The New Jersey Legislature has approved legislation to reform the Police and Fire Retirement System (PFRS) by transferring management to a Board of Trustees. The PFRS bill now awaits consideration by Governor Phil Murphy. As more fully detailed in a prior post, Senate Bill 5/Assembly Bill 3671 (S-5/A-3671) transfers management
The Appellate Division of the New Jersey Superior Court has cleared the way for advocacy organizations to gain access to redacted reports detailing settlement agreements and other student records related to services provided to disabled and special needs students. Under the court’s decision, organizations must establish that they are bona
In Grabowsky v. Twp. of Montclair, the Appellate Division clarified when the fund in court exception applies, which alters the general rule that litigants bear their own litigation costs regardless of who prevails. The court held that because no litigation fund was ever created and taxpayers would ultimately bear the expense
The Supreme Court of New Jersey recently held that the public has the right to access recordings from the mobile video recorders (MVRs) in police vehicles under the common law right of access. The court further held in North Jersey Media Group, Inc. v. Township of Lyndhurst that unredacted Use of
The Assembly Homeland Security and State Preparedness Committee recently advanced Assembly Bill No. 1821, which would require 9-1-1 service facilities to be equipped to receive text messages within three years. To help fund the upgrades, the proposed legislation temporarily increases the 9-1-1 System and Emergency Response Fee by 10 percent.
The Appellate Division recently held that the City of Elizabeth (City) and Elizabeth Board of Education (BOE) are immune from liability under the New Jersey Tort Claims Act (TCA) for injuries sustained by a child who was struck by a motor vehicle while crossing the street near a municipal park
Gov. Chris Christie has once again refused to extend the Urban Enterprise Zone (UEZ) program. In his conditional veto message of Assembly Bill. No. 489, the Governor characterized the UEZ program as a “program with apathetic participation and a devastating impact on State revenues without any demonstrable benefit to municipalities or
Urban enterprise zones have expired in five New Jersey municipalities. While the Legislature approved a compromise bill extending the UEZs for another two years, Gov. Chris Christie has yet to act on it. The proposed bill (A-4189/S-2670), which has been approved by the Senate and Assembly, would have prevented UEZ
