Gov. Phil Murphy delivered his fifth State of the State address on Tuesday before a State House chamber packed with lawmakers and dignitaries for the first time since the start of the pandemic. Murphy highlighted efforts to make the state more affordable by extending the deadline to apply to the Anchor property-tax relief program for another month and focused on hyper-local Jersey issues, like rebuilding boardwalks in need of repair along the Jersey Shore and revamping the state’s outdated liquor license laws.
It was a less progressive speech than we’ve heard from the governor in years past. It addressed crime and the rise of auto thefts in the state, an issue progressive groups say is being used as a political scapegoat, as they took Murphy to task for straying from his progressive platform, but applauding a first-in-the-nation naloxone initiative to address the opioid epidemic.
