Gov. Murphy Signs 31 Bills Into Law As $15 Minimum Wage Passes

Raising the minimum wage to $15-an-hour is very close to reality in New Jersey as the state Assembly approved the legislation on Thursday.

The minimum-wage bill now only needs Gov. Phil Murphy's signature in order to become law. Murphy promised that he'd sign the bill on Monday.

The state Assembly approved the legislation by a 52-25 vote, and the Senate by a 23-16 vote, as Murphy also announced that he's signed 31 bills into law while vetoing five.

The governor signed a controversial bill that will put many death investigations involving law enforcement in the hands of the Office of Attorney General.

The minimum-wage bill, meanwhile, was passed just days after the Murphy and legislative leaders had a well-publicized discussion – which involved an awkward encounter with an opponent of the legislation – at the Ocean Bay Diner in Sayreville.

There, Murphy, Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin and Senate President Stephen Sweeney were confronted by Teddy Lutas, the diner's owner, who told the lawmakers that the increase would force him to cut back on his expenses and, quite possibly, go out of business.

Lutas's concerns echoed those of many Assembly Republicans who said Thursday that the legislation will damage small businesses and hurt the state's economy.

"We just believe this bill goes too far, too fast," said Sen. Declan J. O'Scanlon, R-Monmouth. "This is a bad idea."

Republican Assemblyman Hal Wirths offered his own minimum wage proposal as a substitute, one that would have cut business taxes and provided workers with a wage above $15 by 2023.

“I have a very reasonable bill accepted by the business community that will help the working poor get up to fifteen-dollars an hour,” said Wirths, R-Sussex, a former state labor commissioner. “It is a quicker and fairer bill.”

Sweeney, however, said raising the minimum wage is a "shared priority for Governor Murphy, Speaker Coughlin and me that will put more pay into the pockets of working people so they are better able to support themselves and their families."

“The plan is good for workers, businesses and the economy," he said. "Lifting the livelihood of minimum wage workers is the right thing and the smart thing to do.”

Coughlin, D-Middlesex, said the Assembly and Senate passed legislation "to help working-class families across our state."

"We are standing up for families living paycheck-to-paycheck and for protecting future generations," he said. "I look forward to standing with the governor and Senate president for the signing of the bill to gradually raise the minimum wage into law and give New Jersey families the living wage they deserve.”

Under the legislation, the minimum-wage base for New Jersey workers would increase to $10 an hour on July 1, 2019. By Jan. 1, 2020, the statewide minimum wage would increase to $11-an-hour, and then would increase by $1-an-hour every January 1st until it reaches $15 an hour on January 1, 2024.

For seasonal workers and employees at small businesses of five workers or less, the base minimum wage would reach $15 an hour by Jan. 1, 2026. By Jan. 1, 2028, workers in these groups will receive the minimum wage inclusive of inflation adjustments that take place from 2024 to 2028, equalizing the minimum wage with other New Jersey workers.

"Putting the minimum wage on a clear and responsible path to $15 an hour is good for workers, good for our businesses, and good for our economy," Murphy has said. "A higher minimum wage strengthens all of New Jersey. I thank Senate President Sweeney and Speaker Coughlin for their commitment to this issue, and look forward to signing this legislation into law."

For agricultural workers, the base minimum wage would increase to $12.5 an hour by January 1, 2024. No later than March 31, 2024, the New Jersey Labor Commissioner and Secretary of Agriculture will jointly decide whether to recommend that the minimum wage for agricultural workers increase to $15 an hour by Jan. 1, 2027, as specified in the bill.

If they cannot come to an agreement, a third member, appointed by the governor with the advice and consent of the Senate, will break the tie. If there is a recommendation to disapprove of the scheduled increases or suggest an alternative pathway, the Legislature will have the ability to impose that recommendation by passage of a resolution.

Murphy also signed legislation that will have the Office of Attorney General handle a criminal death investigation that involves an encounter with law enforcement. The death would involve an encounter with an officer acting in their official capacity, or while the person was in custody.

"While this bill is a limited solution to a challenging issue, I have concluded that signing this bill will be an important step in improving police-community relations in New Jersey," said Murphy, referring to bill number S1036. "I know we are a stronger and safer state when every law enforcement officer feels respected and every community feels valued."

Sweeney said some of the police-involved shooting deaths that have occurred have "traumatized their communities and widened the divide between law enforcement officers and the residents they are sworn to protect."

“We have a real problem when a portion of society feels as if the criminal justice system is not protecting them with equal justicem," he said. "Trust is critical for law enforcement. Requiring independent investigations is beneficial for police officers, the criminal justice system and for the communities they serve and protect.”

Murphy also signed the following bills into law:

• A2164 (Wimberly, Schaer, Lampitt/Cruz-Perez, Beach) – “Healthy Small Food Retailer Act.” Copy of Statement on A2164
• A2190 (Lampitt, Downey, Thomson/Ruiz, Cunningham) – Requires school districts to incorporate instruction in grades six through 12 on law and meaning of consent for physical contact and sexual activity as part of Student Learning Standards in Comprehensive Health and Physical Education.
• A2436 (Benson, Swain, Tully/Bucco, Lagana) – Requires certain school district transportation supervisors to complete educational program.
• A2442 (Benson, Rooney, Downey/Singer, Gopal) – Establishes reciprocity requirements for out-of-State certified nurse aides to practice in New Jersey.
• A2732 (Andrzejczak, Dancer/Van Drew) – Clarifies that use of propane-powered noise making device is allowed as non-lethal method of wildlife control on farmland.
• A3443 (Schaer, DeCroce, Calabrese/Sarlo) – Concerns licensure of persons possessing barbering license in another state or foreign country.
• A3666 (DeAngelo, Houghtaling/Madden, Lagana, Addiego, Vitale) – Requires public works contractors to have certain certifications; requires certain contractors to participate in apprenticeship program.
• A3772 (DeAngelo, Quijano/Beach) – Provides for licensing of pool and spa service contractors, and pool and spa builders and installers.
• A4191 (Andrzejczak, Land/Van Drew, Holzapfel) – Revises requirements for swimming pools to comply with certain regulations concerning lifeguards, inspections, and circulation systems. Copy of Statement on A4191
• A4224 (Tully, Swain, Benson/Lagana, Greenstein) – Requires study of safety of school bus passengers in certain emergency situations, including school bus accidents; appropriates $250,000.
• A4299 (Benson, DeAngelo/Greenstein, Turner) – Designates portion of Interstate Highway Route 195 in Mercer County as "Francis J. McManimon Highway."
• A4579 (Lopez, Pinkin/Sweeney, Oroho) – Appropriates $28,883,557 in 2003 and 1992 bond act monies for loans for dam restoration and repair projects and inland waters projects.
• A4733 (Taliaferro, Houghtaling, Downey/Gopal, Cruz-Perez) – Appropriates $15,000,000 from constitutionally dedicated CBT revenues to State Agriculture Development Committee for municipal planning incentive grants for farmland preservation purposes.
• A4735 (Houghtaling, Verrelli, Taliaferro/Cruz-Perez, Gopal) – Appropriates $1,591,000 from constitutionally dedicated CBT revenues to State Agriculture Development Committee for grants to certain nonprofit organizations for farmland preservation purposes.
• A4736 (Armato, Freiman, Murphy/Oroho, Gopal) – Appropriates $8,896,229 to State Agriculture Development Committee for farmland preservation purposes.
• A4748 (Pintor Marin, Chiaravalloti, Quijano/Greenstein, Bateman) – Authorizes NJ Infrastructure Bank to expend additional sums to make loans for environmental infrastructure projects for FY2019.
• A4751 (Freiman, Tully, Murphy/Codey, Bateman) – Appropriates $15.696 million from constitutionally dedicated CBT revenues to DEP for State acquisition of lands for recreation and conservation purposes, including Blue Acres projects.
• S374 (Rice, Singleton/McKeon, Karabinchak, Quijano, Danielsen, Downey, Murphy) –Requires Director of Division of Investment to attempt to use qualified minority and women-owned financial institutions to provide brokerage and investment management services. Copy of Statement on S374
• S466 (Singer, Addiego/Benson, Coughlin, McKeon) – Requires acceptance of universal dentist application for participation form by dental plan carriers.
• S679 (Bateman, Smith/DeAngelo, Mukherji, Danielsen) – Increases civil penalties for certain natural gas or hazardous liquid facility safety violations.
• S1484 (Singleton/Murphy, Conaway, Benson) – "Antwan's Law"; reduces speed limit on Route 130 near Burlington City High School and Wilbur Watts Intermediate School.
• S1569 (Weinberg, Ruiz/Gusciora, Eustace, Vainieri-Huttle, Jasey, Downey) – Requires boards of education to include instruction, and adopt instructional materials, that accurately portray political, economic, and social contributions of persons with disabilities and lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people.
• S2518 (Cryan/Quijano, Vainieri-Huttle, Wimberly) – Excludes certain out-of-State businesses and employees from certain taxes, fees, and business registration requirements when temporarily performing in-State work or services during declared disaster or emergency.
• S2665 (Pou, Cruz-Perez/Mukherji, Moriarty, Quijano) – Prohibits use of misleading website to sell event tickets.
• S2914 (Lagana, Corrado/Tully, Swain, Downey) – Requires suspension of school bus endorsement on driver's license for certain number of motor vehicle moving violations in certain time period.
• S2962 (Pou/Giblin) – Revises "Accountancy Act of 1997."
• S2969 (Lagana, Singleton/Mazzeo) – Modifies responsibilities of fantasy sports operators concerning participant funds.
• S3186 (Codey/Mukherji, McKnight, Schaer) – Amends list of environmental infrastructure projects approved for long-term funding for FY2019 to include new projects and remove certain projects.
• S3209 (Greenstein, Bateman/Pinkin, Burzichelli, Mukherji) – Appropriates $2.94 million from constitutionally dedicated CBT revenues for recreation and conservation purposes to DEP for State capital and park development projects.
• S3247 (Van Drew/Pintor Marin) – Authorizes State Treasurer to convey surplus real property known as Learning Center in City of Vineland, County of Cumberland.

Additionally, Murphy announced that he has conditionally vetoed the following bills:

• A557 (Moriarty, Caputo, Downey/Lagana) – Requires the adoption of nepotism policies by school districts and charter schools. Copy of Statement on A557
• A1220 (McKeon, Vainieri-Huttle, Jasey, Mukherji/Bateman, Vitale) – “Drama Therapists and Dance/Movement Therapists Licensing Act.” Copy of Statement on A1220

Murphy also announced that he has absolute vetoed the following bills:

• S784 (Sarlo, Oroho/Burzichelli, Murphy) – Provides a gross income tax exclusion for attorney's fees and costs received in connection with certain unlawful discrimination, unlawful retaliation, and qui tam claims or actions. Copy of Statement on S784
• S1965 (Sweeney/Mukherji, McKnight, Chiaravalloti) – Allows individual to receive additional lifetime emergency assistance under certain circumstances. Copy of Statement on S1965
• S2663 (Sweeney, Singleton/Mazzeo, Murphy) – Subjects domestic equity investments of the Division of Investment to certain requirements, imposes requirements related to selection of external managers and protection of public sector jobs. Copy of Statement on S2663

Senate Democrats photo