New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy. Source: Flickr
By Melissa Reyes ‘21
On January 16, 2018, governor elect-Phil Murphy became the governor of New Jersey after being sworn in by state Supreme Court Chief Justice Stuart Rabner.
Murphy, the 56th governor of New Jersey, took an oath under the same bible that deceased president John F. Kennedy used. Rabner also swore in Murphy’s running mate, Lieutenant Governor Sheila Oliver.
Rabner and state officials then watched Governor Murphy deliver his inauguration address, highlighting what he planned to do with the state of New Jersey. Murphy declared how he will improve New Jersey’s economy, making the state “where innovative companies are born, and where millennials will want to live, and where seniors will want to retire.”
Murphy’s First Executive Order
On the same day Murphy was inaugurated, he wasted no time and signed his first executive order in front of the State Archives building. His executive order prevents government agencies in the state from asking applicants about their previous salaries from their prior professions.
An Update: Phil Murphy’s Recent Executive Order
On January 23, 2018, Phil Murphy signed a controversial executive order, which allowed for more people to use medical marijuana. Although medical marijuana is legal in New Jersey, it has many regulations, allowing only about 15,000 people to have access to it. This is the first step Murphy has taken, desiring to legalize marijuana in 100 days of taking office during his term as governor.
Murphy Defends DACA
Phil Murphy announced on January 24 that he will join a lawsuit with multiple states (started in September) targeting Donald Trump’s decision about ending DACA. They argue how it will hurt state economies and that Trump’s actions were racially motivated to discriminate against minorities, specifically Mexicans. Murphy has expressed how he supports DACA, swearing the first Dreamer in state history to the state’s bar. He later announced on the same day that “New Jersey will have the backs of our 22,000 DREAMers even when Washington refuses to stand up for them.”
