In a bill signing ceremony conducted via Instagram, Governor Murphy signed legislation designating the third Friday in June – Juneteenth –  as a state holiday.

Watch here.

Assembly sponsors Reynolds-Jackson, Holley, and Wimberly said ‘Juneteenth was a defining moment in American History claiming the beginning of African American independence in this country. It is time for the commemoration of a pivotal moment in history to become an official state holiday, underscoring its importance to our communities and giving time for reflection on how far we have come and have to go to achieve equality and justice for all.’

NJDSC Deputy Executive Director Nabila Baptiste will run Joe Biden’s New Jersey campaign, according to a report from NJ.com.

In a Zoom event this evening, Governor Phil Murphy and First Lady Tammy Murphy raised $2 million for the presidential campaign of Democratic nominee Joe Biden.

Joining the Murphys on Biden’s behalf was their old friend, rock star Jon Bon Jovi.

In an era of extreme political polarization, Democrats are often called “socialists” as a matter of course.

Some may not even know what the label truly means, but that’s a story for another day.

Tom Malinowski, the incumbent Democrat in CD-7, was asked about this at a tele-town hall Wednesday afternoon. His very friendly caller said that if Republicans call Democrats, “socialists,” the Dems should respond in kind by calling Republicans “fascists.”

Malinowski, who invariably is called a socialist by his GOP opponents, began by saying that unlike many others in the United States, he knows what socialism is. As most know, the congressman was born in Poland, which at the time was a socialist “satellite” of the Soviet Union.

And he said nothing in the U.S. is anything close to that system.

Still, Malinowski didn’t take the bait. The congressman said he doesn’t like name calling and said, “Let’s just call them Americans.”

Read Insider NJ’s Morning Intelligence Briefing: 9/10/2020

From the Press of Atlantic City: ‘As the state moved Wednesday to expand its offshore wind program, Senate President Steve Sweeney and two assemblymen asked the Board of Public Utilities to suspend its approval of Orsted’s project off Atlantic City, saying the company has not kept promises about economic development in their district.’

Stop whining and just mail in your ballot.

That’s the best way to read a blunt message today from Laura Ali, the chair of the Morris County Republican Committee.

In a recent release, she mentions “hard fought legal efforts” by the state Republican Committee and the Trump campaign to stop the Murphy Administration’s election plan, which includes vote-by-mail.

All registered voters should get a ballot the week of Oct. 5. They can mail it in, put it in a “drop box,” or hand it in on Election Day. Voters also can vote in person on Election Day; there will be at least one polling place in every town.

Republican leaders from the president on down are condemning the idea.

But Ali seems to be taking a more practical approach.

“Although most Republicans don’t like this, we can’t keep wasting valuable time complaining about this on social media and in social circles,” she says. “It is time for massive action and for a coordinated effort to get out our Republican votes.”

Ali adds that Republicans should stop protesting mail-in-voting and just do it. And she correctly notes that ballots can be tracked online.

This truly is a different – and some might say – welcome approach.

Let’s see if it prompts state Republicans to abandon their suit.

The Trenton Republican Committee in New Jersey’s state capital of Trenton has announced that its Committee recently completed its reorganization meeting and has elected its officers for the coming four years.  Elected to four-year terms are Jennifer Williams, who was reelected to a second term as the Committee’s Chair; Justin Tibbetts as Vice-Chair; Nives Herman as Treasurer; and Tamara Williams as Secretary.

Trenton Republican Committee Chairperson Jennifer Williams said, “Trentonians can take charge and begin to change our city’s destiny. We must challenge our current elected officials to directly confront the issues facing our capital city, to make wiser decisions and to listen to ideas from across our city’s diverse citizenry to help curb the ever-repeating cycles of violence and multi-generational poverty afflicting so many here. We are all in this fight together.”