TRENTON — Acting on his commitment to support and uplift New Jersey’s middle class, Governor Phil Murphy today signed into law a sweeping expansion to the state’s paid family leave program. New Jersey enacted a paid family leave program in 2008 and today’s law significantly expands that program to provide additional job protections for those who miss work due to caring for a newborn child or a sick loved one.

“No one should ever be forced to choose between caring for a family member and earning a paycheck,” said Governor Murphy. “By providing the most expansive paid family leave time and benefits in the nation, we are ensuring that New Jerseyans no longer have to face such a decision and that working families are treated with the respect and dignity they deserve. This comprehensive paid family leave program, coupled with the newly passed earned sick leave and minimum wage increase, are fundamental elements in building a stronger and fairer New Jersey for all working families.”

A3975 changes New Jersey’s paid family leave program in a number of ways, including the following:

• Doubling the number of weeks for Family Leave Insurance (FLI) and Temporary Disability Insurance (TDI): Employees can take up to 12 consecutive weeks of paid family leave or temporary disability insurance during any 12-month period, beginning in July 2020. Currently, employees are only able to take up to 6 weeks of FLI or TDI in a 12-month period.
• Increasing the weekly benefit: Individuals can now receive 85 percent of their weekly wage, with the maximum possible benefit going up to 70 percent of the statewide average weekly wage.  Using data from this year, the maximum possible benefit would go up from $650 a week to $860 a week under this law.
• Increasing intermittent leave from 42 days to 56 days: Workers will be able to take up to 56 days of intermittent leave within a 12-month period, beginning in July 2020.
• Anti-retaliation provisions: Employers with over 30 employees will be barred from retaliating or discriminating against an employee because they took family leave.
• Expanding individuals eligible to take paid family leave: The newly signed legislation expands paid family leave to include caring for siblings, in-laws, grandparents, grandchildren, other blood relatives, and any other individuals who can be shown to have the equivalent of a family relationship.
• Including domestic and sexual violence: The bill explicitly allows family temporary disability leave to be taken for medical attention, counseling, or legal assistance or proceedings arising out of domestic violence or sexual violence. An individual can take family leave under this provision if they themselves were the victim of domestic or sexual violence, or if they need to care for a family member who was such a victim

“Expanding family leave means people can take needed time off to care for each other without the worry of losing their paycheck, or even worse, their job,” said Lt. Governor Sheila Y. Oliver, who also serves as Commissioner of the Department of Community Affairs. “Taking care of family members is a fact of life that we will all have to face at some point and by signing this bill today, we are making it possible for working people to take care of each other without risking their livelihood.”

“We applaud the persistence of Governor Murphy, the Legislature and advocates who came together to expand Family Leave Insurance,” said Labor Commissioner Robert Asaro-Angelo. “Now, New Jersey workers can better afford to take time to bond with a newborn child or care for a family member in need. Our staff are ready to help workers access these benefits to make their families and communities healthier and stronger.”

Primary sponsors of the bill include Senate President Steve Sweeney; Senators Patrick J. Diegnan and M. Teresa Ruiz; and Assembly members Annette Quijano, Thomas P. Giblin, Joann Downey, and Paul D. Moriarty.

“This will put New Jersey in the forefront of the nation with a paid leave program that serves the needs of families and is good for businesses. Paid leave can ease financial burdens and provide peace of mind for working families at critical times in their lives. Caring for a newborn child or a loved one with a serious illness can be a real challenge for those who can’t afford to lose their paychecks for an extended amount of time.” Senate President Sweeney, who authored the law creating the leave program in 2009

Too many people must choose between their family responsibilities and their paychecks,” said Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin. “The expansion of paid family leave will provide families and individuals across our state with a better quality of life and the time and resources necessary to care for others. As we move to make New Jersey more affordable and resources more accessible, paid family leave will play an instrumental role in improving the lives of workers and building a future for themselves and for their kids.”

