Murphy appoints interim N.J. attorney general following the departure of Gurbir Grewal

Andrew Bruck
New Jersey First Assistant Attorney General Andrew Bruck.


By Blake Nelson and Brent Johnson | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

Gov. Phil Murphy has appointed Andrew Bruck, the state’s leading assistant attorney general, to be New Jersey’s top law enforcement official for the rest of the year.

Bruck, 38, will serve as the state’s acting attorney general until Murphy’s term ends in January. The Democratic governor is running for re-election in November.

Bruck succeeds Gurbir Grewal, who has been New Jersey’s longest-serving attorney general in decades but announced Tuesday he was stepping down to investigate financial misconduct with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, the federal agency that regulates financial markets.

A graduate of Princeton University and Stanford Law School, Bruck worked at the U.S. Department of Justice and in the U.S. Attorney’s Office in New Jersey before joining the state attorney general’s office.

“Over the last three and a half years, he has played in a leading role in our efforts to build trust between communities and law enforcement and to stand up for New Jersey’s residents in the face of attacks from Washington, D.C.,” Murphy said Wednesday at his latest coronavirus briefing in Trenton.

“Andrew’s a star,” the governor added during his radio show later in the evening.

Bruck is the first known openly gay attorney general in state history, at a time when officials are apologizing for the office’s past treatment of LGBTQ residents.

“This reflects our continuing commitment to ensuring that our state government reflects the rich diversity of our people,” Murphy said.

Click for full story

If you liked this post you’ll love our daily newsletter, EnviroPolitics. It’s packed with the latest news, commentary, and legislative updates from New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York, Delaware…and beyond. Don’t take our word for it, try it free for an entire month. No obligation.

Murphy appoints interim N.J. attorney general following the departure of Gurbir Grewal Read More »

NJ Senate approves bill exempting commercial fisherman from state unemployment tax

(Pixabay)

Legislation approved by the Senate and sponsored by Senator Michael Testa would exempt commercial fishermen from a portion of the state unemployment tax.

“Currently, New Jersey’s commercial fishermen are on the hook for unemployment taxes, but they are not paid hourly wages and they have never been able to collect unemployment benefits,” said Testa (R-1). “This bill will have significant impact on the state’s vital fishing industry that has been extremely hard-hit by the pandemic.”

Testa’s bill (S-3501) would exempt commercial fisherman who are paid on the percentage of fish caught or a percentage of the selling price of those fish from the state unemployment law and its costly tax on earnings.

“It will allow dedicated, skilled fisherman to keep more of their hard-earned income, a change that suits the independent nature of the proud individuals who make their living at sea,” Testa noted.

Related news:
Coast Guard Helicopter Rescues 3 Commercial Fishermen
Canada announces big cuts to commercial fishing to protect wild salmon that orcas eat

The Garden State’s fishing industry is one of the most robust in the United States, and the Port of Cape May consistently ranks in Top 10 in the nation.

New Jersey fisheries contribute more than $1 billion annually to the state’s economy, with some estimates doubling that total.

“The fishing industry is vitally important to the entire state, but here in the coastal communities, it is the very lifeblood of small communities up and down the shoreline,” said Testa. “After a challenging year, this bill signifies a changing tide for our fisheries.”

Don’t miss environmental news like this Click for updates


NJ Senate approves bill exempting commercial fisherman from state unemployment tax Read More »

June 30 Online Webinar. NJ’s Impending Environmental Justice Regulatory Program: How Will it Work?

New Jersey’s Environmental Justice Law, enacted in 2020, has been characterized as one of the broadest in the nation and a model for other jurisdictions. The law requires New Jersey to deny or condition permits for certain facilities that would have a disproportionate environmental impact on already overburdened communities. But how will this work? Now that the stakeholder meetings are concluding, officials from the NJDEP will join Riker Danzig attorneys to discuss the complex issues involved in implementing the regulations to be proposed later this year.

• Overview of the Environmental Justice Law, Subject Entities, and Requirements
• NJDEP’s Perspective on Implementation and Recent Stakeholder Meetings
• Questions and Answers About Critical Implementation Issues
• Potential Litigation and Challenges Following Implementation

Jun 30, 2021, 9 AM in Eastern Time (US and Canada) 
Add to calendar
Webinar ID895 9725 3218

To Join the Webinar

Join from a PC, Mac, iPad, iPhone or Android device:

Please click this URL to join. https://us02web.zoom.us/w/89597253218?tk=E3LxYVKGz_d1K5APCLeEY1M-dNx1LTaK9PXABiQw8qg.DQIAAAAU3GmWYhY2YkNlaXRNb1E5eXdHaURHd0ZiUXFnAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA&pwd=NWpPWWdvTXdCVDB2bTRYOCtDUlJOQT09&uuid=WN_HfL3VAPbQwimZgXLKhUbPQ

Don’t miss environmental info like this Click for updates

June 30 Online Webinar. NJ’s Impending Environmental Justice Regulatory Program: How Will it Work? Read More »

Universities, research institutions invited to compete to create a climate center on Governors Island


By the Brooklyn Eagle Staff, June 28, 2021

Mayor Bill de Blasio and The Trust for Governors Island on Monday launched a global competition to create a climate-focused research and educational hub on Governors Island. 

The competition invites universities and research institutions to establish an anchor institution for a Climate Solutions Center, dedicated to combating the climate crisis in the heart of New York City’s harbor. 

The Center, plans for which were announced in November 2020, will capitalize on New York City’s unique talent pool to prepare communities around the world for the impacts of climate change; create good-paying green jobs across the city; and foster public awareness, dialogue, and action to address the global climate crisis.

“As our city emerges from the COVID-19 crisis, we have a critical opportunity to address the global climate crisis in a way that centers equity, prepares our communities, and involves all New Yorkers in creating solutions,” said Clare Newman, president and CEO of the Trust for Governors Island.

U.S. Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-Brooklyn-Manhattan) said, “Establishing a world-class institution on Governors Island with the specific goal of finding ways to overcome the perils of climate change will bring green jobs to our city, provide meaningful opportunities for education and research, and ensure that any rising tide that lifts all New Yorkers is one we have firmly under our control.”

“Governors Island has a long and storied past, and I am pleased that the next chapter will include a center for innovative work on one of the great challenges of our time, climate change,” said State Sen. Brian Kavanagh (D-Downtown Brooklyn-Lower Manhattan).

“As the RFEI process moves forward, it will be important to ensure that the applicant selected and the proposed development aligns with the values of the community and all New Yorkers who treasure Governors Island as a green, public open space.” 

Click for full story

Don’t miss environmental news like this Click for updates

Universities, research institutions invited to compete to create a climate center on Governors Island Read More »