Governor Murphy and Acting Commissioner Zimmerman Announce Record-Breaking 397K People Signed Up for Health Insurance Through Get Covered New Jersey During Open Enrollment
Governor Phil Murphy and Department of Banking and Insurance Acting Commissioner Justin Zimmerman announced that more than 397,000 New Jerseyans signed up for health coverage through Get Covered New Jersey during the Affordable Care Act Open Enrollment Period, marking another year of historic enrollment in New Jersey.
“This year’s record-breaking Open Enrollment Period means that more New Jerseyans than ever before have access to quality, affordable health insurance through Get Covered New Jersey,” said Governor Phil Murphy. “Since establishing the marketplace, New Jersey has worked to maximize financial support to reduce monthly health insurance costs —opening the door to comprehensive coverage for hundreds of thousands of residents. These extraordinary enrollment numbers are a reflection of our commitment to providing New Jersey residents with the coverage options to keep them healthy and thriving.”
A total of 397,942 New Jersey residents signed up for health insurance at Get Covered New Jersey, the State’s Official Health Insurance Marketplace, during the Open Enrollment Period from November 1, 2023 to January 31, 2024. This plan year, more consumers signed up for coverage than any previous Open Enrollment, with marketplace enrollment increasing more than 61 percent since the Murphy Administration took over operation in 2020 for plan year 2021. Plan selections have increased by over 150,000 (61%), compared to the 246,426 New Jersey consumers who were enrolled in federal marketplace coverage in plan year 2020.
This year’s record-breaking sign-ups is a 16% increase compared to last year’s Open Enrollment Period including 100,919 new consumers and 60,592 existing consumers who actively selected a plan. During the 2022-2023 Open Enrollment Period a total of 341,901 New Jersey residents signed up for health insurance at Get Covered New Jersey, which at the time was a record high. New Jerseyans enrolling in 2024 coverage continued to receive historic levels of financial assistance, and nine out of 10 residents enrolling qualified for financial help.
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Murphy Administration Announces $100 Million in Boardwalk Preservation Fund Grant Awards
The Murphy Administration announced the award of $100 million in Boardwalk Preservation Fund grants to 18 municipalities to assist them in addressing the most critical and necessary capital needs of boardwalks in their communities. Administered by the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs (DCA), the grant funding also aims to help Jersey shore communities remain vibrant tourism destinations in the long term by investing in state-of-the-art materials that increase storm resiliency and ensure longer lasting infrastructure.
“So many of us have created memories with family and friends at the boardwalks of the Jersey shore. Our boardwalks have long been a prized destination and we want to keep them that way by helping shore communities repair and maintain these wooden main streets,” said Governor Phil Murphy. “We look forward to all the vital projects that will result from our Boardwalk Preservation Fund investments. The grant awards announced today are a meaningful step in preserving the health and dynamism of these special places.”
“We recognize that boardwalks are the economic driver for many shore towns and cities. They are also incredibly expensive for local governments to maintain, repair, and strengthen,” said DCA Acting Commissioner Jacquelyn A. Suárez. “To support this significant state asset, the Murphy Administration created the Boardwalk Preservation Fund to ease the financial burden on local governments when improving their boardwalks. We are confident these grant awards will help our boardwalks thrive and continue to inspire and delight visitors for years to come.”
The Boardwalk Preservation Fund is made possible through federal funding from the American Rescue Plan (ARP) Coronavirus State & Local Fiscal Recovery Funds, which have been dedicated by the Governor and the Legislature to an array of economic recovery and revitalization projects across New Jersey.
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EPA $19 Million Grant Will Put Clean School Buses on the Streets of New Jersey
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) is transforming how New Jersey children get to school, accelerating the transition to zero-emission vehicles and producing cleaner air for our communities. That is the message delivered by EPA Chief of Staff Olivia Glenn, Senator Cory Booker and other congressional and local leaders at Jose Marti STEM Academy in Union City, N.J.