“Many workers can’t afford to take family leave because of its low wage replacement rates, or choose not to out of fear of being retaliated against if they do. In some cases, they are unaware that this is even an option,” said Assemblywoman Quijano. “The law will now help working families who need to take time off work to bond and care for a new child, or to care for a family member who is sick or is recovering from a violent ordeal to do so without jeopardizing their financial security.”

“Taking care of a newborn or serving as a caretaker for a loved one is very stressful, and one thing that New Jersey workers should not have to worry about during such a time is whether they will have the income necessary to support themselves and their families,” said First Lady Tammy Murphy. “By ensuring that working family members under difficult circumstances will not have to choose between their jobs and their commitments as mothers, fathers, or other supportive family members, expanding paid family leave and temporary disability insurance will have a direct impact on New Jersey’s maternal and infant mortality crisis.”

Paid family leave is an economic and moral imperative that New Jersey’s working families need to survive and thrive. The changes adopted today make our program more open and accessible to many previously left behind. With these changes, New Jersey has become a national leader on paid family leave, and a model for the nation, said Dena Mottola Jaborska, Associate Director at New Jersey Citizen Action and co-covener of the New Jersey Time to Care Coalition.

Governor Murphy signed the bill at JFK Library in Piscataway.

MORRIS COUNTY — Two vice presidents at County College of Morris (CCM) have been selected for the National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development (NISOD) Excellence Award in recognition of their leadership skills and commitment to the mission of community colleges.

Recognized for their excellence are Dr. Bette Simmons, of Morristown, vice president of Student Development and Enrollment Management; and Karen VanDerhoof, of Hackettstown, vice president of Business and Finance.

“Bette and Karen are outstanding leaders who have been instrumental in the ongoing success of CCM and its students, and in shaping how community colleges can best meet their mission,” said Dr. Anthony J. Iacono, president of CCM. “CCM has benefited greatly from the talent and contributions of these two vice presidents and it gives us great pride to have them recognized in this manner.”

Simmons joined CCM in 1980 when she became the assistant to the dean of students. From there, she steadily advanced professionally holding such positions as assistant to the president and dean of student development. Simmons was appointed vice president of Student Development and Enrollment Management in 2006. Currently, she also is serving as interim vice president of Academic Affairs.

Active in the Morris County community, Simmons is involved with Preschool Advantage, the Morris County Human Relations Commission, the Girl Scouts of Northern New Jersey, the Alliance for Morris County Parks, Leadership Morris and the Morris County Sexual Assault Advisory Board.

She has sat on the board – nationally and regionally – of the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA) for more than 20 years and currently serves as chair of the NASPA Foundation Board. Simmons also is a member of the National Council for Student Development, the National Council of Black American Affairs and the New Jersey Student Affairs Affinity Group. She also serves as a college evaluator for the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.

Simmons is the recipient of numerous awards and recognitions, including the 2018 Woman of the Year from the Zonta Club of Morristown Area, Morristown Neighborhood House Distinguished Volunteer Award, Morris County Phenomenal Woman of the Year Award, the Patricia C. Donohue Leadership Award from the Mercer County Community College Chapter of the American Association for Women in Community Colleges, the Thiel College Distinguished Alumni Award and is a NASPA Pillar of the Profession.

Simmons earned her Doctorate in Higher Education Administration from Seton Hall University, her Master’s in Counseling from Montclair State University and her Bachelor’s in Spanish and French from Thiel College.

VanDerhoof was appointed vice president of Business and Finance at CCM in 2005. She first joined the college in 1992 as director of Budget and Business Services and then served as controller.

Under her leadership, the Accounting department at CCM for the past 16 years has been awarded a Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting from the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada for its comprehensive annual financial report. The certificate is the highest form of recognition in the area of governmental accounting and financial reporting and represents a significant accomplishment by a government and its management.

VanDerhoof actively serves on the board of TransOptions. She is a past board member and treasurer for the Eastern Association of College and University Business Officers. Currently, she is a member of the National Association of College and University Business Officers, Eastern Association of College and University Business Officers and the New Jersey Community College Business Officers Association. She also serves as a college evaluator for the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.

