MORRIS COUNTY — Comprehensive legislation sponsored by Senator Joe Pennacchio (R-Essex, Morris, Passaic) and Senator Patrick Diegnan (D-Middlesex) to strengthen New Jersey’s anti-bullying laws has passed the New Jersey Senate. The bill is named in honor of Mallory Grossman, a twelve-year-old Rockaway resident who committed suicide in 2017 after being bullied.

“Incidents of bullying should not be solely handled by the schools – the problem is much larger than that,” said Pennacchio. “Parents must be engaged in the process as well. This legislation standardizes the reporting process while increasing transparency and accountability at every level. There is no doubt that Mallory’s Law will go a long way to combating bullying in every school in New Jersey.”

“Suicide is the second leading cause of death for children between the ages of 10 and 14, a figure partially attributable to cyberbullying,” said Diegnan. “Although New Jersey’s ‘Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights’ is considered to be one of the toughest anti-bullying laws in the country, students have continued to be victimized, especially on social media, to the point of suicide. Hopefully, this bill will equip schools with the tools to combat this epidemic.”

Senator Pennacchio’s bipartisan legislation, S-3433, would standardize and toughen New Jersey’s anti-bullying laws. It aims to incorporate a broad approach to prevent and respond to bullying in New Jersey schools by increasing the repercussions and ensuring school officials take preventative actions before tragedy strikes.

“‘Mallory’s Law’ requires school and county officials to address bullying situations before an incident escalates into an irreversible tragedy,” added Pennacchio. “Increasing transparency and accountability, while standardizing this process, will help us put an end to this crisis.”

Mallory Grossman’s parents have turned their grief into action, by starting “Mallory’s Army,” a national movement to save other children from the devastating effects of bullying. On December 18, 2017 Senator Pennacchio and his colleagues in the State Senate honored Mallory’s Army for their efforts.

The bipartisan legislation named in tribute to Mallory was introduced in February 2019.

Although New Jersey’s “Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights” is considered to be one of the toughest anti-bullying laws in the nation, students have continued to be victimized to the point of suicide.

Pennacchio’s legislation would reinforce and intensify the state’s “Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights.” The bill was signed into law after cyber harassment led to the tragic suicide of Rutgers freshman Tyler Clementi in 2010.

Many experts have noted that the growing trend of cyber harassment through cell phones, computers, and interactive video games leaves children today with little escape from bullying, even when in their own homes. Oftentimes, parents don’t realize it’s happening right in front of them.

“We have to do more to protect our kids when bullies can harass them at any time of the day via apps like Snapchat and Instagram, or even when they’re playing video games like Fortnite,” Pennacchio added. “’Mallory’s Law’ will ensure the bully, parents, and the school are made well aware of any incidents, and that proper disciplinary actions are taken before we lose more young lives.”

“Mallory’s Law” would ensure that parents are more involved when their child is accused of bullying. The bill would also direct New Jersey school districts to provide means for parents to complete an online form to report any occurrences of bullying.

The legislation would also require that each school district’s anti-bullying policy must include specific penalties for bullying. Any proven act of bullying would lead to the incident being added to the student’s permanent record.

Under the bill, bullies found culpable of harassment more than three times must attend anti-bullying training with their parents. Law enforcement will also be notified to see if the New Jersey Code of Criminal Justice has been violated.

A civil liability may be imposed on the parent of a bully who demonstrates blatant disregard of supervising their child, if their child has been judged to be delinquent of harassment or cyber harassment.

Victims of bullying are at a higher risk of experiencing mental health issues such as low self-esteem, anxiety, and depression.

“Mallory’s family and I worked closely together to create this legislation,” Senator Pennacchio commented. “The State of New Jersey must take every appropriate action to reduce bullying by increasing the strength and transparency of the reporting process. I urge the Governor to sign this legislation into law as soon as possible.”

PARSIPPANY — Representative Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11) introduced the bipartisan SALT Relief and Marriage Penalty Elimination Act (H.R. 2624) to provide tax relief to New Jersey residents, and today she announced endorsements from the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) and the National Association of Realtors.

