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Author: Aliya Schneider

  • EMR will reopen Camden facility after recent fire, following judge’s ruling

    EMR will reopen Camden facility after recent fire, following judge’s ruling

    The EMR scrap metal recycling plant will reopen after Camden suspended its operations following a late May fire, the latest in a string of fires in recent years.

    The decision fell to Camden Superior Court Judge Stephen J. Polansky on Wednesday after the Camden City Council voted unanimously on Tuesday against a settlement that would have allowed EMR to reopen under certain safety precautions. EMR had sued Camden for suspending its junkyard license last month for the facility, where Camden officials say there have been more than a dozen fires in the last six years.

    Shortly after the hearing, New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill’s office announced that she signed a bill into law aimed at increasing safety in the scrap metal industry led by Assembly member Bill Moen, a Camden County Democrat. He introduced the bill after a four-alarm fire in February 2025 at EMR.

    The court fight to open EMR

    The judge said EMR can open its doors only if it follows a list of safety precautions. The company’s legal team told The Inquirer that it had already fulfilled those requirements and is ready to open as soon as the judge submits his order.

    “We intend to open and operate in accordance with the judge’s order, which directly incorporates the recommendations of EMR’s third-party fire expert,” Joe Balzano, CEO of EMR USA, told The Inquirer after the hearing Wednesday. “EMR is the only scrap metal recycling facility in the state of New Jersey that has a facility-wide fire suppression system installed and operating.”

    Among the required precautions are a 24-7 fire watch, fire suppression system testing, and procedures for scanning material coming into the facility and responding to fires.

    In court, EMR’s legal team argued that the city did not have the authority to suspend its license without proper hearing or notice, and that the company has undergone irreparable harm as a result. It has lost millions of dollars, endured tainted industry relationships, and, as of Wednesday morning, sent more than 300 layoff notices, said Kathleen Campbell, a lawyer for EMR.

    The fire took place on May 29, at which point EMR voluntarily shut down its operations. The city issued an immediate suspension notice days later, on June 4. A big question in the courtroom was whether there was enough of an emergency at that point that the city could circumvent its normal due process.

    “The city can regulate,” Campbell said in court. “What it can’t do is continue an emergency shutdown when there is no basis for it. The fire is over. The testing that this court authorized is complete.”

    She argued that the city is more worried about a “desire to keep EMR closed” than an actual immediate danger.

    William Tambussi, the city’s lawyer, argued that the possibility of another fire was enough to present an emergency.

    Camden Fire Chief Jesse Flax talks with people during a community meeting for residents, affected by a 2025 fire at EMR, at MJD Fieldhouse Gym on Broadway in Camden on Sunday, February 23, 2025.

    “The city is required and has the right to protect its citizens from the harms that come,” he said in court.

    Tambussi said after the hearing that the judge’s decision is still a win for the city because the safety precautions EMR has to follow overlap with what the city wants from the company.

    “The judge found that the city rushed the process, which the city doesn’t apologize for,” he said in an interview.

    Camden and EMR will meet again in court in August, where they will assess whether EMR has complied. The city can also attempt to shut down EMR through a full hearing process if it finds that the company has violated its terms of opening. The city cannot, however, just shut the company down.

    A new law stemming from a Camden County legislator’s fight against EMR

    The law Sherrill signed on Wednesday, which goes into effect in a year, will require heat detection equipment, publicly accessible fire safety plans developed with local fire officials, and compliance with certain fire prevention standards. It also requires fire suppression systems that can be remotely operated and limits the height allowed for piles of material.

    The legislation is part of a four-bill package Moen has been pushing for in Trenton, but is the only one to make it to the governor’s desk before the summer recess.

    “We were met at every step of the way with opposition from a well-funded industry,” Moen said in an interview Wednesday.

    Balzano, the CEO of EMR USA, said in an interview Wednesday that he believes his Camden site is mostly in line with what the new law requires. But he said the height limit would be “very detrimental to the industry and probably to the environment,” arguing that it is too broad and applies to scrap metal that is not prone to fires. He said that could have “unintended consequences” by having scrap metal spread out across more space.

    “I fully support the premise of it,” said Balzano, who has pointed to lithium-ion batteries as a source of scrap metal fires.

    Moen emphasized that while the issue of scrap metal fires has become particularly important in Camden, it is not restricted to the city’s borders. Scrap metal sites in Vineland and Newark, for example, have also seen fires in recent years.

    “This will be the first step in hopefully many of the state bringing greater transparency, accountability, and an expected level of responsibility for these scrap facilities,” Moen said.

  • Gov. Mikie Sherrill says fighting data centers is part of her response to extreme weather during Camden visit after flooding

    Gov. Mikie Sherrill says fighting data centers is part of her response to extreme weather during Camden visit after flooding

    New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill climbed onto an emergency water vehicle in Camden on Tuesday with Camden Fire Chief Jesse Flax. That vehicle, called the High Water One, was used by local emergency responders on Monday to rescue 14 people from the flooded streets of Camden, Flax said.

    The vehicle had arrived in the city one week earlier, just in time for what officials said was the worst flooding they had ever seen in the city, including from Hurricane Sandy in 2012.

    “I’ve never seen this in my whole career,” said Flax, who has worked in the city for three decades. “I’ve seen bad fires, I’ve seen a lot of different things. But I’ve never seen it flood in this capacity.”

    The new High Water Rescue vehicle that was used in the recent rainfall and flooding at the Fire Administration Building in Camden on Tuesday.

    No one was reported injured among 1,000 calls to emergency services.

    Sherrill thanked emergency responders and comforted Maria Perez, a Camden resident recovering from surgery who worked with her neighbors to fight the flooding by “telling them what to do and keeping them calm.”

    “I wanted them to keep plastic bags on their feet, too, because you don’t know what’s in that water. … I’m so glad that we had such a great team,” Perez, a member of the Camden schools advisory board, said in an interview.

    The governor’s visit came just a little more than an hour after she signed legislation in Salem County aimed at data centers. She said that very work can help prevent strain on the power grid during future storms and that the electrical grid is “top of mind” for her.

    Gov. Mikie Sherrill, left, speaks with Maria Perez, center, and Sen. Nilsa Cruz-Perez, right, at the fire house in Camden on Tuesday.

