NEW JERSEY — COVID-19 testing will be available daily in East Rutherford to all NJ Transit employees. Through an agreement with Agile Urgent Care and Accurate Diagnostics Lab, NJ Transit employees will be accepted for appointment-only testing at the site which opened on April 13 and is currently geared toward first responders and frontline healthcare workers. Online registration access for NJ Transit employees will be available beginning on Sunday, May 3.  NJ Transit is also working to expand access to similar testing sites in central and south Jersey.

This expansion of testing advances Principle 2 of Governor Murphy’s “The Road Back: Restoring Economic Health Through Public Health.”  With support from the Governor and working with the United Transportation Union’s SMART-TD Local 60 President Jerome Johnson and the Amalgamated Transit Union’s New Jersey State Council President Orlando Riley, NJ Transit is extremely pleased to announce this significant health and safety advancement for NJ Transit employees. The ability to facilitate access to testing for employees will lead to quicker identification of cases, quicker treatment for those testing positive, and immediate isolation to prevent spread.

“The men and women of NJ Transit have been an essential part of our frontline COVID-19 response efforts,” said Governor Murphy.“With increased access to testing, we can ensure the health and safety of NJ Transit’s workforce and build public confidence in our mass-transit system, as our economy begins to reopen in the weeks ahead.”

“Maintaining the public transportation system to ensure essential personnel has a way to get where they are needed is critical, and the committed men and women of NJ TRANSIT are on the front lines doing their part to keep the trains and buses clean, safe, and running,” NJ Transit Chair and NJDOT Commissioner Diane Gutierrez-Scaccetti said. “Providing our employees access to testing is another way we can keep everyone safe and make sure those that need treatment get it as soon as possible.”

“There has been no higher priority at NJ TRANSIT than the health and safety of our incredibly dedicated employees. Providing access to a dedicated COVID-19 testing site is just another layer of protection we’re adding to the many proactive measures we’ve taken since the onset of this pandemic,” said NJ Transit President & CEO Kevin Corbett. “Our employees have continued to operate on the frontlines of this crisis in order to keep essential personnel moving through the region, and we’re pleased to be able to facilitate access to testing that will ultimately lead to quicker treatment and slowing the spread of the virus.”

“I would like to thank Governor Murphy for his understanding that testing is something all New Jersey citizens need.  I am extremely appreciative that Governor Murphy understands that the frontline employees must be tested for this deadly virus,” says Smart-TD Local 60 General Chairman and President Jerome C. Johnson.“Smart-TD Local 60 members are most susceptible to catch this virus due to the nature of their respective duties.  Governor Murphy’s understanding and leadership will only help protect our members and passengers by making sure all essential employees are tested for the COVID-19 virus.”

“It’s great news that NJ Transit will be testing all employees, particularly our members working on the frontlines. It’s imperative that we identify those individuals who are positive, in order to prevent further spreading of the virus and help those positive individuals get the care they need,” said ATU NJ State Council Chairman Orlando Riley.

“On behalf of the Members of PBA 304, the PBA would like to thank NJ Transit,  Agile Urgent Care and Accurate Diagnostics for partnering together to ensure that all members of the New Jersey Transit Police Department, as well as our frontline employees from ATU NJ State Council, Smart-TD Local 60 and the other Rail Unions on the property all, operate in a healthy and safe environment,” said PBA 304 President Dan Whartnaby.

As a reminder, all staff and customers on NJ TRANSIT vehicles are required to wear face coverings per Governor Murphy’s Executive Order No. 125.

Due to the rapidly changing nature of the COVID-19 response, customers are strongly encouraged to sign up for My Transit alerts and to check njtransit.com for the latest updates.

As an added precautionary measure to protect bus operators and customers, NJ Transit has implemented rear-door boarding on all bus routes where rear-boarding is available. Seats near the bus operator have been taken out of service to allow for proper social distancing for the operator.  Customers are encouraged to use the NJ Transit mobile ticketing app or purchase paper tickets prior to boarding to limit cash transactions with the bus operator. Travel should be limited to essential personnel only.

MORRIS COUNTY — Governor Phil Murphy signed Executive Order No. 135, suspending in-person requirements for receipt of a marriage license and marriage ceremonies, and for the receipt of working papers for minors.

“Our current public health emergency requires us to adjust our processes to protect public health and safety,” said Governor Murphy. “Even in uncertain times, we must allow important milestones, like marriages or youth seeking their first job, to move forward in a safe, efficient manner.”

Under the executive order, individuals may use videoconferencing technology for the licensing process and the marriage ceremony. The requirement that a marriage or civil union be solemnized in the physical presence of an officiant and two witnesses can be satisfied through the use of live audio-visual technology, provided certain conditions are met.

The order also suspends the 72-hour waiting period between the license application and issuance, extends the period that a license is valid from 30 to 90 days, and waives fees imposed for the issuance of a second marriage or civil union license if the original has expired.

Additionally, minors seeking to certify their working papers with a school designated official will be permitted to do so through videoconference. Individual school districts will craft procedures that satisfy the statutory requirements without requiring in-person contact.

The executive order permits both in-person marriage licensing and ceremonies and in-person certification of working papers to continue, subject to social distancing, where offices are open, and officials are available to oversee the processes.

The order will take effect on Monday, May 4, 2020.

Click here to download a copy of Executive Order No. 135.

MORRIS COUNTY — Morris County Prosecutor Fredric Knapp, Acting Chief of Investigations Christoph Kimker, and Chief Darren Dachisen of the Madison Borough Police Department announce the sentencing of Gary Anderson, 45, of Madison.