Eleven million Americans were hit by the $10,000 state and local tax (SALT) deduction cap in the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. Representative Sherrill’s bill takes a first step toward restoring the full deduction by raising the SALT cap to equal the standard deduction: $24,000 for joint filers, $18,000 for heads of household, and $12,000 for individuals.

“Families in my community have seen their taxes go up because of the SALT deduction cap and as a result are questioning whether or not they can afford to live in New Jersey,” said Representative Sherrill. “The loss of the full SALT deduction puts an undue hardship on them. I’m proud to have the support of the American Federation of Teachers and the National Association of Realtors because they understand that the SALT Relief and Marriage Penalty Elimination Act is a critical first step towards middle-class tax relief.”

“For more than 100 years, the state and local tax deduction has supported important state and local investments in public schools, healthcare, law enforcement, infrastructure and other vital services,” said Randi Weingarten, President, American Federation of Teachers, AFL-CIO. “The deduction has been used by about 44 million Americans, helping to avoid a double hit to middle-class families by both taxing them and cutting their local public schools and services. Middle-class families and their communities deserve better. I am pleased to support the SALT Relief and Marriage Penalty Elimination Act and urge its passage.”

“For millions of Americans, limiting the state and local taxes that can be deducted greatly diminished or erased the long-standing tax incentives of owning a home,” said John Smaby, 2019 President, National Association of REALTORS. “By tying the SALT limit to the standard deduction, the amount of the deductible limit would be increased, which would allow many more current and prospective homeowners to regain the homeownership incentive that our tax law has provided for decades. We thank Representative Sherrill for her leadership in helping to ensure our tax system helps families afford a home – a vital part of the American Dream.”

This is the second announcement of support for the SALT Relief and Marriage Penalty Elimination Act. In May, the National Association of Counties endorsed Representative Sherrill’s bill. 

Representative Sherrill is committed to fighting for New Jersey families, and to working in Congress to address the SALT deduction, move forward on transportation infrastructure funding, and improve healthcare for all Americans.

NEW JERSEY — Fulfilling his promise to restore New Jersey’s national leadership in the fight against climate change and sea-level rise, Governor Phil Murphy today announced that the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has formally adopted two rules returning New Jersey to the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI). New Jersey was a charter member of RGGI before Governor Christie withdrew the state from the compact in 2012.

“Climate change and sea-level rise affect us all, and as a coastal state, New Jersey is especially vulnerable to the impacts of global warming,” said Governor Murphy. “The reckless decision to pull out of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative in 2012 cost the state millions of dollars in revenue that could have been used to put toward initiatives to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve the health of our residents. New Jersey has reemerged as a national leader in fighting climate change and reentering the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative will propel us on a path to 100 percent clean energy by 2050.”

The first rule, the Carbon Dioxide Budget Trading rule, establishes the mechanisms for rejoining RGGI and sets the initial carbon-dioxide cap for the state’s electricity generation sector at 18 million tons in 2020. New Jersey’s carbon dioxide budget will decline by 30 percent through 2030, with other adjustments that are standard to all member states. The model used to develop the New Jersey carbon budget only considers emissions from currently operating electric generating facilities. Through a combination of RGGI’s required carbon-dioxide reductions and Governor Murphy’s aggressive renewable energy goals, the Department of Environmental Protection projects that the state’s greenhouse gas emissions will be 11.3 million tons by 2030. 

The second rule, the Global Warming Solutions Fund rule, establishes the framework for how the DEP, the New Jersey Economic Development Authority, and the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities will implement a system to spend proceeds from RGGI carbon-dioxide allowance auctions, with an emphasis on projects that will benefit environmental justice in certain communities.

The DEP adopted the rules today with their publication in the New Jersey Register. In the coming months, RGGI member states will vote on New Jersey’s adopted rules and formal reentry, which will allow the state to participate in the first-quarter RGGI auction in March 2020.