    “We are seeing these extreme weather events more and more and more frequently,” said Sherrill, who was dealt a historic snowstorm just weeks into her term and has recently seen a deadly heat wave. After her stop in Camden, she went to a BJ’s Wholesale Club store in Monmouth County where a roof fell in from Monday’s flooding.

    One of the bills Sherrill signed into law on Tuesday creates a new ratepayer class and rate structure for data centers that is meant to ensure they pay for their own energy. Another creates more oversight for utility companies’ grid upgrades to try to save money.

    “We’ve set them aside in a separate class of utility users, so that if we have storms like this, they will be first impacted, not normal rate payers,” Sherrill said.

    Data centers have caused concern on both sides of the aisle in South Jersey, with towns including Medford taking steps to block their development locally. But according to county spokesperson Dan Keashen, Camden did not have widespread power outages during the storm, just a handful that were rectified the same day.

    Oscar Parra makes his way to his car in the flooded parking lot at the Ferry Avenue PATCO station in Camden on Monday amid a flash flood threat for the region.

    So what about the damage in Camden?

    Sherrill said residents should report damage through the New Jersey Office of Emergency Management so the state can calculate how much federal assistance to request.

    “There are technical things we need to meet,” she said. “I think we probably will, but we’re collecting that now.”

    American Red Cross workers in Camden on Tuesday were providing cleaning supplies like mops, bleach cleaners, gloves, and tarps — as well as snacks and water, said Diane Concannon, the organization’s communications director for the New Jersey region.

    “Flooding is horrible for any family … because everyone wants to be able to save everything,” she said.

    While the rain was intense, it cleared up quickly because the city has maintained its sewers so well, Sherrill said.

    “They have done a really good job here in Camden with some of these resiliency efforts,” she said. “It’s why this wasn’t worse.”

  • Pope Leo XIV celebrates immigrants in speech to Philadelphia crowd amid clash with Trump ahead of 250th anniversary

    Pope Leo XIV celebrates immigrants in speech to Philadelphia crowd amid clash with Trump ahead of 250th anniversary

    Addressing a Philadelphia crowd live from the Vatican, Pope Leo XIV called for a “recommitment” to American ideals.

    The first U.S.-born pope delivered remarks virtually at an interfaith ceremony inside Philadelphia’s National Constitution Center on the eve of the United States’ 250th birthday to accept the center’s prestigious Liberty Medal.

    Facing a screen showing the live, cheering Philadelphia audience, the pontiff wore his Liberty Medal along with a cross around his neck.

    Leo, who grew up in Chicago and attended Villanova University, quickly pointed out his American roots, calling himself “a son of this great country.”

    “I join you in asking God’s blessings upon America’s future that the lofty ideals enshrined at the beginning of the Declaration of Independence may continue to guide the flourishing of the nation in unity, justice, and peace,” he said.

    Leo, who was elected pope last year, spent years serving the church in Peru and has been outspoken about calling for international peace. That’s landed him at odds with President Donald Trump’s administration on the issue of migrants, the war in Iran, and more.

    The pope leaned into some of those themes in his speech, even though he did not refer to the president directly.

    He nodded to his advocacy for humane treatment of immigrants and noted that the founders of the United States “made America a byword for freedom, as the country opened its doors to successive waves of immigrants, enabling them and their children to play their part in shaping the future of the nation.”

    He said the “love of freedom” in the United States has inspired the country “to look beyond itself and at great sacrifice to champion the cause of freedom beyond its own borders.” But he acknowledged that mission hasn’t been straightforward, noting that building a society that embodies such ideals “was not always easy and, in many respects, is still a work in progress.”

    The pontiff’s speech comes the day before he plans to visit Lampedusa, an Italian island known as a stop for migrants making the dangerous journey across the Mediterranean Sea from North Africa to Europe. His predecessor Pope Francis made his first official visit outside of Rome in 2013 to the same island and condemned the “globalization of indifference” toward migrants.

    Pope Leo XIV speaks at the Liberty Medal Ceremony at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia on Friday.

    Julie Silverbrook, the chief content and learning officer for the National Constitution Center, emphasized in a Friday interview that Leo is a “global leader who has been uniquely shaped by American ideals.”

    “He has brought together people of different faith traditions, and through his ministry really reflected his belief in the inherent dignity of all human beings,” she said.

    Leo declined an invitation from Trump to the United States to celebrate the country’s 250th birthday on July Fourth, the New York Times reported. The first American-born pope opting to visit migrants instead sends a stark message as the president pursues his mission of mass deportations.

    But the pontiff’s participation in the Philadelphia program highlights his connections to the region, which isn’t lost on the National Constitution Center.

    The Philadelphia-based private nonprofit organization chose Leo for the award due to “his lifelong work promoting religious liberty and freedom of conscience and expression around the world — ideals enshrined by America’s founders in the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.” That, and also because he is the first pope born in the United States, and has connections to Philadelphia, Silverbrook said.

    “He was shaped by those freedoms … in much the same way that the Declaration of Independence was shaped by the city of Philadelphia, and of course a reflection of American values that have been carried globally,” she said.

    When a delegation from Philadelphia’s National Constitution Center met with Leo at the Vatican in April to present him with the medal in person, they also bore a few local goodies: a bundle of Villanova swag, a replica of George Washington’s Acts of Congress, and a Wawa tote bag filled with Tastykakes.

    “I think he very much so feels a connection to Philadelphia, both having been educated here, and I think in this semiquincentennial moment, I think the eyes of the world are on Philadelphia, and we’re thinking about the ideals that have emanated from this place for 250 years,” Silverbrook said.

    Leo, a 1977 Villanova alum, recently passed on a surprise message to graduates of his alma mater. Vince Stango, the interim president and CEO of the National Constitution Center, also went to the Augustinian university on the Main Line, which co-sponsored the NBC10 broadcast of the event along with the archdiocese and Malvern Prep.

    (From left to right) Gov. Josh Shapiro, Rev. Nelson J. Pérez, Mayor Cherelle L. Parker, Interim President & CEO of National Constitutional Center Vince Stango, Rev. Carolyn C. Cavaness, Imam Quaiser D. Abdullah, Rev. Luis A. Cortés Jr., and Rabbi Jill L. Maderer, pose for a photo at the Liberty Medal Ceremony at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, Pa., on Friday.

