July 10, 2019-Solitary confinement isn’t effective. That’s why New Jersey lawmakers are trying to restrict it.
New Jersey lawmakers have passed a bill that is among the most progressive legislative reform to the practice of solitary confinement in the US. The bill would drastically restrict solitary confinement to a maximum of 20 consecutive days or 30 days total over the course of 60 days — a huge reduction of the indefinite sentences prisoners were given in the past. Democratic Gov.
July 2, 2019-Governor Approves
Dear Coalition for a DSP Living Wage: YOU did it! Thanks to you outstanding advocacy, the final FY2020 budget Governor Murphy signed into law yesterday includes $20 million in new state funding for DSP wages (which will generate an additional $20 million with the federal Medicaid match). While this appropriation of $20 million fell short of our goal of $54 million, we are grateful
July 2, 2019-Calling the cops on someone with mental illness can go terribly wrong. Here’s a better idea.
We’ve seen it happen too many times. A person calls 911 to report a disturbance next door or out in the street. The police show up. Things go awry and the police shoot the person at the center of the disturbance — and it turns out that the person had a mental health issue. Read more
July 1, 2019-MURPHY MAKES NJ 12TH STATE WITH OWN HEALTH INSURANCE EXCHANGE New Jersey is the first to make the change since Obamacare was established
Starting in 2020, New Jerseyans seeking health insurance on the state’s individual market will have more time to choose a plan and sign up, better information about how to do so, and greater protections from potential changes in federal policy, thanks to a new law. Read more
July 1, 2019-NJ’S MINIMUM WAGES RISES TO $10 TODAY IN FIRST STEP TOWARD $15
The law increasing New Jersey’s minimum wage from the current $8.85 bears first fruit today Today more than 200,000 New Jerseyans are getting a raise to $10 an hour, the first in the state’s multi-year move toward a $15-an-hour minimum wage. The Democratic-controlled Legislature passed and Gov. Phil Murphy signed the new wage into law five months ago as a way to provide all
June 30, 2019-Red States that refused to expand Medicaid under the ACA are seeing their rural hospitals close down
I saw this video this morning on ABC’s ‘This Week’ about rural hospitals shutting down in states that have refused to expand Medicaid. Unfortunately ABC won’t let me link to their video report. Only the most backward red states have refused to implement expanded Medicaid. Those states are now seeing a lot of their rural hospitals closing down, with many more rural hospitals in deep financial trouble. Read
June 28, 2019-Murphy signs bill to create Obamacare exchange; this is how it will affect you
Gov. Phil Murphy on Friday signed a bill to create a state-operated health insurance exchange for policies that would go into effect in 2021, making good on his priority to protect Obamacare. The measure should allow the state to give consumers more time to sign up for coverage, reversing a Trump administration decision to shorten the open enrollment period, advocates said. “We’re really excited
June 28, 2019-MURPHY: THERE WILL BE NO SHUTDOWN OF STATE GOVERNMENT
Announcement signals governor has given up on push to make a true millionaires tax part of Trenton’s next budget Gov. Phil Murphy officially ruled out a government shutdown over the state budget yesterday, increasing the likelihood that he’ll instead use the line-item veto pen to get a spending plan more to his liking in place within a matter of days. Read more
June 25, 2019-Pallone is Obstructing DIA’s Movement
Pallone is Obstructing DIA’s Movement ADAPT members are in Washington, DC having met yesterday with staff from the House Energy & Commerce Committee in an effort to secure an agreement with House Leadership to take the steps necessary to pass the Disability Integration Act in July 2019. The organization has gone to the committee led by Congressman Frank Pallone (D-NJ) where the Disability Integration
June 25, 2019-The 2 big disagreements between the 2020 Democratic candidates on Medicare-for-all
The Democrats running for president in 2020, while sharing a general goal of “expanding health coverage,” have two fundamental disagreements about health care. One is on the policy: Would the best insurance system be one fully funded by the federal government? The Democrats who support Sen. Bernie Sanders’s Medicare-for-all bill are saying it is, while other candidates prefer to build more gradually on the