The award, which is made possible through President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, will help secure clean school buses for five school districts in New Jersey, including in Union City, Elizabeth, Newark, Bloomfield Township and Lakewood Township. The transportation company, Van-Con, Inc., will receive nearly $19 million to purchase 42 clean school buses and 28 bus chargers.
“Today’s funding means cleaner air and less pollution…which equals healthier kids!” said EPA Chief of Staff Olivia Glenn. “Thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, we’ll breathe easier in New Jersey having these quiet, tailpipe-less school buses carrying our kids to and from school and other activities. Making our neighborhoods cleaner and better places to live is how we advance environmental justice and is what investing in America is all about.”
“I want to thank President Biden, our congressional delegation, and the Environmental Protection Agency for their steadfast support of our efforts here at home to protect school children from harmful pollutants and give them the best chance to succeed,” said Governor Phil Murphy. “Together, we are building momentum in the transition to zero-emission vehicles that will help us deliver on our promise to mitigate the disproportionate health impacts of medium and heavy-duty vehicles, especially in New Jersey's most overburdened communities.”
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State Arts Council Grants Nearly $2 Million to New Jersey Artists
The New Jersey State Council on the Arts held its first public meeting of 2024 today, where just over $1.7 million was awarded to 161 New Jersey artists through the Council’s Individual Artist Fellowship program. In 2022, the Council voted to authorize an unprecedented investment of $2 million in the Fellowship program. Through this continued commitment of funding, this year’s Fellowship cohort is the largest one the Council has added to its distinguished list of Fellows in over 30 years.
The Fellowships are competitive awards to New Jersey artists in 12 rotating disciplines granted solely on independent peer panel assessment of work samples. The anonymous process is focused on artistic quality, and awards may be used to help artists produce new work and advance their careers. New Jersey artists applied for awards this year in the categories of digital/electronic, film/video, interdisciplinary, painting, printmaking/drawing/book arts, and prose. This program is carried out in partnership with Mid Atlantic Arts.
See the complete list of the 2024 Fellowship and Finalist Award recipients.
“The continued creativity of our state’s artist community never ceases to amaze me,” said Lieutenant Governor Tahesha Way, who oversees the Council in her capacity as Secretary of State. “Artists bring together communities, provoking emotion and thought, and impacting our everyday lives."
Speaking to the significance of direct funding for artists, Council Chair Elizabeth Mattson said, “Artists are at the heart of everything we do – not only as an agency, but as an industry. Just as arts organizations are always in need of operating funds, these awards allow artists more freedom and flexibility to focus on creating and sharing their work.”
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Attorney General Platkin Co-Leads Amicus Brief Supporting Pennsylvania Law Barring Concealed Carry Weapons by Individuals Under 21
Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin co-led a coalition of 19 attorneys general filing an amicus brief with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit urging that court to revisit an opinion striking down a Pennsylvania law prohibiting individuals under the age of 21 from carrying concealed weapons in public and imposing additional restrictions during declared states of emergency.
In the brief, Attorney General Platkin and the coalition ask the court to review a recent panel opinion in favor of the plaintiffs in Lara v. Commissioner of the Pennsylvania State Police.
The plaintiffs in the case — three individuals between the ages of 18 and 20 years when they first sued the Pennsylvania state police, and two gun advocacy groups — are challenging a Pennsylvania law that generally restricts the issuance of concealed carry weapons permits to people ages 21 and up.
“Gun violence is a public health crisis that threatens the health and safety of all New Jerseysans, including our kids,” said Attorney General Platkin. “The Third Circuit’s recent decision wrongly strips States of a necessary tool to protect their residents from violence. The Constitution does not prevent Legislatures from adopting commonsense safety measures like minimum age restrictions, and I hope the Third Circuit will reconsider its misguided approach.”
The brief explains that the panel opinion, if not corrected, will raise questions about the constitutionality of similar statutes in New Jersey and more than 30 other states with age restrictions on firearms access. Those statutes are constitutional because they are consistent with the historical tradition in this country. States have enacted similar laws for over 150 years.
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