    Clashing with Trump

    The pope has contended that it’s up to each country to determine how they want to accept migrants while also denouncing the Trump administration’s “extremely disrespectful” treatment of them.

    He has also spoken out against Trump’s threats against Iran, and declined to participate in the president’s “Board of Peace” for Gaza’s reconstruction.

    In an April social media rant, Trump complained that he doesn’t “want a Pope who criticizes the President of the United States.” The president called the Catholic leader weak and accused him of “catering to the Radical Left.”

    Leo told reporters that month that he has “no fear, neither of the Trump administration, nor of speaking out loudly about the message in the Gospel, and that’s what I believe I am called to do, what the church is called to do.”

    In his Friday remarks, the pope made a call for unity but warned that a country should come together with “ideals that do not fade with the passing of time.”

    He called on the United States to recognize its values of “peace and prosperity, a country characterized by generosity and nobility of heart,” and said the values of “shared human dignity, equality, and the rights laid out in the Declaration of Independence” can help unite and guide the nation.

    The Liberty Medal

    The Liberty Medal was created in 1988 and has been hosted by the National Constitution Center since 2006.

    The award has gone to storytellers, philanthropists, civil rights leaders, and politicians on both sides of the aisle, such as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, former Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg, the Bushes, Malala Yousafzai, and Thurgood Marshall.

    The center describes its recipients as individuals who “strive to secure the blessings of liberty to people around the globe.”

    The process of selecting Leo began about a year ago, Silverbrook said.

    The speech was initially going to be projected on Independence Mall, but the event was moved indoors due to the extreme heat and livestreamed by the center online.

    Rich Russo, 63, a Fishtown resident who attended the event in person, called the experience “once in a lifetime.”

    “How many times do you get the pope talking to you?” said Russo, who works for a bank.

    Gov. Josh Shapiro, who is Jewish, and Mayor Cherelle L. Parker, a Baptist — both Democrats who have been outspoken about their own faiths — joined Philadelphia Archbishop Nelson J. Pérez and other religious leaders who made remarks on stage prior to the pope’s speech. Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday, a Republican, rang a replica Liberty Bell outside.

    “Philly is proud that the pope is a graduate of Villanova University who spent time living and working in our region,” Pérez said on stage. “Pope Leo knows us, and we feel like we know him, too.”

    “His influence, however, extends beyond Philadelphia,” the archbishop added.

  • Pope Leo XIV is speaking to the National Constitution Center live from the Vatican. Here’s what to know.

    Pope Leo XIV is speaking to the National Constitution Center live from the Vatican. Here’s what to know.

    Pope Leo XIV will accept the National Constitution Center’s Liberty Medal on Friday, delivering remarks live from the Vatican that will be broadcast inside the Sixth and Arch building.

    The U.S.-born pontiff’s speech is a major addition to Philadelphia’s already extensive lineup of activities and events on the eve of the United States’ 250th birthday on July Fourth.

    His speech will be particularly anticipated in Philadelphia given the Semiquincentennial and Leo’s deep ties to the Philly area.

    The Catholic leader has garnered attention for clashing with President Donald Trump’s administration, which will be further exemplified by his visit with migrants on Independence Day.

    His award acceptance speech also comes just two days after traditionalist Catholics in Switzerland defied him by consecrating bishops without his consent, which Leo called “a sin of extreme gravity,” the Associated Press reported.

    His Friday remarks were initially going to be broadcast on Independence Mall but it was moved inside due to extreme heat.

    Here’s what to know ahead of his Liberty Medal speech.

    What are Pope Leo’s connections to the Philly area?

    Not only is he the first U.S.-born pope, but he has connections to the Philly area — despite being from Chicago.

    Leo graduated from Villanova University in 1977 with a bachelor’s degree in mathematics. He received an honorary doctorate of humanities in 2014 from the Augustinian university.

    Those who knew him at the time described him as a Midwesterner with a sense of humor who was tuned in to global issues like immigration and poverty — and like anyone who goes to Villanova, a big basketball fan. He worked part-time at St. Denis Catholic Church in Havertown as part of the cemetery maintenance crew during his studies.

    In May, he passed along a surprise commencement message to this year’s graduates. In that message, he fittingly referenced America’s 250th anniversary.

    “May the graduates of 2026 always be faithful to the guiding light that has been so important for these 250 years,” Leo said.

    This video screen grab shows Pope Leo XIV wearing a Villanova hat given to him during a meeting with an Italian heritage group.

    Last month, a delegation from Philadelphia’s National Constitution Center met with Leo at the Vatican to present him with the medal. They would have been remiss to forget to celebrate his Philly connections.

    So they brought him a few local goodies: a bundle of Villanova swag, a replica of George Washington’s Acts of Congress, and, best of all, a Wawa tote bag filled with Tastykakes.

    Vince Stango, interim president and CEO of the Constitution Center, said the visit had “a real Philadelphia vibe that was unmistakable.”

    What’s the Liberty Medal?

    The Liberty Medal has been presented by the nonpartisan National Constitution Center since 2006, offering the esteemed prize to individuals and organizations who “strive to secure the blessings of liberty to people around the globe.”

    In Leo’s case, he’s receiving the award because of his work in promoting religious liberty.

    Previous recipients of the award include Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, the late U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the late U.S. Sen. John McCain (R., Ariz.), and the late civil rights leader and U.S. Rep. John Lewis (D., Ga.).

    How do I watch?

    The National Constitution Center is streaming the ceremony live on its YouTube channel at 10:45 a.m. NBC10 will also broadcast the awards.

    Tickets to the event were previously made available to the public and other invited guests.

    What’s going on with the pope and Trump?

    Trump invited the pontiff to visit the United States on July Fourth to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the country. He declined.

    Instead, the pope will spend Independence Day visiting Lampedusa, an Italian island in the Mediterranean Sea located between Tunisia, Malta, and Sicily. It‘s a major entry point for migrants seeking refuge in Europe from North Africa. It’s one of the deadliest migration paths in the world, Reuters reported.

    Leo’s predecessor, Pope Francis, visited the island in 2013.

    Francis, who was close with Leo, also clashed with President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance on issues like immigration, and that tension has continued under the new pontiff.

    The pope said in November that the United States has been treating migrants “in a way that is extremely disrespectful” under the Trump administration. A month prior, he suggested that the United States’ treatment of immigrants is “inhumane.”

