In his annual state of the state speech, Gov. Phil Murphy said he wants to require full-day kindergarten in all districts, implement same-day voter registration, and ease local zoning laws. (Hal Brown for New Jersey Monitor)
Gov. Phil Murphy laid out an ambitious agenda for his final year in office during his annual state of the state address Tuesday, telling lawmakers he wants them to ban cellphones from K-12 classrooms, revamp zoning and permitting laws to boost construction of affordable housing, and implement same-day voter registration statewide.
Murphy said he also intends to require all public school districts to provide full-day kindergarten, overhaul the state’s 10 most dangerous intersections, and allow New Jerseyans to obtain mobile driver’s licenses, among other proposals mentioned in the hourlong speech he gave to a chamber filled with legislators, local officials, former governors, and more at the Statehouse in Trenton.
Murphy, a Democrat who will leave office in January 2026 after serving two terms as governor, stressed repeatedly that his administration is “not done yet.” He is barred from seeking a third consecutive term in November.
“Over the next year, we are going to fight to ensure that every New Jerseyan has a fair shot at a brighter future,” he said. “With the help of everyone in this chamber, we are going to leave our children a state that is better than we found it.”
Murphy spent a considerable portion of his speech focused on economic issues, saying that delivering economic security and opportunity to every New Jerseyan has been his “top priority” since he first became governor in 2018.
“To all of our neighbors in New Jersey who feel as if though they have been forgotten, I give you my word: we are going to spend every minute we have left fighting for you and for your economic future,” he said.
He also addressed the incoming Trump administration, calling it “the elephant that is not in the room.” Murphy repeated his goal of working with President-elect Donald Trump — who takes office Monday — “when our priorities align.”
“But just as importantly, I will never back down from defending our New Jersey values — if and when they are tested,” Murphy said.
On abortion, the governor pledged to secure New Jersey’s “reputation as a safe haven for reproductive freedom.” He said the state will begin stockpiling a supply of mifepristone, a pill used to end pregnancies, and he urged lawmakers to pass a law barring out-of-pocket costs for abortion procedures.
Murphy made no mention of immigration during the speech.
It’s unclear how much sway the term-limited governor will have over lawmakers as they consider his proposals. At least one of them, same-day voter registration, has received a chilly reception from Senate President Nicholas Scutari (D-Union), who has the power to keep the plan from receiving a vote in the Senate.
Asked after the speech about what Murphy wants the Legislature to advance, Scutari said, “We’ll take it one issue at a time.”
“The state of the state is solid. I mean, that’s reflected in … the credit ratings that we’ve received over the seven years. That’s obviously a good sign because prior to that, our credit ratings were getting downgraded year after year,” he said.
Though Murphy’s speech included a to-do list for his final year in office, he also focused on what he calls his administration’s successes. He touted that he has made full payments to the state’s pension system, doled out more than $14 billion in property tax relief through Anchor and other tax-relief programs, and raised the minimum wage to $15.49 an hour. He noted that critics of the minimum wage hikes warned that it would harm the very workers it sought to help.
“That’s what happens when you rebuild New Jersey’s economy from the bottom-up rather than the top-down. A stronger working class always leads to a stronger economy for all of us,” he said. “But of course, helping our neighbors earn a livable wage is merely a starting point.”
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