Anderson previously pled guilty to one count of Endangering the Welfare of a Child for the Possession of Child Pornography in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:24-4b(5)(b)(ii), a crime of the second degree and one count of Possession of Child Pornography in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:24-4b(5)(b)(iii), a crime of the third degree.

Anderson admitted that he utilized his home computer to upload over 1,000 images of child pornography between the dates of December 16, 2018, and July 18, 2019. Anderson also admitted to subsequently possessing one additional image of child pornography between the dates of September 1, 2019, and October 31, 2019. The Morris County Prosecutor’s Office was first alerted to the computer upload by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

Anderson was sentenced today by the Honorable Robert Hanna, J.S.C., to eleven (11) years in New Jersey State Prison for the second-degree Possession of Child Pornography and seven years in New Jersey State Prison concurrent for the third-degree Possession of Child Pornography. Anderson is also subject to Megan’s Law registration and Parole Supervision for Life.

Prosecutor Knapp said “We must work to prevent the exploitation of our children, especially by the repeat, habitual offenders. The sentence imposed by the Court demonstrates the seriousness with which Morris County Law Enforcement prosecutes such cases. Hopefully this sentence will also deter others from even contemplating such horrific acts.”

Prosecutor Knapp would like to thank the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office’s Sex Crimes/Child Endangerment Unit, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, the Madison Borough Police Department, and the Morris County Sheriff’s Office – Criminal Investigations Section whose efforts contributed to the investigation and resolution of the matter.

MORRIS COUNTY — As National Child Abuse Prevention Month comes to a close, Assemblywoman Aura Dunn is ensuring we keep children’s health and safety top of mind through a new bill she plans to introduce next week.

Dunn’s bill would require New Jersey’s Department of Children and Families to work with the Department of Education so that prevention efforts and services are reaching distance learning classrooms and children during a state of emergency. The bill also mandates schools to uphold attendance obligations and monitor and report absenteeism.

“With all of us sheltering in place during this Covid-19 pandemic, the truth is, our awareness is down if not nonexistent. And, that is what keeps me wide awake at night. The ‘eyes’ of prevention on any other typical day were our bus drivers, school aides, teachers, coaches, religious advisors, and others with whom children came into daily contact outside their homes. That safety net disappeared in an instant,” said Dunn (R-Morris).

During the state of emergency, reports of child abuse to the state hotline have decreased, but advocates warn that the numbers don’t paint a true picture.

“You can’t assume that everything is fine,” said Advocates for Children of New Jersey’s Executive Director Cecilia Zalkind, as reported to NJ.com. “This is a highly stressful time for families and I think people need to be vigilant and aware for the kids.”

As of March 30, the state’s child abuse hotline received 5,177 child protection or child welfare calls – a 32 percent reduction from March of 2019. Overall, the hotline received 12,080 calls last month, approximately 3,000 fewer calls from the same month in the previous year. Other states have also seen a drop in reporting. Washington state saw a 42 percent decline one week after schools were closed.

“What a painfully powerless position to be in! We know it is occurring but we cannot see it to stop it. Awareness, as our first line of defense for the defenseless, has vanished,” said Dunn. “As a legislator, I am constantly on a quest to find real solutions to improve our way of life in all policy arenas.”

Dunn is also a sponsor of A3916, another emergency-related measure, that allows for an offense against a person for an act of domestic violence or involving endangering the welfare of a child to be classified one degree higher than the underlying offense if it occurs during a declared period of national, state, or county emergency.

“The courts may be closed now; but they will reopen,” said Dunn. “This bill sends the clear message that this is a time for vigilance not lenience. It is also important for the public to be reminded that essential services remain operating and help is always available.”

In response to the coronavirus pandemic, DCF has launched a “Social Distancing Shouldn’t Mean Social Isolation” campaign to raise awareness about child abuse, domestic violence, and other dangers facing families while homebound.

“Even when our focus is on a pandemic like a coronavirus, we need to remember and practice the mantra that Fred Rogers made famous: ‘Keep children first, now and always,’” concluded Dunn.

MORRIS COUNTY — “The governor’s ability to unilaterally impose restrictions on the freedoms of our citizens cannot go unchecked,” said Bergen (R-Morris). “One person with near-absolute power is dangerous. Governor Murphy doesn’t even have a problem admitting that he doesn’t consider the Bill of Rights. My legislation will ensure that the governor has the ability to take emergency action, but that action must be reviewed and approved by the legislature within 14 days or it will expire.”

The governor’s emergency powers are defined in the Disaster Control Act to assist with a war effort and was expanded to provide for civil defense and natural and unnatural disasters.

The state Supreme Court warned in Worthington v. Fauver, 1982, that “These emergency powers represent an extraordinary delegation of authority by the Legislature to the Executive. Because of the extraordinary nature of that authority, the executive orders must not only bear a rational relationship to the goal of protecting the public, but their scope must not exceed the extent of the emergency.”

According to Bergen, the steps Gov. Phil Murphy has taken have crossed that line.

“Right now, the governor is picking winners and losers in the business community,” said Bergen. “He is allowing box stores to remain open while shuttering main street businesses. You can buy a bike from Target but not your local bike shop; you can pave a road but not a driveway; you can buy a sandwich but not ice cream. Governor Murphy is making these decisions in a bubble with no checks and balances. That needs to end now and should never be allowed to happen again.”

Bergen’s legislation would require a legislative review after 14 days of any executive order and would not allow an executive order to extend beyond that point without the affirmation of the legislature.

“The legislature is the lawmaking body of the state, and no governor should be able to trump all state, county, and municipal law with the stroke of a pen without those actions being reviewed and approved by the legislature,” concluded Bergen.