    Vance, who converted to Catholicism in 2019, said this week on Fox News that he finds the Vatican’s immigration views “troubling,” saying that “mass migration has victims.”

    Leo was also outspoken in his opposition to Trump’s war in Iran, and the Vatican declined to participate in Trump’s “Board of Peace” for Gaza.

    Trump has not held back on his criticism of the pope, calling him “WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy” in an April social media rant. He faced condemnation from Catholics — who have found themselves taking a side between the pope and the president — after sharing a now-deleted image of himself presented as Jesus.

    It will be telling whether Leo leans into his disagreements with the Trump administration, whether directly or indirectly, during his speech on Friday.

  • Camden is a winner in New Jersey’s $60.7B budget. Who are the losers?

    Camden is a winner in New Jersey’s $60.7B budget. Who are the losers?

    Gov. Mikie Sherrill signed the New Jersey budget for fiscal year 2027 Tuesday night, shortly before the clock ran out on the constitutionally mandated deadline.

    The budget ranks as the largest in state history, but Sherrill also contends it is the most “fiscally responsible” in decades in part because it fully funds the state pension program and doesn’t come with widespread tax increases for residents.

    Lawmakers approved the budget on Tuesday after adding millions in legislative add-ons Sunday night, a move that countered Sherrill’s earlier vows to change the culture in Trenton. But she softened her stance as the deadline neared and she conceded that lawmakers know their districts best.

    South Jersey Democrats defended the spending, which Republican lawmakers criticized as “pork.”

    “I know sometimes it gets disparaging names, but I think one of our responsibilities as elected officials is to be responsive to the needs of our communities,” said Sen. Troy Singleton, a Burlington County Democrat.

    But the last-minute shuffle didn’t result in the transparency Sherrill originally promised, with some legislators saying they weren’t sure of the details they were voting on. The budget passed mostly along party lines in the Democratic-dominated legislature. Sherrill and legislative leaders touted record funding for schools and property tax relief programs.

    “I know the process needs work,” Sherrill said at a Tuesday night news conference. “It takes too long. It could be much more transparent, but we took steps in the right direction this year.”

    Here are some of the winners and losers in the budget.

    Camden County Commissioner Director Louis Cappelli, Jr., left, with Gov. Mikie Sherrill and Camden Mayor Victor Carstarphen, right, at SoccerFest26, the World Cup fan fest at Wiggins Waterfront Park in Camden on Friday.

    Winner: Camden City and County

    South Jersey obtained funding for projects across the region with Camden scoring one especially big-ticket item: $9 million for property acquisition and demolition. The funding is for a county-run program focused on removing vacant, unusable, or otherwise deemed dangerous properties in the city.

    Louis Cappelli Jr., the director of the Camden County Commissioners, said in an interview that the county has demolished more than 1,200 residential and commercial buildings over the past decade as part of this effort, mostly with state money. He said the program’s mission is to encourage the city’s redevelopment.

    “The city is in desperate need of new housing, especially market-rate housing, and by creating opportunities for development on these properties, we believe we will draw the interest of residential developers to build in Camden City,” he said.

    The city of Camden was also allocated $250,000 for a statue of Martin Luther King Jr., which Sherrill promised the city ahead of her inauguration. This project was a priority for the governor, who systematically struck a pen through legislative projects but dedicated funding to the statue in her proposal earlier this year.

    Several organizations that serve Camden city and county received hundreds of thousands of dollars in the budget.

    The Camden Coalition of Healthcare Providers received $500,000 for a program that connects emergency department patients to outpatient behavioral care and $750,000 for a program that helps people experiencing homelessness obtain housing. Joseph’s House, a homeless shelter in the city of Camden, received $600,000, and a separate spending bill also sends $650,000 to a new construction homeownership project.

    The budget also allocates $300,000 for job training for youth and young adults, $75,000 for a program dedicated to improving school attendance in the city of Camden, and $25,000 for a new county program that supports formerly incarcerated people reentering their community.

    It also includes $3.2 million for structural improvements for a bridge at Route 30 and Somerdale Road and $12.1 million for the Camden County LINK Trail, a planned 34-mile multiuse trail.

    Loser: High-income seniors

    Senior homeowners who earn between $200,000 and $500,000 a year will no longer qualify for the nascent Stay NJ property tax credit program under the new income cap. They just began receiving checks for the program this year.

    Sherrill proposed scaling back the expensive program in her budget proposal earlier this year, which caused some tension because the new program was championed by Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin, a Middlesex County Democrat and a key budget negotiator.

    But Sherrill and legislative leaders found a compromise by giving higher payments than she proposed for those who make less money, and an even lower income limit than she proposed for the program.

    Qualifying taxpayers will get refunded up to half their property tax bill up with maximum refunds ranging from $4,000 to $6,500, depending on their income, with those earning more getting less.

    Rowan University’s Shreiber School of Veterinary Medicine Tuesday, April 14, 2026.

    You win some, you lose some: Rowan University

    Rowan University is receiving less money than it did this year, but significantly more money than Sherrill initially proposed. At the end of the day it’s a win for the university, which saw significant cuts reversed.

    Sherrill’s initial proposal included about $125 million, but legislators brought the total up to nearly $135 million — a drop from the $155 million the state gave the school this year.

    Sherrill zeroed out funding for Rowan’s new veterinary school but legislators successfully got $6.2 million for the program — still less than the $8 million it received this year and a far cry from the $20 million the school requested.

    State Sen. John Burzichelli, a Gloucester County Democrat, said the money is enough for the school to at least “keep the lights on,” for the veterinary school and the medical school funding is “sound.”

    Sherrill also proposed cutting all state funding for Virtua Health College of Medicine and Life Sciences. Legislators restored $2 million to the program — half of what it received this year and much less than the requested $12 million.

    The Rowan-Virtua Child Abuse Research Education and Service Institute (CARES) program, which provides medical and mental healthcare to children who have experienced abuse, had all its $1.85 million funding restored after Sherrill initially zeroed it out.

    In anticipation of the governor’s proposed cuts, Rowan sent employees layoff notices and announced the closure of its Vineland office. A union representing CARES employees has called on Rowan to reverse these changes.

    But Rowan spokesperson Jose Cardona said the university “will evaluate next steps and very soon determine the most responsible path for operations, staffing, and long‑term sustainability.”

