New Jersey’s Phil Murphy looks to partner with Trump in final year as governor

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy previewed his final-year agenda on Tuesday during his annual State of the State address, seeking to protect his clean energy agenda, stockpile the abortion pill and clamp down on phones in schools while extending an olive branch to the incoming Trump administration.

In one key way, Murphy is ending his time in office similar to how it started: Alongside a Donald Trump presidency.

The New Jersey Democrat started his governorship in 2018, in the early phase of the Trump administration. But while Murphy often clashed with federal officials in the Trump era, he has developed among the strongest relationships by a Democrat with the GOP president.

“I will never back away from partnering with the Trump Administration where our priorities align,” Murphy said in his speech before state lawmakers, state officials and lobbyists. “But just as importantly, I will never back down from defending our New Jersey values — if and when they are tested.”

It’s a line of cooperation other blue state governors have echoed. Democratic New York Gov. Kathy Hochul has previously said there are areas she can cooperate with the President-elect on. Hochul, however, did not mention Trump in her State of the State address, which was also on Tuesday.

Murphy’s speech comes amid a hyper-competitive race to succeed him. Already there are 10 major candidates for governor, including six Democrats and four Republicans. And they will compete in a new era of state politics, where the state’s unique ballot design that gives county party bosses extraordinary power in primaries won’t be used for the first time in generations.

It’s not as if Murphy has abandoned his left-leaning governance goals. The State of the State address offered a temperature check for Murphy’s final year in office, describing a busy agenda that will include seeing through some of his longtime priorities.

“I’m not done yet, and we’re not done yet,” Murphy said.

Among Murphy's top priorities is scrapping out-of-pocket costs for abortions on state-regulated health plans — which he has pushed for since his first term in office. Murphy called for the policy to become law during his last State of the State address as well, but legislation has hit an impasse in the Legislature.

Murphy also said the state would begin to stockpile the abortion pill mifepristone — a new policy initiative — citing “anti-choice policies” pushed by the new GOP majorities in Congress.

“Now, we must further secure our reputation as a safe haven for reproductive freedom,” Murphy said.

The governor is also lending political capital to codify a key part of his environmental agenda: Having New Jersey source all its electricity from zero-carbon sources by 2035. Pushing for a new law to do so would ensure Murphy's environmental legacy would be made permanent and not be undone by the next gubernatorial administration.

The push also comes ahead of a Republican trifecta in Washington, where clean energy initiatives are expected to stall or be rolled back. Murphy’s plan for writing 100 percent clean energy into law would be the most ambitious from a large state in the country.

“This is also about securing our state’s energy independence — and creating good-paying, union jobs in the clean-energy industries that will power our future,” Murphy said.

Focus on local issues

Not all of Murphy’s final year initiatives had national overtones like reproductive rights or the environment. One push from the governor is to overhaul the state’s 10 most dangerous intersections to prevent accidents and setting up mobile drivers licenses. Murphy also vowed to change zoning and permitting laws in the state — he did not say how — to build more affordable housing, which has been a key theme in the governor’s race so far.

Some ideas also originated much closer to home. The governor endorsed an initiative brought to his attention by a frequent caller to Murphy’s regular radio call-in show. Jack Curtis, a retired school principal from Mendham Township, has routinely called into "Ask Governor Murphy" seeking to overhaul a tax code loophole that allows wealthy homeowners to skirt major property tax expenses by designating their property as farmland. Murphy took the rare step of meeting with Curtis and said Tuesday he would support changing the tax rules.

“[Curtis] has raised our attention to a flaw in New Jersey’s farmland assessment tax system that allows the wealthiest among us to avoid paying their fair share,” Murphy said. “That is wrong.”

Some of Murphy’s initiatives may be met with resistance from state lawmakers. Murphy reiterated his call for legislation to allow 16 and 17 year olds to vote in school board elections — another policy push he called for during last year’s State of the State address, thought that has also stalled with Senate President Nick Scutari hesitant to support it.

The governor also called for same-day voter registration — which Murphy campaigned on during his 2021 reelection campaign but has also stalled amid pushback from Scutari and state lawmakers.

Expanding eligible school board voters wasn’t Murphy’s only education push. The governor said he wants to see through his goal of expanding pre-K in the state and universal full-day kindergarten, plus “establish phone-free schools.” Barring or limiting cell phones in schools has become a bipartisan push in states across the country, with policymakers split on how to enforce the restrictions.

“Honestly, is it any surprise that the rise in smartphone usage has coincided with a growing youth mental health crisis?” Murphy said. “Of course not. And I for one am not going to sit back as our kids suffer.”

The state Senate on Tuesday passed a bill unanimously that would create a uniform policy on phones in schools.

Some initiatives Murphy outlined may be done via the Executive Branch. The governor said he wanted to implement 12 weeks of paid parental leave to all state workers at their regular salaries, who currently are capped at their paid parental leave to a percentage of their salary up to around $1,000 a week. Murphy said it came from a push from first lady Tammy Murphy.

“You don’t get nearly the credit that you deserve,” Murphy said of the first lady, who unsuccessfully ran for U.S. Senate last year. The governor said he wanted to eventually extend the paid parental leave benefit to all workers.

While the Murphy-era in Trenton may be coming to a close — and interest is quickly shifting to who his successor will be — Murphy promised a productive final year.

“I am well aware I have 371 days — to be exact — until I leave office and a new Governor takes the baton. To some, that may be welcome news,” Murphy said to a chuckle from the crowd. “But to all of us who have the privilege of calling the Garden State home, I say this: I will dedicate every minute we have left to working for you.”