chapters 128 and 129, mandating by June 1, 2021, that “every uniformed State, county, and municipal patrol law enforcement officer” wear a body worn camera (“BWC”) that records audio and video while acting in the performance of their duties.  On the same day this legislation was enacted, Governor Murphy also signed Executive Order 201, establishing the Interagency Working Group on Body Worn Cameras.  The 14-member working group was tasked with reviewing any obstacles in regards to the implementation of the new law, as well as providing recommendations for solutions to these barriers. 

On April 9 Governor Murphy signed into law legislation that would require ballot drop boxes at certain locations under certain circumstances. Specifically, P.L. 2021, c. 44 would require at least one ballot drop box beginning with the 2021 General Election at any county government building that is the main office of the County Clerk, in each municipality with 5,000 or more residents, at the main campus of each State College or Universities and at the main campus of each independent four-year college or university with enrollments larger than 5,000 students. If two or more ballot drop boxes are separated by a distance of less than 2,000 feet the Board of Elections must determine a secondary location in the same municipality but a different location. Whenever possible at least one ballot drop box must be located in a municipality with an average per capita income or a median family income at or below 250% of the federal poverty guideline.

The White House released specifics of the $2 trillion American Jobs Plan legislative proposal that focuses on roads and bridges; public transportation; resilient infrastructure; drinking water; housing; broadband; caregiving; manufacturing; home energy; clean energy jobs; and veterans’ healthcare. A state-by-state Fact Sheet was released today and shows the current state of New Jersey’s infrastructure.