    The bill that passed alongside the budget with funding from this fiscal year sent nearly $15 million going to Cooper Medical School of Rowan University and support to Cooper University Hospital. That bill also sends $5 million to Cooper University Healthcare’s South Jersey cancer program, which got an additional $27.4 million in the new budget.

    Winner: Parents

    Legislative leaders secured a 25% increase in the state’s child tax credit program, which is claimed by 217,000 tax filers with children, according to the governor’s office.

    The expansion, which will be in place over the next three tax years, bumps each tax credit tier by 25%. So, for example, a household that previously got the highest tier of $1,000 will receive $1,250 and households that got $800 will get $1,000.

    Sherrill, a former member of Congress and mother of four, said she saw positive impacts of the national tax credit, “giving parents more money for childcare and summer camps, so their kids can thrive while they’re at work.”

    Gov. Mikie Sherrill talks with state Sen. Troy Singleton (D., Burlington) as she arrives to meet with the South Jersey business community for a fireside chat event hosted by the Chamber of Commerce of Southern New Jersey in Mt. Laurel Monday, March 16, 2026.

    Loser: Businesses

    What Sherrill touted Tuesday night as closing “corporate loopholes” and asking employers “to pay their fair share in healthcare,” the business community saw as an attack.

    The budget includes Sherrill’s proposals to introduce new fees for businesses with at least 50 employees on Medicaid, an effort that was led in part by Assembly member Carol Murphy, a Burlington County Democrat, in the legislature. It also imposes limits on two methods businesses use to deduct losses from their taxes.

    Hilary Chebra, the director of governmental affairs for Chamber of Commerce Southern New Jersey, criticized these policies, as well as a bill passed by the legislature that bans food surveillance pricing as it’s written.

    “Employers aren’t reacting to a single tax increase or one new regulation,” she said. “They’re responding to all of it at once.”

    She said these measures will have more severe consequences in South Jersey for small and family-owned businesses that compete with businesses in Pennsylvania and Delaware.

    Tom Bracken, the president & CEO of the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce, said businesses were given “minimal support” and that the budget did not focus on supporting economic growth. He said the policies Sherrill championed in the budget “send the wrong message” to employers that New Jersey should be working to attract.

    “The negative financial and reputational consequences of these policies will make it more difficult for New Jersey to be competitive — and competitiveness is essential if the state economy is going to grow,” he said.

  • Rowan’s vet school can ‘keep the lights on’ under tentative state budget deal, and other South Jersey program updates

    Rowan’s vet school can ‘keep the lights on’ under tentative state budget deal, and other South Jersey program updates

    Rowan University’s nascent veterinary school will get enough funding to “keep the lights on” under the tentative New Jersey budget deal, according to one South Jersey lawmaker.

    It’s among several South Jersey programs with a fate tied to the negotiations ahead of the state’s June 30 budget deadline.

    New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill proposed completely slashing state funding for the state’s only vet school in her budget proposal rolled out in March.

    The Shreiber School of Veterinary Medicine was created with state support and its first class just finished its first year. On top of training the next generation of vets and conducting research, the South Jersey institution provides veterinary services to the region and helps address a large animal vet shortage.

    Since the four-year school only has had only one 75-student class paying tuition so far, the prospect of losing all state funding was potentially devastating.

    The state legislature will vote Tuesday on a budget that allocates $6.2 million to the school, a lower number compared to the $8 million it got this year (and much lower than the $20 million it had requested). But the amount will be sufficient enough for the vet school to survive, said Sen. John Burzichelli, a Gloucester County Democrat.

    “Will they keep the lights on? Will they continue to grow? I’m confident they can,” he said in a Monday interview.

    Veterinary students at Rowan University’s Shreiber School of Veterinary Medicine interact with a group of less than-a-week-old kids (baby goats) brought in by classmate Cana Patterson (back to camera, second from right).

    Burzichelli said he and other supporters of the school were trying to allocate $12 million to the school to provide “more resources as they grow out.”

    Rowan spokesperson Jose Cardona declined to comment because the deal has not been signed into law.

    Vet school under attack

    The legislature is expected to approve the budget Tuesday, the final day before the new fiscal year begins on July 1. Sherrill has the power to veto items in the budget before signing it into law.

    As part of her March proposal, Sherrill warned that legislators must provide cuts to equal out any spending they want to add to the budget, a stance she softened more recently.

    On Friday, she said in Camden that because of cuts she identified with legislative leaders, there’s money for lawmakers to “really push into their local projects.” The state’s revenue forecasts have also gone up.

    Sherrill announced last week that she came to a budget agreement with legislative leaders with a price tag of $60.7 billion, the same rounded figure she proposed earlier this year.

    Then, on Sunday, legislators advanced a budget with $15 million more than Sherrill’s proposed total earlier this year.

    Sherrill has repeatedly touted her budget proposal as” the most fiscally responsible budget New Jersey has seen in years,” though it’s the largest in the state’s history.

    Gov. Mikie Sherrill delivers her budget address Tuesday, Mar. 10, 2026, in the Assembly Chamber at the New Jersey State House. Assembly Speaker Craig J. Coughlin (left) and Senate President Nicholas P. Scutari (right) are behind her.

    Funding restored for child trauma care in South Jersey

    Sherrill’s original proposal also zeroed out funding for a program that provides medical and mental health care to South Jersey children who have experienced abuse in her budget proposal earlier this year. But the legislature restored funding to the same level as the current fiscal year at $1.85 million.

    Rowan is closing a health center for abused children because of Gov. Mikie Sherrill’s proposed budget

    The Rowan-Virtua Child Abuse Research Education and Service Institute (CARES) has locations in Stratford in Camden County and Vineland in Cumberland County. Rowan informed employees of layoffs across both locations and said the university would be closing down the more rural Vineland location as a result of the cuts.

    Cardona, the Rowan spokesperson, declined to say Monday whether the Vineland center will remain open and if the layoffs will be reversed. He said it’s “premature to comment on a budget that has not been approved.”

    Dio Tsitouras, the executive director of the American Association of University Professors Biomedical and Health Sciences union — which represents CARES employees — said the union is awaiting “an announcement from Rowan that rescinds all layoffs and indicates that the Vineland office will remain open.”

    “We are pleased that the budget the Legislature passed restores critical funding to the CARES program so that our members can continue serving the most vulnerable children of South Jersey,” Tsitouras said.

