🎄🏖️ Since the 1960s, discarded #Christmas trees have been integrated into the management and restoration of dunes along the #NJ #shore, going back to when Teamsters Union 153 donated time and equipment to haul 15,000 discarded trees to Long Island Beach, Sandy Hook, and Island #Beach:

🗳️ "When a person becomes conscious of responsibility and participates in social issues with the aim of improving the overall condition, then we can say that we have achieved civic learning." - Donald Bodzo #WisdomWednesday #inspiration #quotes

💵🩺 NJ announced the sixth round of #medical #debt relief, bringing the total to nearly $1.4B in relief for over 800K residents; 🥬 the senate and assembly approved a bill requiring retailers to end sale of certain intoxicating #hemp products. Read more #NJ policy news today:

As #e-bikes and other micromobility devices have become increasingly popular to use on #NJ sidewalks and streets, it is increasingly important for young users and their guardians to be equipped with the information and resources necessary to ride safely:

Happy New Year from all of us at the New Jersey State Policy Lab! #2026 🎆🎊

The @njpolicylab.bsky.social did something similar on Election Day. policylab.rutgers.edu/publication/...

All of us at the New Jersey State Policy Lab would like to wish you and your families a safe and Merry Christmas. 🎄

🎥 NJ broke ground on what will become one of the largest film and television campuses in Bayonne; 🍼 NJ Department of Health announced first-of-its-kind embryo storage regulations; 🥫 lawmakers introduced a new bill to ban specific food dyes and additives in the Garden State. Read more:

📚🎒 Segregation in public schools, particularly along racial & economic lines, continues to broadly impact the educational outcomes for countless students. For some communities, consolidation or district boundary adjustments may be more effective for successful student integration. Read more:

With every passing year, the NJSPL has accomplished more than the last, and 2025 has set a new standard of excellence for our center. In celebration of these many achievements, we have prepared a short video of our 2025 Year in Review, which is available now: policylab.rutgers.edu/2025-year-in...

🌡️ Gov. Murphy has declared a state of emergency in response to a regional #propane #heating and supply disruption; 🏘️ #NJ Assembly #Housing Committee voted unanimously to advance a bill which would allow local officials to add fees to fund #affordablehousing. Read more:

All of us at the New Jersey State Policy Lab would like to wish you and your families a safe and happy #Hanukkah. 🕎

In 2021, the @newjerseyoag.bsky.social launched the ARRIVE Together program, a co-responder model which pairs police officers trained in crisis intervention and de-escalation with certified #mentalhealth screeners or crisis specialists. Read more in today's #blog:

🏫✏️ Over the 2023-2024 school year, #NJ Jersey had the second lowest rate of chronic absenteeism in the country 📖 with a rate of 14.9% 📚 which was only beat by #Alabama with a rate of 14.8%: #education #EduSky #Rutgers @njhighered.bsky.social @njasl.bsky.social @njspotlightnews.org

🩺💊Happening now💊🩺 Drs. Nicholas Imperato and Kamini Doobay are presenting on their recent NJSPL research on improving #healthcare #insurance literacy at the #NJ State House:

🍎 New #SNAP work requirements have taken effect in #NJ and nationally; 🚲 a Senate Committee unanimously advanced a bill overhauling e-bike regulations; 💊 the New Jersey State Department of Banking and Insurance announced final rules to cap #copays for #insulin and #Epipens. Read more:

Between 2012 and 2022, corporate ownership of 1–4-unit residential properties more than doubled in #NJ, according to this latest report from NJSPL and authored by #Rutgers researchers @ericseymour.bsky.social & @willbpayne.bsky.social: policylab.rutgers.edu/publication/...

Nationally & in #NJ #healthcare spending accounts for 1 in 5 $s of GDP. In order to address this ongoing #affordability crisis, researchers recommend that the incoming Sherrill admin continue to build on the work of the NJ Health Care Affordability, Responsibility, and Transparency (HART) Program:

🎁 Yesterday was #GivingTuesday 🎁 but you can #donate and support the NJSPL gift fund any day of the year! This #fund supports not only the development of public policy research but also the many students that assist the NJSPL year-round: give.rutgersfoundation.org/nj-state-pol... #donate #Rutgers

🏠 The #NJ Department of Community Affairs announced $35M in investments to support affordable #housing and neighborhood revitalization projects; 👪 the NJ Department of Human Services announced it would be reopening a limited number of applications for the #ChildCare Assistance Program. Read more:

Over the past several months, researchers have been conducting interviews with child welfare professionals who participated in a certificate program developed in partnership with the #NJ Department of Children and Families (DCF) and #Rutgers Center for Research on Ending Violence:

From all of us at the New Jersey State Policy Lab, we would like to wish you and your family a happy and healthy #Thanksgiving. 🍁🦃

💡 "Intellectual growth should commence at birth and only cease at death." - Albert Einstein #wisdomwesnesday #quotes #inspiration #education

💵 Gov. Murphy announced $150M in municipal infrastructure grants for Fiscal Year 2026; 🔒 state senators introduce amendments to Daniel's Law, a data privacy bill enacted in 2023; 🧑‍💼the #NJ Department of Labor & Workforce Development announced $3M in grant funding for the CARE program:

In #NJ, the state government proactively advances equity through the Office of #Equity. To enhance these efforts, #Rutgers researchers recommend incorporating equity measures into department/agency performance assessments to ensure equity is engrained within the ongoing routines of the government:

🏦🏠 The Federal Reserve Bank of #NY Consumer Credit Panel, based on Equifax data, provides insights into consumer credit trends, both nationally and by state. #Rutgers researchers utilized this data to examine individual- and household-level debt and credit balances in #NJ vs the national average:

🔬 "Research is something that everyone can do, and everyone ought to do. It is simply collecting information and thinking systematically about it." - Raewyn Connell #WisdomWednesday #quotes

Happening now 📢 “Connecting Science & Policy for Stronger Communities” in Room 312 for #NJLeague25. Stop by & learn more about the evidence-based policy making that is possible with the assistance of organizations like the NJSPL, Eagleton Science and Politics Program, and more!

