I'm the Statehouse bureau chief for New Jersey 101.5, covering the governor, Legislature and state politics, and had previously covered the Statehouse for Gannett newspapers for more than 15 years. I'm a lifelong New Jerseyan -- raised in Bergen, living in Hunterdon, Rutgers graduate. I'm co-author of the 2012 biography 'Chris Christie: The Inside Story of His Rise to Power.' I am not the Iron Chef with a similar name though sometimes get tweets meant for him, especially around Thanksgiving. Believe me, you don't want my cooking tips.
Michael Symons
Murphy Highlights Social Justice in Scramble for Marijuana Votes
Gov. Phil Murphy continued his search for enough votes to legalize marijuana by stressing it would erase hundreds of thousands of past convictions.
Should New Jersey Add Lots More Places to Buy Alcohol?
An Assembly panel begins a series of hearings into whether to expand alcohol sales in New Jersey – at restaurants, supermarkets, gas stations and more.
Closing Schools, Dying Towns: Aid Cuts in Focus at Budget Hearing
School aid changes made last year to help underfunded districts have a flip side: Some lose funding, and they turned out in force at the first budget hearing.
Legal Pot Clears Hurdle But Votes for Approval ‘Not There Yet’
Committee approvals for adult-use marijuana legalization were delayed for hours, then pushed through with little to no testimony. Vote wrangling continues.
Legal weed in NJ: You can’t grow your own and you could get fired
No sooner was the text of the marijuana legalization bill made public than changes to it started being made Thursday. Backers say it's clean-up, nothing major.
Expungements easier, but not automatic, in legal marijuana plan
It's not feasible to automatically erase past drug convictions as part of making marijuana legal for use by adults, says Gov. Phil Murphy.
Murphy Pitches Economic Plan, Says He’s Flexible on its Size
Murphy’s economic plan includes $20M a year for brownfields projects, capped at $4M per project. It’s part of an overall $400M a year proposal still being hashed out in negotiations with lawmakers.
With Airbnbs Taxed, NJ-wide Registration Rules May Be Next
New taxes on short-term rentals in New Jersey booked through outlets like Airbnb might soon be followed additional regulations.
NJ Legislators Begin Action on Expanding Lawsuits for Sexual Abuse
A bill extending New Jersey's deadline for civil lawsuits alleging sexual abuse, including for some decades-old cases, could become law within weeks.
State’s CWA Deal: Savings from New Health Plan, 2% Yearly Raises
A new health plan would save the state $70M a year. It reduces out-of-network benefits and gets people to use it by changing the contribution formula.