    State Rep. Anthony Angelozzi, a Burlington County Democrat, said his office advocated for CARES, one of dozens of groups at risk of funding cuts that met with his office. He called the program’s work “imperative.”

    “There were certain priorities we had to fight for because we are sorta on the ground in our districts in a way sometimes the governor is not,” he said. “There are some programs that legislators realize how profound they are at helping people that the governor may underestimate.”

    Staff members observe from back of the room during a workshop at the Hispanic Women’s Resource Center in Camden Thursday, June 11, 2026.

    Hispanic Women’s Resource Centers still at risk

    New Jersey has one of the largest wage gaps for Hispanic women in the country. Hispanic Women’s Resource Centers were established by the legislature in the early 1990s to help that disparity, providing employment training and other support to Latinas. Sherrill proposed cutting 80% of state funding for these programs, down to just $535,000 statewide.

    Gov. Mikie Sherrill proposed an 80% cut to a program that provides job training and support to Hispanic women

    Legislators restored most of that funding in their tentative budget to nearly $1.8 million but program leaders say it’s still not enough, at almost 30% less than this year’s allocation of $2.5 million.

    The Latino Action Network Foundation runs these centers in partnership with six nonprofits across 14 sites, including five in South Jersey in Camden, Vineland, Hammonton, Pennsville, and Rio Grande.

    Latino Action Network president Javier Robles said that decrease will still cause the closure of centers and reduce job training, mental health services, and English language classes to thousands of families statewide.

    “At a time when Latino families across our state are being targeted by the right-wing Trump anti-immigrant agenda, these cuts will only put additional strain on our community,” Robles added.

  • How this property tax relief program for New Jersey seniors could change under the state’s budget deal

    How this property tax relief program for New Jersey seniors could change under the state’s budget deal

    A nascent property tax relief program for New Jersey seniors has been at the center of budget negotiations between Gov. Mikie Sherrill and lawmakers as the state’s budget deadline quickly approaches.

    That program, called Stay NJ, is expected to undergo changes that would slice the income eligibility by more than half, kicking off seniors that made hundreds of thousands of dollars and started reaping the benefit this year.

    The benefit is currently available to seniors making less than $500,000, but that cap would be lowered to $200,000 under an agreement between the governor and legislative leaders, according to reports of closed-door budget talks. Those making less money would be eligible for a larger refund under the arrangement.

    The proposal is a compromise between Sherrill, who pushed for cuts to the program, and House Speaker Craig Coughlin (D., Middlesex), a key player in budget negotiations who has championed Stay NJ.

    As the name suggests, Stay NJ was created in 2023 to incentivize New Jerseyans to remain in the Garden State by providing refunds to eligible senior homeowners. The program was designed to start payments in 2026, so the very first checks had just begun going out when the first term governor presented her early March budget proposal.

    She argued that the state could face a dire financial situation if there aren’t serious cuts.

    Here’s what to know about the status of the Stay NJ program.

    Is there a budget deal?

    Sherrill, Coughlin, and State Sen. President Nicholas Scutari (D., Union) announced Tuesday that they came to a budget “agreement.” The closed-door deal wasn’t made public, and legislators continue to iron out the details ahead of the deadline this coming Tuesday.

    They said the budget agreement totals $60.7 billion, the same total Sherrill proposed in March. The governor has touted her proposal as “fiscally responsible,” though it’s still the highest price tag in the state’s history.

    The joint statement mentioned few details but cited a handful of measures, including Stay NJ.

    The state leaders said their agreement ensures the program “is a sustainable benefit retirees can count on.”

    The fate of other programs impacting South Jerseyans is less clear, including Rowan’s veterinary school, a program that provides healthcare to children that have experienced abuse, and resource centers that help Hispanic women get employment.

    What is Stay NJ?

    The property tax relief program issues refund payments to eligible seniors in quarterly installments. The first Stay NJ payments were issued in February with an average of $600 each, according to the state treasurer’s office.

    Under the current policy, eligible homeowners over 65 years old who make under $500,000 a year are eligible to get refunds for as much as half their property tax bills. The refunds are capped at $6,500 in a year.

    What did Gov. Sherrill want to change about Stay NJ?

    Sherrill wanted to slice the eligibility cap in half so only seniors with an annual household income below $250,000 would qualify.

    She also wanted to lower the maximum benefit to $4,000.

    “That’s a fairer, more efficient use of taxpayer money,” she said in her budget address in early March.

    Stephen Sigmund, a spokesperson for Sherrill, said at the time of her proposal that 90% of Stay NJ recipients would keep their benefits.

    The AARP expressed outrage at her proposal as New Jersey seniors struggle with the cost of living. But critics of the program who believe it directs too much state money to higher earners praised her for wanting to rein it in.

    So what’s actually changing?

    According to reports of the budget agreement, Sherrill and legislators agreed on a compromise.

    Sherrill agreed to steer an additional $100 million funding to the program, NJ.com reported.

    Meanwhile, legislative leaders agreed to lower the income threshold to qualify for the program to $200,000, even lower than what Sherrill initially suggested.

    And as part of the new plan, those earning the least would get bigger deductions, according to the report.

    Seniors making $100,000 or less would qualify for up to $6,500; those making between $100,000 and $150,000 would be eligible for up to $5,000, and those making $150,000 to $200,000 would qualify for up to $4,000, according to the report.

    Coughlin said at an AARP town hall that Sherrill’s proposed cap across the board of $4,000 was “too low,” and that he would “stand up for Stay NJ,” New Jersey Monitor reported earlier this month.

    Spokespeople for the governor did not respond to a request asking for confirmation of the plan.

  • Gov. Mikie Sherrill proposed an 80% cut to a program that provides job training and support to Hispanic women. The budget is due in days.

    Gov. Mikie Sherrill proposed an 80% cut to a program that provides job training and support to Hispanic women. The budget is due in days.

    Consensa Francisca Silva Silva moved to Camden from Costa Rica more than two years ago knowing nobody. She lived on the street for two months, she said, and then was bouncing from house to house when a young man in the neighborhood told her to check out the Hispanic Women’s Resource Center in Camden, one of several such centers in the state.

    She went. With help from the program, Silva received food, obtained a work permit, made a down payment for a studio apartment, and started a job at McDonald’s.

