Brandon Umba Archives - New Jersey Globe

Umba: It’s time to open up the school funding formula

April 6, 2022 4:08 pm

OPINION Budget season has started in New Jersey, and we shouldn’t let it go by without making school funding front and center to the conversation. There are far too many school districts losing money year-over-year, issues with special education funding...

Faced with redrawn seats, incumbents have reserved reactions

February 15, 2022 11:58 amFebruary 15, 2022 9:04 pm

Following the release of two draft legislative maps last week, New Jersey’s 120 legislators have all had the opportunity to review how their own districts would change under each proposal – and for around two dozen of them, the future...

Initial legislative map proposals leave some incumbents behind

February 8, 2022 5:22 pmFebruary 8, 2022 7:14 pm

Whenever a new political redistricting process begins, one of the most frustrating things to account for is where incumbent legislators already live. Those tasked with redistricting want to draw as logical a map as possible, but they also frequently have...

Democrats really want to win back the 8th legislative district

February 7, 2022 6:26 pm

For the most part, the Democratic commissioners on the Legislative Apportionment Commission elected to draw a map of least change in their initial proposal released today, shifting towns here and there to balance populations and appease incumbents. But in Burlington...

New chiefs of staffs named for five legislators

January 25, 2022 1:49 pmJanuary 25, 2022 4:47 pm

Two lawmakers named new chiefs of staff on Tuesday, with Leigh Maris joining State Sen. Sam Thompson (R-Old Bridge) and Christian Duffy taking in the top slot in the office of Assembly Majority Conference Leader Annette Quijano (D-Elizabeth). Last week,...

Legislature swears in 21 new members as 220th session begins

January 11, 2022 4:09 pmJanuary 17, 2022 11:08 pm

The New Jersey State Legislature swore in 21 new members today to mark the beginning of the 220th legislative session, following last year’s election that saw Republicans make significant gains across the state. Among the new members are three Asian...

New legislators take office at noon in historic shift of N.J. Legislature

January 11, 2022 12:00 amJanuary 11, 2022 10:38 am

Democrat Sadaf Jaffer will become the first Asian American woman and the first Muslim to serve in the New Jersey Legislature when she takes office this afternoon. While seniority has little importance in Trenton, Jaffer will take office just before...