Democrat,

Yesterday, Governor Murphy delivered a State of the State address unlike any we’ve ever seen, standing in an empty auditorium due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

But the Governor’s speech was notable for many other reasons besides the unique circumstances — it presented a comprehensive review of the progress that has been made under his leadership and a vision for a better year for all of us in 2021. 

Here are some of the reactions from across New Jersey to Governor Murphy’s speech:

NJDSC Chairman John Currie:

“Today Governor Murphy laid out a clear vision for the future of our great state as we continue to work through one of the most challenging episodes in our history. Governor Murphy’s steadfast leadership has helped us reach this point where we can see the light at the end of the tunnel, and I know that he will continue to guide us forward. Whether that means ensuring that every willing adult can receive the COVID-19 vaccine, investing in our long term future by funding public education and transportation, supporting small businesses or providing tax relief to middle class families, I know that we can count on Governor Murphy to move New Jersey forward.” 

Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin and Democratic Majority Leadership Team:

“We applaud the Governor’s State of the State address for its optimistic tone and emphasis on successes we have achieved over the past three years. We share his recognition of the real challenges we face. It is clear we must ensure that as many of New Jersey’s nine million residents as possible are vaccinated as quickly as possible. Facing this pandemic head-on is critical to making sure our students are back to school as quickly as possible. 2020 did include many positives. We are particularly pleased we were able to reduce taxes for working families with either a larger earned income tax credit or a direct rebate, or both. We look to continue to support Main Street businesses which are the backbone of our economy. We agree with Governor Murphy that we must make our healthcare system more transparent, more accessible, and more affordable. This must include a focus on behavioral health programs that are vital to countless New Jerseyans. The Assembly will continue to explore legislative action to ensure the middle class, seniors and our most vulnerable are protected as we return to relative normalcy in 2021. 2020 was a year unlike any other for all of us, but we are confident that we are well positioned for a bright future in the near and long term.” 

CWA State Director Hetty Rosenstein:

“During this year unlike any other, thousands of CWA workers continued providing essential services in the face of extreme challenges. We stayed on the job serving the public  – working in offices, hospitals, motor vehicle agencies and even at kitchen tables, while balancing things at home.  Governor Phil Murphy –  helped by a legislature that stepped up – made sensible and sound decisions regarding our state’s budget, priorities and the public health. As we near the light at the end of this dark tunnel, CWA looks back on the past months with pride in our extraordinary members who’ve given their all.  Our optimism, even in the face of more months of the virus to come, is only marred by the recent and horrific events in Washington and the disappointment we feel at the lack of courage and candor from some elected officials.  Unionism and collective bargaining are the heart and soul of democracy. And CWA will continue our work on the front lines of not only providing services, but of rejecting authoritarianism, white nationalism, and the scourge of bigotry wherever it rears its ugly head.”

NJEA President Marie Blistan:

“Gov. Phil Murphy’s State of the State address today demonstrated once again that he understands the challenges New Jersey faces and knows what it will take to overcome them. Our public schools, which are the best in the nation, will be at the center of our state’s recovery from this pandemic. Educators and families alike should be encouraged by his promise today that New Jersey’s students will have both the academic and social-emotional support they need to rebound and thrive. It is going to take sustained commitment to ensure that New Jersey’s students emerge from this challenging time healthy, strong and successful. We are committed to working with the Murphy administration and other education stakeholders to achieve that and to keep our schools the best in the nation.”

NJ Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Tom Bracken:

“When the governor gave his State of the State message last year, no one could have imagined the COVID-19 pandemic that brought unprecedented challenges to New Jersey and to its business community. It will take more time and more help for our state’s economy to get back on its feet, but, just as the governor is optimistic about New Jersey’s future, the N.J. Chamber believes there are reasons for optimism about our state’s economic recovery. As noted in his address, Gov. Murphy signed into law a sweeping new economic incentive package that helps make New Jersey more competitive and can serve as the foundation for the state’s economic growth. We also welcome initiatives that promote innovation such as the venture fund encouraging public-private partnerships. We welcome the infrastructure investments the governor described in his speech, especially those for New Jersey Transit and the Portal Bridge project. We believe his continued investments in our education system are critical.”

ACLU-NJ Executive Director Amol Sinha:

“With the overwhelming passage of the referendum to legalize cannabis, the groundbreaking Public Health Emergency Credit law, and revisions to the state’s use-of-force policy to actively encourage de-escalation – to name just a few strides forward – New Jersey has emerged as a national leader across important issues. We must go even further in 2021, and we must work with renewed vigor to rid ourselves of the inequities that the pandemic has compounded, especially within communities of color.”

New Jersey Policy Perspective President Brandon McKoy:

“In the face of the biggest public health crisis in a century, Governor Murphy and legislative leaders stepped up to keep residents safe and the economy afloat. The governor and state lawmakers deserve an enormous amount of credit for how they are handling the pandemic, especially considering the lack of leadership by the federal government.”

HPAE President Debbie White:

“I want to applaud Gov. Murphy for his clear-eyed vision for our state and for charting a course that opens New Jersey to a future filled with innovation, prosperity and good health for our people. The vision the governor laid out today in his state-of-the-state address is a continuation of his steadfast leadership of New Jersey in a time of global pandemic that has hit New Jersey particularly hard.”

New Jersey AFL-CIO President Charles Wowkanech:

“Governor Murphy is putting New Jersey’s working families first.  Many working families are struggling every day just to get by. The governor and Legislature stepped in with aid when the federal government did not. Through Governor Murphy’s leadership, we have a clear plan to put people back to work in well-paying union jobs.” 

NJ Citizen Action Executive Director Phyllis Salowe-Kaye:

“These past three years have been a demanding and unprecedented time to be New Jersey Governor, with equally demanding pressures and expectations. New Jersey needed extraordinary leadership and Governor Murphy has delivered it, even as he continues to work through the enormous triple threats of our time – the COVID-19 pandemic, the economic fallout of the pandemic, and the dangers to our democracy posed by Trump and the right-wing factions of our country.”

Housing and Community Development Network of New Jersey President and Chief Executive Officer Staci Berger:

“In a year of overwhelming hardship and challenges, Governor Murphy has led our state with the compassion and transparency we need during this health crisis. We know that housing is health, and this has never been truer than it is in the midst of this pandemic. We applaud the Governor’s call to the Legislature to deliver the People’s Bill for his signature. This proposal will provide time for tenants and homeowners to make back rent and mortgage payments, especially now as federal funds to support NJ residents become more available. This is the same model that NJ rightly followed in the wake of Superstorm Sandy, and we believe it is an appropriate roadmap back from the pandemic.”

Fair Share Housing Center Executive Director Adam Gordon:

“We applaud Governor Murphy’s strong support of the ‘People’s Bill,’ which would head off a tsunami of pandemic-related evictions and foreclosures concentrated in low-income communities and among families of color. We echo the governor’s call for quick passage of this crucial piece of legislation that would reaffirm the Legislature’s commitment to social and racial justice. Our elected officials must ensure that working families and people of color who have been hit hardest by this pandemic have a chance to recover — not just the wealthy and the politically connected.”

Tom Gilbert, campaign director, New Jersey Conservation Foundation and ReThink Energy NJ:

“Gov. Murphy is wisely recognizing the potential for a green recovery to the pandemic by creating a Green Jobs Workforce Development Strategy that will create good, union jobs in clean energy and other green industries that will lift up environmental justice and other diverse communities. This is a logical next step in his ambitious clean energy agenda that is making unprecedented progress in moving the state away from its reliance on polluting fossil fuels and toward a healthier and more prosperous New Jersey.”