George Samir Helmy Accepts Appointment to the United States Senate

Governor Phil Murphy announced that he will appoint George Samir Helmy to the United States Senate to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Senator Robert Menendez. Helmy will serve as one of New Jersey’s two United States Senators until the winner of the November General Election is certified on November 27, at which point Senator Helmy will resign and the Governor will appoint the winner of November’s election to the U.S. Senate.

“It is an honor to appoint George Helmy, a proven public servant who deeply understands the complexities of Congress, to the United States Senate,” said Governor Murphy. “George is the model of integrity we need to help restore public trust in our state’s leadership. There is no one better prepared — or more committed — to delivering for the people of our state, especially when it comes to providing the highest caliber of constituent services. For four and a half years, I witnessed firsthand George’s unique skillset, wealth of knowledge, and willingness to pour his heart and soul into serving the people of our state. I have absolute confidence that he will serve New Jerseyans well over the next few months.”

“Once the voters of New Jersey elect their next representative in the United States Senate, and their votes are certified, I will appoint the winner of November’s election to the United States Senate before the new year begins,” continued Governor Murphy. “This approach will allow the democratically-chosen winner of November’s election to embark on the smoothest possible transition into office so they can provide the best possible representation for New Jersey.”

“I thank the Governor and accept this appointment with great humility and even greater determination to represent New Jerseyans in the United States Senate,” said incoming U.S. Senator George Helmy. “While I am honored to serve and provide New Jersey with a Senate office that they can depend on, I commit to stepping down early to give the duly elected Senator the chance to begin their work. As I serve my state as Senator for the next few months, I promise to work for the people of New Jersey and hope to restore their faith in public service.”

Serving as Chief of Staff to Governor Phil Murphy from February 2019 to October 2023, George Helmy played a critical role in leading New Jersey’s pandemic response, negotiated six on-time state budgets, and ensured the completion of many of the Governor’s legislative goals. Prior to serving as Chief of Staff, Helmy served as State Director to U.S. Senator Cory Booker, serving on the Senator’s senior staff and overseeing the day-to-day operations of his New Jersey offices. Prior to that, he worked as Senator Booker’s Deputy Chief of Staff for two years. Helmy has also worked in the private sector with two Fortune 100 companies and served as an aide and caseworker to the late U.S. Senator Frank Lautenberg, handling issues such as gun safety and financial affairs.

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Governor Murphy and Treasurer Muoio Applaud Credit Outlook Upgrade from Moody’s

Governor Phil Murphy and State Treasurer Elizabeth Maher Muoio welcomed news that Moody's Investors Service has upgraded New Jersey's outlook from stable to positive.

In revising the outlook, Moody’s noted, “The actions incorporate solid economic and revenue performance that support prospects the state will maintain strong fund balances while continuing full actuarial pension contributions.”

The agency also cited the budget surplus, which is significantly larger than the state has historically maintained.

“This latest Moody’s outlook revision from stable to positive is evidence that our formula to strengthen New Jersey’s economic trajectory is working,” said Governor Phil Murphy. “In its report, Moody’s cited an economy outpacing mid-Atlantic peers, solid economic and revenue performance, full pension payments, strong fund balances, and the full funding grant agreement for the Hudson River Tunnel Project, among other areas of progress. We remain laser focused in our multi-year efforts to restore the state’s fiscal standing.”

“This outlook upgrade is especially good news given that it comes just a year after the state received a rating boost from every major credit rating agency,” said Treasurer Muoio. “That signals to us that the fiscal decisions we have made – namely to maintain a healthy budget surplus and continue to meet our pension obligations – are the right ones.”

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Governor Murphy Signs Legislation Bolstering Literacy Education for New Jersey Students

During this year’s State of the State Address, Governor Phil Murphy pledged to introduce new initiatives to increase literacy rates among New Jersey schoolchildren, furthering the state’s status as home to one of the best public education systems in the nation. In collaboration with partners in the Legislature, the Governor signed two bills into law advancing his promise to set New Jersey’s students on course for lifelong success. The legislation will establish new initiatives to ensure young learners have access to the tools and resources needed to become strong, confident readers while also empowering our workforce of educators with professional development opportunities.

“Literacy education represents the foundation upon which all future learning is built, and we owe it to our children to give them the strongest foundation possible. By bolstering support for literacy education, we are enabling New Jersey students to thrive both academically and in life, helping them to become informed, thoughtful, and engaged citizens,” said Governor Murphy. “Recent years have brought forth many challenges for our schools and our children. Understanding that strong reading skills have the potential to open countless doors for young learners, we must work together to support accelerated literacy learning in communities across the state. This legislation balances targeted intervention, tested learning strategies, teacher training, and continuous monitoring to ensure we deliver for our students. I thank Senate Majority Leader Teresa Ruiz for championing this important work in the Legislature, and I look forward to seeing the positive impact of these initiatives on our school communities.”

“Student literacy, especially for our youngest learners, is both fundamental to all student learning and a core element to bridging achievement and opportunity gaps,” said Kevin Dehmer, Acting Commissioner of Education. “These new initiatives, when coupled with our other programs to foster literacy, such as high-impact tutoring for students and existing professional development for teachers, can help students build those foundational skills that are so crucial to learning. These combined efforts will have lasting benefits for generations of students.”

The first bill – S2644/A4303 – aims to strengthen foundational literacy instruction by establishing a Working Group on Student Literacy. This group, comprised of members appointed by the Commissioner of Education from all regions of the state, will be responsible for making recommendations to the Department of Education on the implementation of evidence-based literacy strategies, screening methods, and instruction for students, in addition to investigating ways to expand professional learning.

