'Central Jersey Does Exist,' Say NJ Legislators Pushing New Bill Defining Region

CENTRAL JERSEY — For those of us who live in Central Jersey, the long-time debate over its existence is frustrating because the answer is clearly - Yes. Now lawmakers may soon solidify Central Jersey's existence forever.

Assemblyman Roy Freiman (D-Somerset, Mercer, Middlesex, Hunterdon) has introduced legislation that would affirm Central Jersey does exist and officially recognize it as one of three State tourism regions.

"From the iconic Jersey shoreline to our bustling, vibrant cities in the north and south, New Jersey is rich in historic and famed tourist attractions. For too long the heart of our state—home to our State capital, historic sites, and bucolic scenery — Central Jersey has not received the real attention it deserves," said Freiman.

The bill (A-5098) would help with destination marketing efforts for the northern, central and southern tourism regions in New Jersey.

The northern tourism region will be comprised of Sussex, Warren, Morris, Passaic, Bergen, Essex, and Hudson counties.

The central tourism region will be comprised of Hunterdon, Somerset, Union, Middlesex, Mercer, Monmouth, and Ocean counties.

The southern tourism region will be comprised of Burlington, Camden, Gloucester, Atlantic, Salem, Cumberland, and Cape May counties.

"Travel and tourism is a vital industry and an economic engine for the state generating thousands of jobs and attracting countless tourists each year. Redefining New Jersey’s tourism regions, looking at the way we fund tourism efforts, and delving into agritourism will help us highlight both our world-famous attractions and hidden gems. These bills can lead to attracting more visitors, boosting local economies, and truly celebrating each and every corner of our state," said Freiman.

It was first introduced on Jan. 23 and referred to the Assembly Tourism, Gaming and the Arts and Assembly Agriculture and Food Security Committees

Freiman's bill is one of four that he is using to promote New Jersey’s travel and tourism industry. The other bills include legislation to create a tourism attraction trail sign program to encourage more people to visit New Jersey’s attractions (A-5097); to require an annual report on New Jersey’s travel and tourism industry and its impact on the economy (A-5100); and to establish the “Agritourism Fund” to create grants for businesses involved in agritourism (A-5209).

The debate about Central Jersey's existence was brought to light nationally when Governor Phil Murphy gave Central Jersey a shout out during his inauguration speech in 2018. This prompted Stephen Colbert at the time to do a segment interviewing Murphy about the controversial topic when he hosted the "Late Show." Read More: Is Central Jersey Real? Stephen Colbert Wades Into The Debate

Watch the segment below:

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