In November, the people of New Jersey voted in high numbers for then-Democratic Gubernatorial Candidate Phil Murphy. The former Goldman Sachs executive and U.S. Ambassador to Germany beat Christie’s Lieutenant Governor Kim Guadagno 55.7 percent to 42.2percent.
In what was a clear-cut referendum on Christie’s right-wing agenda, Murphy had a mandate and the promise of change on his side and is actively cleaning up the biohazard level-3 style mess left behind by Christie.
1. Climate Change
Despite its moniker as the Garden State, New Jersey might as well be known as the Exxon state under Christie. He faced heavy criticism when he settled with Exxon for a measly $225 million instead of the $8.9 billion it owed the state. He also set New Jersey back when he pulled out of the regional pact designed to fight climate change.
Murphy, on the other hand, champions progress for the environment and signed an executive order that returned New Jersey to the regional agreement.
2. Planned Parenthood
During his two terms as governor, Christie bled Planned Parenthood dry. Murphy fought to restore funding to the organization, which provides much-needed healthcare to low-income women. In fact, on February 21, Murphy signed the very first bill of his term that restored $7.5 million in funding to Planned Parenthood that Christie cut.
3. Medical Marijuana
Chris Christie put the state’s medical marijuana program on life support and left it and medical marijuana patients screaming for mercy. A couple years after New Jersey joined 18 states in allowing medical marijuana, Governor Christie severely weakened the New Jersey Compassionate Use Medical Marijuana Act, originally a final act of power by outgoing Democratic Governor, Jon Corzine.
Perhaps because it gives him the munchies too bad, but Governor Christie created a series of bureaucratic hurdles that all but killed the program.
Not anymore because according to Nj.com, Murphy:
“…Ordered a two-month review with an eye toward making medical marijuana easier to get.”
Better still, he promised to make marijuana legal in New Jersey, thus creating a massive amount of revenue to fund many of his initiatives.
Whether you voted for Murphy or not, he’s certainly a man on a mission to do good and restore New Jersey’s standing as one of the most powerful states in the union.
Featured image via YouTube Video.
