Starting from the top as always…
The State Budget was passed; the governor can boast a final number that matches her March number, a step towards affordability and fiscal discipline….unless you count the second budget and Christmas tree Items.
Speaking of affordability, a report by LSNJ and another from the United Ways of NJ put forward some concerning numbers that show working class families are gasping for air and the decades old gap between the official poverty line and reality continues to widen.
Working families have something to celebrate as changes to the state Family Leave Act go in effect next week that ease criteria and broaden coverage. The downside? Small Businesses may struggle, and some worry it will cost the State jobs and investment.
Going Local…
Moving to Berkeley Heights, Laura covers a Recreation Commission meeting that confirmed much of what we’ve been reporting for over a year as a field the Council argued whose absence caused children to suffer is now on hold, and the only beneficiaries so far are Harbor Consultants who, coincidentally, happen to be major NJ political donors.
Keeping with the ‘Berkeley Heights Way,’ the school district passes a strategic plan with not a single reference to academic proficiency scores and no pathway to edit what’s become an object of ridicule since the early draft surfaced last year.
In Summit we covered an agenda that included an AI Data Center re-write as a the result of community pushback during the prior meeting, $5M+ in spending and vague items listed under closed session resident later discovered connected to two lawsuits.
Ending with commentary, Eliza Schleifstein explains why ALL residents need to remain involved with their BOE even if they don’t have kids in the District.
On the Socials…
One Kidney, 35 Lives: How Paired Exchanges Can Change Everything
New Jersey put more than $60 million into SNAP benefits that supported over 125k households.
NJ Layoffs Notices Continue to Climb
Concerns around Bus Safety Bill
Top Five Articles in June
OPINION: The School Ethics Complaint That Exposed More Than It Intended To
With Little Warning, Berkeley Heights Council Moves to Dissolve Volunteer Recreation Commission
Op-Ed: Reserved Seats, Diplomas and the Problem With Special Privileges
The Paper Trail Behind Ordinance 2026-15: Paid Evaluations, Political Ties, and Omitted Minutes
Related Articles
This Week at NJ21st: A Lifeline and The Berkeley Heights Recreation Revolution
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