“Not only is our coastline at risk from global warming, so are our densely populated urban areas and communities that are susceptible to river and stream flooding,” said New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Catherine R. McCabe. “While New Jersey has one of the cleanest electric generation portfolios in the country, resuming participation in RGGI provides the impetus for even further carbon dioxide reduction and is an important component of our comprehensive plan to address climate change.”

“Mitigating the impacts of climate change is one of the most significant challenges we face,” New Jersey Board of Public Utilities President Joseph L. Fiordaliso said. “Rejoining RGGI is a crucial step toward reducing greenhouse gas emissions and achieving our goal of 100 percent clean energy by 2050. I am proud to serve in an administration that places such a high priority on creating a safer, healthier, more economically sound future for our children and grandchildren.”

“Under Governor Murphy’s leadership, New Jersey is positioning itself to be at the forefront of the clean energy economy and participating again in RGGI will be a major milestone toward that goal,” New Jersey Economic Development Authority Chief Executive Officer Tim Sullivan said. “The NJEDA is thrilled to be partnering with Commissioner McCabe and her team to maximize the opportunities presented to New Jersey to combat climate change and create sustainable jobs at the same time.”

The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative is made up of Mid-Atlantic and New England states working to reduce carbon-dioxide gas emissions from the energy sector through a cap-and-trade auction process that encourages more market efficiencies, invests in renewable energy, and improves power-plant technology. RGGI’s members are Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island, and Vermont.

Returning New Jersey to RGGI has been a priority for Governor Murphy since the outset of his administration. In his first month in office, the Governor issued Executive Order No. 7 directing the state to rejoin RGGI and develop a program that implements solutions that benefit communities that are disproportionately impacted by climate change.

“We congratulate and salute New Jersey on this historic step. The effects of climate change and pollution operate across state lines, so it is important for states to work together as a region to take on these issues and move towards a cleaner power sector,” said Ben Grumbles, Secretary of the Maryland Department of the Environment and Chair of the RGGI, Inc. Board of Directors. “New Jersey has communicated frequently with the RGGI states in the design of the final rule. We thank and applaud them for their efforts and very much look forward to working together as RGGI participating states.”

PARSIPPANY —  Two hikers were stranded on Mount Washington Thursday when temperatures at the summit were below freezing and the wind chill plunged to 12 degrees. One hiker was carried off the mountain and rushed to a hospital where she was pronounced dead. The other was found in the fetal position on a trail, unable to walk or speak.

The first call for help came in at approximately 2:25 p.m. Thursday, according to a statement from the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department.

Officials said Sandra Lee, 63, of Mount Tabor, was hiking with two of her relatives when she began to show signs of hypothermia and could no longer continue. They were above the junction of Lion Head Trail and Tuckerman Ravine Trail when they called 911.

Two conservation officers carried Lee two-tenths of a mile to Mount Washington Auto Road, where an ambulance was waiting and drove her to a local hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

Less than six hours after receiving the 911 call for Lee, authorities learned that yet another hiker needed to be rescued from Mount Washington.

MORRIS COUNTY — Morris County Prosecutor Fredric Knapp and Acting Chief of Investigations Chris Kimker announce the hiring and swearing in of Jermaine Marbley as a Morris County Prosecutor’s Office Detective.

Detective Marbley was officially given his oath of office on June 10, 2019. He will be assigned to the Domestic Violence Unit within the Specialized Crimes Division. Detective Marbley is a graduate of Gibbs College and the Southeastern Public Safety Institute at St. Petersburg College. Prior to joining the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office, Detective Marbley has worked as an Officer and Detective in the Newark Police Department, and most recently as an Officer in the Morristown Bureau of Police. He was assigned to various units in those departments including, the Firearms Unit, the Patrol Unit, the Narcotics Unit, and the Domestic Violence Unit including the Family Justice Center.

Prosecutor Knapp said, “Detective Marbley joins our office with over 12 years of law enforcement experience under his belt. We are excited to have such an experienced member of our law enforcement community join our ranks, and we know he will serve Morris County with distinction”.