The two percent cap on interest arbitration awards expired at the end of the year 2017. In response, lawmakers in both the New Jersey Senate and Assembly recently introduced legislation to permanently extend the 2% Interest Arbitration cap, which limits how much compensation arbitrators can award police and firefighters who have
Given the stark differences in policy, the leadership change from Gov. Chris Christies election of Gov. Phil Murphy is certain to result in changes for local governments and state agencies. Since taking office, Gov. Murphy has issued ten executive orders, which tackle issues such as wind energy, equal pay, and
The New Jersey Senate is currently considering legislation that aims to encourage and facilitate the provision of local and regional services through shared service agreements and joint contracts. Notably, Senate Bill 1 provides that a municipality would be subject to a reduction in State aid if it fails to approve a recommendation
Governor Phil Murphy’s first Executive Order aims to bolster equal pay and gender equity at state agencies. Under Executive Order 1 (EO1), state agencies and offices are expressly banned from asking a job applicant for their past wage history or investigating the prior salaries of their applicants, unless required by
In Libertarians For Transparent Government v. Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office, the Appellate Division held that the state’s Open Public Records Act (OPRA) does not require a covered entity to provide a detailed disclosure of the reasons for an employee’s resignation. OPRA Personnel Record Exemption OPRA contains an exemption for personnel records.
In the wake of reports that the Edison Board of Education was defrauded out of $75,000, school districts and other municipal agencies are reminded to conduct due diligence in researching all vendors. Once the contract is signed, it is also imperative to periodically review that the vendor is performing the
The New Jersey Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (NJSPCA) must comply with the state’s Open Public Records Act, according to the Appellate Division. The decision in Wronko v. New Jersey Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals highlights that quasi-public organizations often have obligations under OPRA.
With New Jersey poised to legalize recreational cannabis, local municipalities have some tough decisions to make. Many are already crafting regulations to either allow or prohibit cannabis dispensaries and other businesses. Proposed NJ Cannabis Bill Allows Local Ordinances Sen. Nicholas Scutari recently reintroduced legislation that would legalize recreational use of small