Based on these recommendations, the Department will develop and publish guidance for school districts to use beginning with the 2025-2026 school year, and shall establish an online resource center to aid school districts in the selection of evidence-based, high-quality literacy instructional materials, including data analysis tools, as part of the school district’s implementation of the New Jersey Student Learning Standards in English Language Arts. Additionally, the Department will create a professional development program for early education teaching staff, including librarians, and those serving multilingual learners and/or students with disabilities. This will be available to all districts at no cost.

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Governor Murphy Announces Fare Holiday on NJ Transit

Governor Murphy announced a transit fare holiday for all customers from August 26 through September 2, 2024. During this period, fares will be waived for all modes of transportation, offering free rides across the NJ TRANSIT network as a "Thank You" to the hundreds of thousands of loyal customers who depend on public transit.

Monthly pass holders who have already purchased an August pass, which covers travel through the end of the month, will automatically receive a 25% discount on their September monthly pass purchase through the mobile app, at Ticket Vending Machines (TVMs), or ticket windows.

The fare holiday is a way to express the sincere appreciation for customers’ continued loyalty and patronage, particularly during a time when transit service has not consistently met their expectations—or our own. NJ TRANSIT recognizes the impacts these service issues have had over the past few months and remains committed to improving the travel experience for transit customers.

“Understanding that our commuters have faced many disruptions this summer, we are providing a one week fare holiday for NJ TRANSIT riders,” said Governor Murphy. “As we work diligently with Amtrak to investigate and address the issues that have occurred this summer, especially on the Northeast Corridor, we hope this fare holiday offers our commuters some relief.  We also encourage New Jerseyans to take advantage of this opportunity, and we continue to be thankful to the many New Jerseyans who depend on public transit.”

Many of the recent service disruptions have occurred on Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor (NEC). NJ TRANSIT has been working tirelessly advancing the joint plan with Amtrak announced immediately following Governor Murphy’s meeting with NJ TRANSIT and Amtrak leadership on June 27, 2024, to improve service on this critical rail line – the busiest corridor in the country. While the root causes of these incidents have not yet been identified, significant short-term actions have already been taken and there has been noteworthy progress. NJ TRANSIT personnel have increased equipment inspections on platforms, while Amtrak has stepped up its efforts in inspecting and repairing their catenary (overhead wire), track signal systems, and substations along the NEC. These collaborative efforts have already led to a noticeable decrease in infrastructure-related incidents.

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First Lady Tammy Murphy Announces Governor’s Appointment of Chair and Vice Chair of the Maternal and Infant Health Innovation Authority Board

First Lady Tammy Murphy announced Governor Phil Murphy has appointed Barbara George Johnson, J.D. and New Jersey Department of Health Commissioner Kaitlan Baston to serve as the Chair and Vice Chair, respectively, to the Maternal and Infant Health Innovation Authority (MIHIA) Board. The two currently serve as members of the MIHIA Board and will be elevated to their leadership roles effective immediately.

“Beyond her decades-long career and service to the people of our state, Barbara George Johnson has played a crucial role on the ground with the Trenton community for years working to ensure that our Maternal and Infant Health Innovation Center is rooted in what the community wants and needs,” said First Lady Tammy Murphy. “Commissioner Baston has spent her career protecting the health of mothers and babies, promoting healthy families, and improving the quality of healthcare for all New Jerseyans. Their collective experiences, both professionally and personally, have prepared them well for these positions and I am eager to continue the work with them, alongside MIHIA President and CEO Lisa Asare, and the entire MIHIA Board to make New Jersey the safest, most equitable state in the nation to deliver and raise a baby.” 

“On the Maternal and Infant Health Innovation Authority Board, both Ms. George Johnson and Commissioner Baston are playing instrumental roles in the early stages of building the Maternal and Infant Health Innovation Center in our state’s capital,” said Maternal and Infant Health Innovation Authority President and CEO Lisa Asare. “Having witnessed firsthand their dedication to this work and the mothers, babies, and families of this community and our state, I know NJ will benefit by having them serve in these key posts within the Authority Board. I look forward to continuing to work with them in their new capacities.” 

"I am deeply honored to be appointed Chair of the Maternal Infant Health Innovation Authority Board. I have been fortunate to work on addressing health disparities and creating solutions that benefit the most vulnerable residents in our state, and I am committed to continuing this vital work,” said Barbara George Johnson, J.D. “This role offers an invaluable opportunity to improve maternal and infant health outcomes. I look forward to collaborating with the MIHIA Board, a team of dedicated professionals and stakeholders, to implement innovative solutions to ensure that every mother and infant receives the highest standard of care. Together, we will strive to make a significant and lasting impact on the health and well-being of families throughout our state."

"I am honored to serve as Vice Chair as we continue the important work of the Maternal and Infant Health Innovation Authority to help improve outcomes for parents and children and reduce inequities in our state," said New Jersey Health Commissioner Kaitlan Baston, M.D. “Together, we are working to achieve a collective vision of making New Jersey the safest, in the nation to deliver and raise a baby. I look forward to supporting the impactful, groundbreaking work ahead.”

In July 2023, Governor Murphy signed S3864, also known as the “New Jersey Maternal and Infant Health Innovation Center Act”, which created the New Jersey Maternal and Infant Health Innovation Authority. MIHIA is tasked with overseeing the MIHIC based in Trenton and will be the government entity that continues the vital work of Nurture NJ for years to come.

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