    That statewide initiative is now facing detrimental cuts under Democratic Gov. Mikie Sherrill’s budget proposal. The governor has proposed cutting nearly 80% of its funding, and Silva worries that other immigrant women looking to improve their circumstances will not get the help she received.

    “It was very hard to come here without knowing anyone, and it was really hard because at first I couldn’t find any work,” Silva, who is Nicaraguan, said in Spanish, translated by Jesselly De La Cruz, the executive director of the Latino Action Network Foundation, which funds the centers.

    The initiative is one of numerous South Jersey programs at risk under Sherrill’s proposal, including the Rowan University veterinary school and a program that provides mental healthcare to abused children. But the cuts are not a done deal.

    Sherrill and legislative leaders announced Tuesday they had come to an “agreement” on a budget totaling $60.7 billion, the same price tag Sherrill proposed in March. But it has not been made public and it is unclear how far into the details they have gotten. They have until Tuesday to figure it out.

    And the process is still underway. State Sen. Nilsa Cruz-Perez, a Camden Democrat who sits on the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee, has been a supporter of the centers. She was unable to speak Wednesday afternoon because she was in a committee budget hearing.

    Client Consensa Francisca Silva Silva (right) participates in a workshop at the Hispanic Women’s Resource Center in Camden Thursday, June 11, 2026.

    On a recent Thursday, Silva participated in a healthy life skills workshop in Spanish at the Camden center, where she learned about taking care of herself as summer temperatures get hotter in the city. About 20 adults clapped for one another with big smiles on their faces, and they received goody bags with sunscreen, lip balm, a towel to keep cool, and a little fan. A young girl played with magnetic tiles and a baby was kept calm, passed between women.

    The governor proposed cutting funding for the center’s programs to $535,000, down from more than $2.5 million this year and more than $3 million in 2025. Murphy had proposed a similar cut last year, but the funding was restored during budget negotiations.

    Hispanic Women’s Resource Centers were established through 1991 legislation to address the wage gap for Latinas. New Jersey is one of the states with the biggest wage gap for Latina workers, according to the National Women’s Law Center.

    Staff members observe from back of the room during a workshop at the Hispanic Women’s Resource Center in Camden Thursday, June 11, 2026.

    The Latino Action Network Foundation funds these resource centers in partnership with six nonprofits across 14 sites, including five in South Jersey. The Camden center is located at the nonprofit Healthy Families and Communities, and there are centers in Vineland in Cumberland County, Hammonton in Atlantic County, Pennsville in Salem County, and Rio Grande in Cape May County.

    Sherrill’s proposal would “drastically cut” the number of resource centers, and sites in Hammonton and in Lakewood, in Ocean County, would likely be on the chopping block, De La Cruz said, adding that services would need to be cut in eight of 11 counties.

    Martha Infante, 38, who lives in Pennsauken, said she was disoriented when she moved to South Jersey from the Dominican Republic. But through the Camden center, she found out how to apply for work online and learned basic English. She obtained coats for her daughters’ first U.S. winter, and a staffer accompanied her to a New Jersey Department of Motor Vehicles center to get her driver’s license.

    “I came here and my mind was all over the place, I didn’t know where things were,” she said in Spanish.

    She now works as a home health aide, thanks to training she got through the center, and even participated in a program where she learned about advocating for her community in Trenton.

    “Don’t cut these funds, Gov. Sherrill,” she pleaded. “Don’t cut the funds! This is like a family. It’s like a home for the community.”

    Client Martha Infante (left) talks with staff member Chailienisse Vega (right) after participating in a workshop at the Hispanic Women’s Resource Center in Camden Thursday, June 11, 2026.

    Some of the women in the program are fleeing domestic violence and seeking financial independence. Others are struggling to get a work permit, or may have lost a family member who helped pay the bills to deportation. A lot of former “Dreamers” — undocumented immigrants who came to the U.S. as children — utilize the center as well, De La Cruz said.

    The need for the centers has only escalated under President Donald Trump’s second administration, she said.

    The social worker-turned-executive said she was surprised by the severity of Sherrill’s proposed cut, especially because of the governor’s efforts to push back against Trump’s immigration policies.

    A 2023 Rutgers study funded by the Latino Action Network Foundation found that the most popular services at these resource centers were English-language classes and employment services, such as job referrals, assistance filling out applications, resume writing, and interview preparation.

    Staff member Andreina Pardo pauses to stretch with participants as she leads a workshop at the Hispanic Women’s Resource Center in Camden Thursday, June 11, 2026.

    “Aside from helping them with the technical aspects of job hunting, the assistance from the Centers seemed to provide a boost of confidence for many of the women, giving them an additional push to apply for positions even if they felt hesitant to do so at first,” the study said.

    Gladys, 48, who declined to give her last name due to concerns over her safety, said in Spanish that the free English courses made her feel like she could “come up for air and breathe” after not being able to communicate.

    The Camden resident had been an ecologist in Nicaragua and has gotten involved in the center’s community garden. She said she would love to pursue a career teaching children about the environment, but her plans are on hold because her work visa was canceled.

    In the meantime, Gladys said, activities at the center like art classes have made her feel less alone. She has been able to connect with women in the same situation as her, and those who migrated to the U.S. earlier who can give her advice from their experiences.

    “Maybe my circumstances don’t change, but my emotional well-being changes because I’m able to connect with others,” she said in Spanish.

  • Gisele Fetterman’s X and Instagram profiles are now inactive weeks after she spoke against ICE

    Gisele Fetterman’s X and Instagram profiles are now inactive weeks after she spoke against ICE

    Gisele Barreto Fetterman‘s social media accounts have been taken down after she spoke out about ICE earlier this year. Her X and Instagram accounts were both inactive as of Thursday morning.

    It was unclear on what date the two accounts were removed from the platforms, but she did use her X account to criticize the Trump administration a little more than a month ago. Her Facebook account has not been deactivated, though her last public post was in June.

    Barreto Fetterman, who had lived undocumented in the U.S. for more than a decade after emigrating from Brazil, posted about the emotional toll caused by President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown in Minneapolis and other cities.

    “Every day carried the same uncertainty and fear lived in my body — a tight chest, shallow breaths, racing heart,” she said in a post on X in late January, the day after a Border Patrol agent fatally shot civilian Alex Pretti. In the same month, an ICE agent fatally shot civilian Renee Good and the agency detained 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos.

