Thursday, February 25, 2021
On February 22, 2021, after months of delay and uncertainty, Governor Phil Murphy signed a series of bills legalizing the recreational use of cannabis in New Jersey. While many in the state may rejoice over this development, employers will have to adapt quickly to new restrictions on their treatment of employees who consume cannabis.
Background
On November 3, 2020, New Jerseyans voted overwhelmingly in favor of a referendum and constitutional amendment to legalize and decriminalize the recreational use of cannabis. The ballot initiative followed on previous legislation legalizing the medical use of cannabis under the New Jersey Compassionate Use Medical Marijuana Act and the Jake Honig Compassionate Use Medical Cannabis Act. As of January 1, the New Jersey Constitution was amended to enshrine the legalization.
Advocates and lawmakers warned state prison officials that a sergeant working at New Jersey s women s prison was known among the inmates as an abuser six months before he was charged in a January attack on women there.
In August, four women lawmakers sent a letter to the Corrections Department legal affairs office asking the state to look into concerns about Sgt. or Lt. Bethea.
Bonnie Kerness, an advocate with the American Friends Service Committee Prison Watch who routinely speaks to inmates, had gotten several phone calls from inmates about Bethea s conduct, the letter says. Groups like prison watch receive many complaints and reports, but this one was specific enough that we wanted to bring it to your attention, reads the letter sent on behalf of Assemblywomen Valerie Vainieri Huttle, D-Bergen, and Yvonne Lopez, D-Middlesex, and Sen. Linda Greenstein, D-Middlesex.
It s been almost a year since Gov. Murphy has single-handedly taken power away from your representatives in the Legislature and RULED over our lives. A state of emergency, as written in the New Jersey Constitution, was intended for brief periods of time, like in the aftermath of a storm, natural disaster or attack. Several attempts have been made by a small handful of legislators to limit that power to 15 days, subject to the approval of YOUR representatives in the assembly and senate.
Several small demonstrations took place early on to urge the governor to give the power back to the people. The power for people to run their own business. The power to assemble and go to their jobs. The freedom to live life. The reason people haven t done more to force his hand is because they are ignorant, scared and weak. If you re one of those people that think Murphy s doing a great job, then that means YOU.
New Jersey Supreme Court rules Jersey City teachers can be paid for full-time union work
Updated Feb 03, 2021;
Posted Feb 03, 2021
JCEA President Ron Greco speaks at the press conference held on Monday, April 29, 2019, to announce that the JCBOE has filed a lawsuit seeking to overturn dramatic cuts in state education aid. (Reena Rose Sibayan | The Jersey Journal)Reena Rose Sibayan | The Jersey Journal
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The Jersey City Public Schools can use district funds to pay for two teachers performing union work full-time, the state Supreme Court ruled Wednesday.
In an opinion delivered by Justice Anne Patterson, the high court reinstated the trial court’s initial ruling allowing the practice known as “release time.” An appellate court had reversed that decision, setting up a state Supreme Court showdown that had implications across New Jersey.