Included among her recognitions, VanDerhoof is the recipient of the Patricia C. Donohue Leadership Award from the Mercer County Community College Chapter of the American Association for Women in Community Colleges and the Distinguished Business Officer Award from the National Association of College and University Business Officers.
A CPA, she holds a Master of Taxation degree from Fairleigh Dickinson University and a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Centenary College.

Simmons and VanDerhoof will be recognized during NISOD’s annual International Conference on Teaching and Leadership Excellence, May 25-28, in Austin, Texas.
NISOD is dedicated to the professional development of faculty, administrators and staff and to the continued improvement of teaching and learning. More than 700 community colleges around the world are NISOD members.

Dear Editor:

I am a recent college graduate. I majored in sustainable development. Based on the information I have learned, I am terrified. Climate change is happening now, and every day we let slip by without action increases the degree of widespread human suffering.

Though I am afraid, I have hope. My ecology professor explained, “The earth is self-regulating and will always be more powerful than we are. Ecological studies have shown that the earth will fix itself if we let it, at a rate much faster than predicted. But we must reduce the pressure.” I focus on this truth and put my hope in the resilience of nature that can never be dismantled.

A Green New Deal will help Americans support nature’s resiliency. We must transform our economy now to preserve the resources we depended on. We need a massive mobilization of every sector of society to socially reconstruct our norms. Any presidential candidate who wants to be taken seriously on climate and earn the support of young people need to support Rep. Ocasio-Cortez and Sen. Markey’s resolution.

Take care of your planet. It’s the only place you have to live.

Sincerely,
Julia
Madison

PARSIPPANY — Parsippany-Troy Hills Fire Departments were called to a possible gas leak with a smoke condition at approximately 4:40 p.m. at ShopRite, 808 Route 46, Arlington Shopping Center. It was reported a small fire began in compressor room which eventually turned into a refrigerator leaking.

Parsippany-Troy Hills Volunteer Fire Department District 5, Lake Hiawatha Volunteer Fire Department District 4, Parsippany-Troy Hills Volunteer Fire Department District 6, Whippany Fire Department, Boonton Fire Department and Pine Brook Fire Department were all on the scene. Rockaway Neck Volunteer Ambulance Squad was also on the scene as well as Parsippany Rescue and Recovery.

Jersey Central Power and Light and New Jersey Natural Gas was also called to the scene.

The store has reopened on Monday, February 18.

MORRIS COUNTY — Literacy Volunteers of Morris County (LVMC) is pleased to announce a generous grant of $25,000 from Craig Newmark Philanthropies, the organization of craigslist founder Craig Newmark, to support the organization’s adult literacy program.

Currently, more than 300 LVMC tutors provide instruction to more than 500 students throughout Morris County. This grant will help to ensure that these students become fluent in English, learn their legal rights, and become more engaged and active citizens and members of the community.

”I am delighted that Craig Newmark, a graduate of Morristown High School, has not forgotten his roots, and is focused on helping others and making the world a better place,” said Debbie Leon, Executive Director of Literacy Volunteers of Morris County. “His support will enable us to help hundreds of people in Morris County to improve their lives.”

Asking for help can be difficult for an adult. Through Literacy Volunteers, students from all walks of life may attend free, one-one-one or group classes to improve their skills in a welcoming and supportive environment.

Literacy Volunteers of Morris County is a non-profit organization of trained volunteers who are dedicated to providing adults with one-to-one and small group tutoring across over 40 communities in Morris County. We believe that the ability to read, write, comprehend and speak English is essential to personal freedom and the sustainability of a democratic society. To learn more click here.

Craig Newmark Philanthropies was created by craigslist founder Craig Newmark to support and connect people and drive broad civic engagement. The organization works to advance people and grassroots organizations that are getting stuff done in areas that include trustworthy journalism, voter protection, gender diversity in technology, and veterans and military families. For more information click here.