TRENTON, N.J. — Governor Phil Murphy spent 4th of July in Long Branch, Save Jerseyans, but the day before, he was hard at work on property tax relief…
…or not.
The highlights:
S-493 permits a person to alter their gender identity on death certificates. They can also now change their birth certificates, too, without providing proof of having undergone a sex change operation, a rarity in the United States.
S-705 sets up a 17-member Transgender Equality Task Force to evaluate barrier to equality in areas ranging from education, housing, health care, and criminal justice. Brace yourselves.
Murphy also signed off on tax credits for the film industry to shoot in New Jersey; he had conditionally vetoed the original legislation, complaining about a lack of diversity and his desire for an urban reality television show.
Lastly? But arguably most significantly? New Jersey’s police and fire unions will henceforth control their own pension fund (worth $26 billion) by way of a board populated by labor union appointees. Stay tuned.
–