⚖️ Attorney Gen. Matt Platkin announced a $100M settlement with Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield over allegations that included fraudulent claims and overcharging; 📚 the #NJ Senate Education Committee advanced a bill which would overhaul charter schools; Read these stories and more today:

🎓📚 In 2023, #NJ launched a statewide "Some College, No Degree" initiative to help the 790K New Jerseyans who have earned some college credit but left school before completing their degree. Researchers interviewed former students to better understand the barriers that prevented them from reenrolling:

A few weeks ago, the #NJ State Policy Lab hosted the #event, Navigating Policy-focused Career Pathways, at @bloustein.rutgers.edu. The gathering brought together current students and recent #alumni who had previously been affiliated with the NJSPL and are now pursuing careers in public policy:

💡 "We must have perseverance and above all confidence in ourselves. We must believe that we are gifted for something and that this thing must be attained." - Marie Curie #WisdomWednesday #inspiration #quote

🗳️ Mikie Sherrill was elected governor, which means a special #election will need to be held to replace her seat in the House; 🍎 #NJ Department of Banking & Insurance projects that #healthinsurance premiums may increase 174% for the more than half-million residents insured through Get Covered NJ:

💡📝 In response to our recent call for proposals, NJSPL received over three dozen proposals from a strong pool of applicants. We are delighted to share that we have selected seven new #research projects to receive seed funding in subjects ranging from #energy to #transportation to #healthcare:

Researchers with Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, in collaboration with the @njpolicylab.bsky.social, developed a #report intended to be the first comprehensive state-by-state guide of health insurance literacy educational resources across the U.S. policylab.rutgers.edu/publication/...

🩺⚕️Researchers with #Rutgers #NJ Medical School, in collaboration with the NJSPL, have developed a report which is intended to serve as the first comprehensive state-by-state guide of health insurance literacy educational resources and/or interventions available across the U.S.: #healthinsurance

🌌 "As for the future, your task is not to foresee it, but to enable it." Antoine de Saint-Exupéry #WisdomWednesday #quote #inspiration #BookSky

The Housing Justice Program (a collaboration between the #RutgersLaw Housing clinics & @setonhallhealthlaw.bsky.social) held the third annual Housing Justice Summit at #RutgersLaw in #Camden last week. (1/2)

🗳️✅ It's Election Day! Polls are open 6am-8pm today. In other #NJ #policy news, federal judges ordered the USDA to use contingency funds to keep SNAP benefits flowing; @northjerseynews.bsky.social published an expose on the barriers people w/disabilities face when accessing health care; Read more:

Policy priorities for the next governor from @njpolicylab.bsky.social fyi -- @johnreitmeyer.bsky.social @aliyareports.bsky.social @nj.com @njpolicy.bsky.social @stevenrodas.bsky.social

As #NJ prepares to elect our next governor tomorrow, the months ahead offer a pivotal opportunity to chart a path toward a more innovative and resilient state. The NJSPL invited affiliated #Rutgers faculty and staff to identify the most pressing priorities for the next administration:

The #NJ Sentencing Commission proposed a program to allow eligible incarcerated individuals to seek resentencing by demonstrating that they have been successfully rehabilitated. #Rutgers researchers recently surveyed 1,529 New Jerseyans to gauge support for or against areas of sentencing reform:

💡"We must have perseverance and above all confidence in ourselves. We must believe that we are gifted for something and that this thing must be attained." - Marie Curie #WisdomWednesday #inspiration #quotes

🏥 Newark's University Hospital broke ground on a $1.8B revitalization project in conjunction with Rutgers Health and #Rutgers University; 📚 the #NJ DOE announced four new #literacy grants established with funding from the federal Comprehensive Literacy State Development program:

Drew Gitomer and Rachel Garver spoke at the New Jersey State House on Friday, October 24th discussing their recent report which examined how teacher preparation programs have adapted after #NJ removed edTPA as a requirement for #teacher certification:

📚🎓 NJSPL researchers Drew Gitomer and Rachel Garver presented at the New Jersey State House to discuss their recent report examining the policy changes to the edTPA teacher certification process in #NJ. #education #highered #Rutgers

Please see my newest blog post with the New Jersey State Policy Lab! @njpolicylab.bsky.social

In 2020, #NJ state legislature passed the trailblazing Environmental Justice Law, which authorized the #NJDEP to restrict future development of industrial facilities if it determined that such siting would be harmful to existing overburdened communities in the Garden State:

🎊🎉🥳 Thank you to everyone who made it to our Navigating Policy-Related Careers event last night, and we hope you were able to spend some time chatting with our amazing cohort of former teaching assistants, research assistants, and summer interns: #Rutgers #academicsky #politics #highered

The NJSPL is hosting the Navigating Policy-Focused Career Pathways seminar, featuring an array of our former students and #alumni at @bloustein.rutgers.edu from 5:00-6:30pm. Opening remarks were delivered by Dean @stuartshapiroblou.bsky.social with Executive Director Elizabeth Cooner moderating.