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
Legislature approves NJ’s plan for legalized marijuana
Rules for adult-use recreational marijuana, which voters green-lighted in a Nov. 3 referendum, now await Gov. Phil Murphy's signature.
No more quotas? Bill to stop rating NJ cops by arrest, ticket stats
Police union says ticket quotas are real and implemented through performance evaluations. A Senate bill would bar them.
Compromise on pot legalization on track for Thursday approval
Latest and last group of amendments includes a cap on growers through 2022 and leaves business groups unhappy about workplace testing plans.
Deadline nears for Murphy to decide on new regional gas tax
The Transportation and Climate Initative would be an alliance of Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states. It could add 17 cents to a gallon of gas.
Study could result in NJ’s first countywide school district
Salem County has hired a Morristown-based law firm to examine whether to merge its 14 school districts into one.
NJ less divided? Blue counties got redder while red ones got bluer
Gloucester and Morris flipped Democratic. In percentage terms, the biggest shifts include Sussex and Warren toward Biden and Hudson and Passaic toward Trump.
One month until pot is legalized, but details remain hazy
Legislation has been introduced in the Assembly that would move over into its own bill an amendment to downgrade penalties for psychedelic mushroom possession.
NJ may try to stop NYC from exporting its homeless here
New Jersey municipalities and lawmakers are looking to counter a New York City program that relocates homeless families.
NJ utilities resist push to give you more time on overdue bills
A shutoff moratorium is in place through March. Some lawmakers want that extended to six months beyond the eventual end of the public health emergency.
Their plan: If Murphy shuts businesses for COVID, pay compensation
Under the GOP lawmakers' proposal, business owners could go to court and seek to prove they lost income or whole businesses due to ordered shutdowns.