Gov. Phil Murphy delivered the pre-recorded speech from an empty theater for a second straight year.
The Democrat recorded the speech Sunday at an empty theater at the Trenton War Memorial for the second straight year because of COVID-19.Our state Constitution deems today the day on which I come to report to you on the state of our state.Because this is who we are as New Jerseyans. We believe in ourselves and we believe in each other.Under our state Constitution, I will also have the privilege of returning here in one week’s time to reaffirm my oath, and to begin a second term as governor.
… To living rooms where we can once again freely gather with family and friends, whether for a holiday, a birthday, or just on the spur of the moment.It has, indeed, been an extraordinarily long two years. Even the knowledge that illness from Omicron can be less severe is of little solace, as these tremendous numbers of cases — even with the lower percentage chance of hospitalization that comes with them — mean that we have more people in our hospitals today than at any point since the spring of 2020.
… A response that protects the ability of our hospitals to care for the hundreds of New Jerseyans entering them because of COVID every day. So, if you have not yet gotten your booster shot, here is what I ask of you — go get it. The booster is proven to lessen the impact of illness to keep you out of the hospital.
And if we hold together to shine bright just a little longer, we will disperse the dark cloud of COVID.We must get to the point where we stay in front of it and don’t fall back again. And we will. Our economy is growing again. Across the nine years before I took office, New Jersey’s economic growth ranked 47th among all states. Today, we rank fourth. From 47th to fourth. That’s real progress despite all we’ve been through and all we still face.
Over the course of the past two years, nothing has been as important to our state than the health of our families and friends. But we know the cost of health care remains a critical worry for many — and too many families are one illness away, or one high-cost prescription away, from financial insecurity.Since our administration took office, health insurance rates in the individual marketplace are 22 percent lower than they would’ve been without our actions.
Lower costs will save families hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars a year. But, across the programs our state administers — from Medicaid and FamilyCare for low-income families, to PAAD and Senior Gold for older residents — lower costs can save us, and you, untold millions in tax dollars. As I noted, we moved from 47th to fourth in the nation in economic growth. Our smart and focused effort to reclaim our historic place as the world’s most innovative economy is one of the major drivers of this, and will continue to be.
And I urge the Legislature to once again take up the next phase of commonsense and comprehensive gun-safety reforms. We cannot go another year without closing dangerous loopholes, requiring safety education for would-be gun buyers, giving law enforcement new tools to go after criminals, and banning super-high-caliber weapons which have no place in the woods for hunting, let alone on our streets.
Getting these things done will require hard work but is not insurmountable. I know it isn’t because we just completed a four-year cycle where we made possible what so many, for so long, had said was impossible in Trenton. And because of the hard work we’ve already put in to build a more resilient and more affordable New Jersey, we start the next four years of our journey together in a better place.
They are going to work in the construction trades … from the South Jersey Wind Port rising in Salem County to the Paulsboro Marine Terminal, where we will create more than 1,500 new jobs to secure our place as a global leader in offshore-wind component manufacturing and logistics … to The Hub in New Brunswick, where doctors and researchers will work side-by-side on the next generation of lifesaving treatments.
We are not just restoring, but creating, real opportunity for our young people to stay here and start a career to support a family …… Opportunities for entrepreneurs to maximize their investment and prosper ... So many of you across the state — state legislators, county and local officials, advocates, and ordinary residents, alike — have contributed greatly to this progress.But we also know there are many who do not yet feel your place is secure in this progress. And it is you to whom I recommit my efforts.When we began our work in January 2018, our state was stagnant and seemingly broken.
The pandemic is an example of how we are in this together. Millions of New Jerseyans, working selflessly, have done the right things for themselves and their families, their friends and colleagues, and, in the process, for all of us. Four years ago, our schools and property taxpayers were reeling after eight years of diminished investment. We got to work investing in our communities by investing in our public schools, from pre-K all the way through to graduation.
But tackling property taxes goes far beyond just properly funding our schools. And here, too, we’ve made real progress. We put into law the state’s first child and dependent care tax credit, and made every family making up to $150,000 a year eligible. When we took office, NJ TRANSIT riders had suffered through eight years that saw them paying 36 percent more in fares but receiving less reliable services in return.
We took on a focused and data-driven effort to combat the ongoing opioid use-epidemic, even as we fought the coronavirus pandemic. Note that I say 'accomplishing,' not 'accomplished.' We still have much work to do. We are still clearing away the long-fallen brush that has blocked the path to opportunity for too many New Jerseyans.
And we hold out our hands in partnership and goodwill to the new Republican leaders, Senator Steve Oroho and Assemblyman John DiMaio. You are sick and tired of the hyper-partisanship, the bickering, the inaction, the division, and the endless finger-pointing we see in Washington. So am I. Opportunity, affordability, and fairness must be linked. One without the others is hollow. But all of them together are an unstoppable force for a brighter future and proof that the American Dream lives in New Jersey.
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