    “What I thought was my private, chronic dread has now become a shared national wound,” she added. “This now-daily violence is not ‘law and order.’ It is terror inflicted on people who contribute, love, and build their lives here. It’s devastatingly cruel and unAmerican.”

    Barreto Fetterman’s post preceded a statement from her husband, Sen. John Fetterman (D., Pa.), calling for DHS Secretary Kristi Noem to be fired in the wake of Pretti’s killing. Trump fired Noem on Thursday.

    That same week Fetterman joined fellow Democrats in blocking DHS funding in an effort to force reforms to immigration enforcement, but he has since spoken out against a proposal to prohibit Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents from masking while they perform their duties.

    The senator’s office did not comment Thursday about his wife’s social media hiatus.

    Fetterman has faced pushback online for aligning with Trump and being at odds with his party on certain issues.

    After Fetterman stood out among Democrats for shaking Trump’s hand at the State of the Union last week, U.S. Rep. Brendan Boyle (D., Pa.) derided him as “Trump’s favorite Democrat” in a post on X. The senator in turn criticized his fellow Democrats for not standing to applaud at various moments through Trump’s marathon speech that he believed should have had bipartisan support.

    Fetterman has been vocal about the negative effects social media has had on him and has advocated for mental health warnings on social media platforms.

    This week, Fetterman was the only Democrat in the Senate to vote against advancing a war powers resolution that would have barred Trump from ordering further strikes on Iran without congressional approval.

    The Pennsylvanian has contended that military action is necessary to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons and had previously urged Israel and the U.S. to bomb the country.

    While Fetterman has touted his ability to work across the aisle, a recent Quinnipiac University poll found that 62% of Democratic voters in Pennsylvania disapprove of how Fetterman is handling his job (eight points higher than the percentage of Democrats who disapprove of Republican Sen. Dave McCormick).

    Barreto Fetterman has temporarily deactivated her online accounts before.

    She said in January 2024 that she had recently taken her social media down because she was “bored with it” and it “wasn’t adding anything to my life.” She had been subjected to negative comments on social media over her husband’s views, Newsweek reported.

    She previously posted in November 2023 that she was “3 weeks into a social media break that may last another month or forever,” according to news reports.

    She also said at the time that “treating someone as simply someone’s spouse is insulting and minimizing … did you know male spouses don’t get treated this way?”

    At that point, the senator had been facing pushback for his comments about the war in Gaza and his staunch support of Israel following the country’s response to Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack.

    Gisele Fetterman on why Trump’s crackdown on immigrants is a ‘heartbreak,’ her husband’s health, and ‘radical tenderness’

    Barreto Fetterman published a book last year called Radical Tenderness: The Value of Vulnerability in an Often Unkind World. She said in a July interview about the book on WHYY that she considers herself a “softie.”

    Barreto Fetterman is also a firefighter and runs a “free store” in Braddock, the Allegheny County town where her husband previously served as mayor. She said in the WHYY interview “every single day is a heartbreak” under Trump’s immigration crackdown.

  • Gov. Mikie Sherrill says she’s ‘never seen anything’ like this Kelce brothers-inspired treat made by a South Jersey bakery

    Gov. Mikie Sherrill says she’s ‘never seen anything’ like this Kelce brothers-inspired treat made by a South Jersey bakery

    When New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill walked into Two Sweet Boutique in Deptford, she couldn’t help but notice photos of the Kelce brothers taped inside the bakery glass.

    Below the sign were gigantic mounds of Reese’s Puffs dipped in chocolate and drizzled with peanut butter — coined the Kelce Kluster and named after retired Eagles legend Jason Kelce and his brother, Travis Kelce, who plays tight end for Kansas City Chiefs and is engaged to pop superstar Taylor Swift.

    “I’ve never seen anything like that,” said the Democratic governor, who took office last month. “It looks fantastic.”

    She directed her staffer to add one of the domes to her bakery haul. She said the sweet treat will go to her two hungry teenagers at home.

    New Jersey football fandom is often divided by New York Giants fans in the North and Eagles fans in the South, but Sherrill, who grew up in Virginia before settling in North Jersey, roots for the New York Jets.

    But her purchase during the South Jersey stop may appeal to Eagles fans, who watched Jason Kelce play center for 13 seasons and emerge as a fan favorite after his boisterous victory speech following the team’s first Super Bowl win in 2018.

    Rocco Centrone, who owns the Deptford business with his wife and daughter, said the idea of the Kelce Kluster struck him when he was listening to the brothers’ podcast and they agreed on Reese’s Puffs as their favorite cereal.

    Gov. Mikie Sherrill speaks to reporters in front of the Kelce Klusters at Two Sweet Boutique in Deptford.

    The Centrones and their supporters took to social media and successfully got the football stars’ attention. The Kelce brothers have chatted about the treat on their podcast New Heights, drawing customers nationwide to the small Gloucester County business.

    “They look delicious, I can’t believe this isn’t a thing,” Jason Kelce said on a 2023 episode. “These are outstanding. Well, I guess this is a thing now.”

    “Jason, get your a— over to Deptford,” Travis Kelce told his brother, who lives in the Philadelphia suburbs, on the podcast.

    Reese’s grandson accuses Hershey of degrading chocolate, making it ‘not edible.’ Is he right?

    The brothers have since launched their own cereal with Reese’s Puffs.

    Dressed in Mummers attire, Eagles center Jason Kelce pauses during his colorful speech on the Art Museum steps in 2018 at the Super Bowl victory parade.

    The label on the treat during the governor’s visit spelled the treat name as “Kelse Clusters,” but an employee assured The Inquirer that the misspelling was just an error and not the official title.

    Sherrill visited the South Jersey bakery on Friday to discuss her “Save You Time and Money Agenda,” though the conversation largely focused on learning about the business and its sweet treats.

    Sherrill said she visited the bakery because “small businesses really are the heart of our communities.”

    “I find that everywhere I go with small businesses, they truly are the lifeblood,” she said. “So I want to make sure, as governor, I’m making it easier for people who are running these businesses, saving them time and money, cutting through red tape and bureaucracy, and that is a cornerstone to me.”

    Gov. Mikie Sherrill says new state taxes on ICE detention centers in N.J. are ‘on the table’