Governor Murphy Signs Fiscal Year 2025 Budget Into Law

Governor Phil Murphy signed the Fiscal Year 2025 Appropriations Act into law, building on the Administration’s commitment to making New Jersey the best place to raise a family by increasing affordability, creating new economic opportunities, promoting fiscal responsibility, and investing in a more equitable future for all New Jerseyans.

The $56.7 billion Fiscal Year 2025 (FY2025) budget, approved by the Legislature earlier in the day, provides significant direct property tax relief for homeowners and renters, yields the highest level of school funding in history, delivers a fourth consecutive full pension payment, and creates a new, dedicated funding stream – the Corporate Transit Fee – to support NJ TRANSIT, among other investments that improve the health, safety, and economic well-being of New Jersey’s residents. In addition, the budget provides a $6.1 billion surplus to help the State weather future financial challenges.

“With this budget, we are going to make life more affordable for more families. We are going to create new economic opportunities for our workers and local businesses. And we are going to invest in the potential of every one of our neighbors — from our students to our senior citizens,” said Governor Phil Murphy. “But above all, this is a budget that will put the needs of our families ahead of special interests, starting by providing yet another round of record-high tax relief to our state’s working- and middle-class families. In fact, nearly half of this entire budget — more than $27 billion — will be dedicated toward providing direct and indirect property tax relief."

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Governor Murphy Meets With Amtrak and NJ Transit Leadership Following Delays Alongside the Northeast Corridor

"Over the past several weeks, commuters have endured countless delays and cancellations; and others have been forced to remain stranded on the trains, sometimes in excessive -- and even dangerous-- heat."

Governor Murphy met with Chairman Tony Coscia, and other members of the Amtrak Team, alongside members of our Administration and representatives from NJ TRANSIT to identify and address the root causes of these disruptions as quickly as possible to restore reliability on the Northeast Corridor and meet the needs of our state’s commuters.

This meeting was to ensure rail service for New Jerseyans is reliable, efficient, and accessible in both the short- and long-term.

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Governor Murphy Announces Departure of Major General Lisa J. Hou and Intent to Nominate Colonel Yvonne L. Mays as Next Adjutant General and Commissioner of the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs

Governor Phil Murphy announced his intent to nominate Colonel Yvonne L. Mays as the next Adjutant General and Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Military and Veterans Affairs (DMAVA) following the departure of Major General Lisa J. Hou, D.O., who has accepted a new assignment as the Director of the Office of the Joint Surgeon General, National Guard Bureau, effective July 1st, 2024. Beginning July 1st, Colonel Mays will serve as Acting Adjutant General and Acting Commissioner of the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs pending confirmation by the Senate. She will be the first Black woman to lead the New Jersey National Guard in the state’s history.

“Leading her teams through some of the most demanding times in our history, Major General Hou demonstrated an unwavering and unrelenting commitment to serving the people of New Jersey. I am deeply grateful for her years of service,” said Governor Murphy. “Colonel Mays' depth of experience over 40 years in service to our state and nation, and her firsthand knowledge of the day-to-day operations of the New Jersey National Guard and the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, make her an exceptional candidate for this position. I am confident that she will continue to support our efforts to serve our Garden State heroes.”

Since Major General Hou assumed her duties in October 2020, more than 3,400 Soldiers and 1,400 Airmen have deployed overseas or mobilized domestically, including to support New Jersey testing sites and vaccine distributions during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Major General Hou also led the successful effort to establish a veterans service office in each of the state’s 21 counties.

Currently, approximately 1,500 New Jersey Army National Guard Soldiers are deployed to the Middle East. More than 200 Soldiers and Airmen are mobilized to support domestic missions ranging from cybersecurity to securing America’s Southwest border.

“This has been the honor of my professional life,” said Major General Hou. “I am proud of the dedicated service of the Soldiers and Airmen of the New Jersey National Guard and the devoted civilian staff of the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs.”

“This is a time of transformation for the New Jersey National Guard and the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, and we are ready to meet the challenge,” said Colonel Mays. “Together, we will continue the critical work of defending our state and nation and supporting Garden State heroes through robust state-delivered veterans benefits, programs, and services.

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Statement From Governor Murphy on the U.S. Supreme Court's Latest Power Grab by Overruling Chevron Doctrine

“Once again, the Supreme Court’s far-right majority is proving why the American people’s trust in our highest court is at an all-time low.

“With today’s decision overturning the “Chevron Doctrine,” the majority has wiped out four decades of legal precedent and severely diminished the federal government’s ability to protect the health and well-being of our nation’s families.

“This ruling will allow un-elected judges across America to single-handedly overrule the science-informed, evidence-based decisions made by experts working within our federal agencies. It will have a vast, and potentially disastrous, impact on a wide range of issues – from climate change to workplace safety standards to gun safety and beyond. It is yet another instance of the far-right majority ripping away the powers entrusted to the Legislative and Executive Branches — as well as State Governments — in order to proclaim itself as the final decisionmaker on issues that directly impact the daily lives of American families.

“Despite this morning’s ruling, here in New Jersey, we will continue crafting policy based on science, expertise, and data. At this pivotal moment, the people of New Jersey are counting on our state’s leaders to push back against ideologically-driven power grabs by leading with restraint and reason.”

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