What New NJ Governor Means for the State
New NJ Governor Bill Murphy
On November 7, New Jersey saw a change in power as new representatives were elected to lead the state. Phil Murphy, a democrat, was elected as governor of the state and has big plans for the future. Here are four of his major campaign promises:
- Legalizing Marijuana
Murphy has planned to put a tax sale on the product which will bring in about $300 million to the state. Although the tax would help out the state greatly, Murphy is legalizing the substance to provide the answer to the problem of social injustice in New Jersey.
- End PARCC testing as graduation requirement
To those who attend Madison High School, this promise is not too much of a shock. The PARCC tests are extremely difficult, frustrating, and flawed. Statistics show that the PARCC has received lower test scores than the old standardized tests. It is also argued that PARCC preparation takes up too much class time. Murphy agrees with this, saying through his website, “Good teachers and good students can have bad test days. Too much emphasis is being put on a single test, as opposed to weighing a student’s progress through years of instruction.” (murphy4nj)
- Raising Taxes
Due to New Jersey’s high property taxes, college tuition, and health care, many people are forced to leave the state because the financial burden is too great. Murphy plans to make New Jersey “more affordable” by lower taxes in schools, senior residential, and low-income areas. To make the money the money back that is being lost by making these areas cheaper, Murphy will taxes more fortunate areas, such as Madison, relentlessly.
- Protecting Dreamers
Murphy promises to make New Jersey a safe place for “Dreamers”, or persons who came to the United States illegally as children, by making it a Sanctuary State. He will provide the Dreamers with NJ driver’s licenses, IDs and give them financial aid. Through his website, Murphy says,“We need to continue to be a state that welcomes people who want to come here to work hard, contribute to our economy, and get ahead, and not close ourselves off from the world or turn our backs on our neighbors.”(murphy4nj)
Julia S • Nov 29, 2017 at 1:21 am
I think that a lot of Murphy’s ideas are very liberal which is unsurprising since he ran as a Democrat. Although these ideas sound okay in theory, they will be difficult to execute without garnering a lot of backlash and criticism from the public.