October 18, 2017
Mostly sunny today with highs in the lower 60s.
LEGALIZE MARIJUANA IN JERSEY? YOUR CHOICE FOR GOVERNOR WILL DETERMINE THAT
When you go to the polls in November, you won't just be choosing Chris Christie's successor – your choice will determine whether or not recreational marijuana will be legalized in New Jersey. NJ.com says electing Phil Murphy means New Jersey will join eight other states in legalizing marijuana for people 21 and older. Meanwhile, electing Kim Guadagno means you still won't be able to legally smoke marijuana.
WILL CLIMATE CHANGE REVIVE AN OLD IDEA: A REGIONAL COASTAL COMMISSION?
The idea of forming a coastal commission was once again floated yesterday at a wide-ranging conference on the Shore of the Future in Trenton. NJ Spotlight says the idea was shunned more than three decades ago, but climate change could lead the state to accept that the issues posed by a changing climate far outstrip the ability of local communities to deal with the crisis on their own.
AS NJEA CONTINUES FIGHT WITH SWEENEY, AFT GIVES ENDORSEMENT
The American Federation of Teachers has endorsed incumbent Senate president Steve Sweeney's reelection, despite his ongoing feud with the New Jersey Education Association. NJTV says the decision to endorse Sweeney has put the AFT at odds with the NJEA, New Jersey's largest teachers union with 200,000 members, which has deep disagreements with Sweeney over public-employee pensions and other issues.
NJ TRANSIT'S RAIL SYSTEM IS BREAKING DOWN MORE THIS YEAR
NJ Transit trains have been breaking down more often in 2017 than they did in 2016, and are running fewer miles between failures than trains on the Long Island Rail Road or on Metro North. NJ.com says the trend isn't a new one. The agency's train, bus, and light rail fleet were already traveling fewer miles than they did in 2013 before breaking down.
FEDS GIVE NJ TRANSIT GREEN LIGHT TO TEST SYSTEM TO PREVENT TRAIN CRASHES
Meanwhile, NJ Transit has received conditional approval from federal regulators to begin testing its train collision avoidance system, know as positive train control, on the Morristown Line. The Record says the testing will begin on about 10 miles of track between Madison and Denville, and will not involve trains carrying passengers.
