| |
9/23/22 NJ Could Soon Be Seizing and Destroying Obnoxious 'Boom Cars' "Boom cars" carrying souped-up sound systems that blast music heard through neighborhoods could be seized and destroyed, under new legislation developed by a group of Democratic lawmakers from South Jersey. The bill - S3047/A4686 - was proposed Thursday so hasn't yet gotten scheduled for a hearing. What is a boom car? Sen. Nilsa Cruz-Perez, D-Camden, said neighborhoods need to be "protected against these roaring vehicles" - defined in the bill as ones in which the internal sound system is plainly audible at a distance of 50 feet away or more. . . The bill would apply the same rules to boom cars as already provided for snowmobiles, all-terrain vehicles and dirt bikes operated in violation of state law. For a first offense, a vehicle would be required to be impounded for at least seven days and could then be returned in exchange for a $500 fee, plus towing and storage costs. For subsequent offenses, the penalty would increase to an impoundment period of 14 days and a $750 fee, plus costs. 9/26/22 N.J. Might Require Stores Sanitize Reusable Bags, Refund Shoppers After Bag Ban Goes Awry Five months into New Jersey's ban on plastic - and in grocery stores, paper - bags, it's been, well, a mixed bag of results. Customers are still forgetting their bags at home. Some shoppers are even stealing hand baskets. And the real "glitch" in the law, according to a legislator who wrote it, is there's no good solution for handling online grocery deliveries since the ban includes both paper and plastic. Online shoppers are ending up with stockpiles of reusable bags that they're required to buy, or are being given, with every order. Among the solutions are suggestions to create a system for shoppers to exchange their reusable bags and get a refund, and requiring stores to clean and re-purpose them other shoppers. Another idea, state Sen. Bob Smith, D-Middlesex, co-sponsor of the bill to ban plastic bags, said is to retreat from the ban on paper bags, at least for the next five years for online orders, while stores develop more sustainable and practical alternatives. 9/26/22 Pallone Introduces the Buy Low and Sell High Act, New Legislation to Keep Gas Prices Falling Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06) introduced the Buy Low and Sell High Act today, new legislation that creates an Economic Petroleum Reserve designed to continue the trend of falling gasoline prices and make money for American taxpayers by empowering the Department of Energy (DOE) to buy oil when prices are low and sell oil when prices are high. "Americans are tired of bearing the burden of our dependence on a volatile, unpredictable oil market controlled primarily by foreign dictators and adversaries. It's time for new, innovative solutions to keep bringing prices down, and that's where the Economic Petroleum Reserve comes in. By empowering DOE to buy oil when prices are low and sell when they are high, my bill helps us regain control of domestic gas prices and protects drivers from future price fluctuations," said Pallone. "Not only does this bill grant DOE the flexibility it needs to keep prices falling, but it also recognizes that our reliance on fossil fuels makes us weaker and uses the proceeds from oil sales to build out electric vehicle infrastructure. This is what a win-win looks like." 9/27/22 Americans Want More EV Charge Range Than They Need U.S. electric vehicle shoppers want an EV with a range of at least 300 miles, according to a Bloomberg survey, and less than 10% of those surveyed would buy an EV with a charge range of 200 miles or less. However, 95% of car trips in the U.S. are 30 miles or less. . . Americans have historically purchased too much car for their needs, according to Bloomberg, but when consumers buy "too much" electric vehicle, they are overbuying battery as opposed to number of seats, storage space and horsepower in an internal combustion engine vehicle. According to Bloomberg, an EV that has a range of 300 miles takes 91 kWh of battery, which costs automakers nearly $11,000 to make, and that battery weighs more than 1,100 pounds. The question is whether that added weight and cost is worth it to drivers and automakers. 9/27/22 Cannabis Workplace Guidance Creates More Confusion The workplace guidelines released by the state agency overseeing cannabis has employers dazed and confused over what they can do to discipline a worker who might be high on the job. Cannabis law experts and employment attorneys called the rules and their rollout vague and baffling, and said the suggestions outlined are impractical to implement and keep businesses in a "state of limbo." "I see a lot of risk from both the employer and the employees' side that's a little concerning," said Sean Sanders, a Pine Brook-based employment attorney at Frier Levitt. Earlier this month, the Cannabis Regulatory Commission issued interim guidance while it continues to develop more permanent regulations to certify workplace impairment experts, known as WIREs, regulations that are required by the marijuana legalization law. Since legalization, employees can no longer be terminated solely because of a drug test positive for marijuana. 9/27/22 Winter Is Coming: Families Have to Brace for A Large Heating Bill - Again Droves of families faced higher than average electric bills last winter due to a surge in the supply cost of the energy commodity. Unfortunately, according to some experts, this year won't be much different. Families already dealing with increased costs due to inflation are expected to pay even more than last year, according to a recent report from the National Energy Assistance Directors Association (NEADA). Earlier this month, the NEADA projected that the average cost to heat a home would increase by 17.2% since last winter, rising from $1,025 to $1,202. Heating oil costs will jump an estimated 54% to $1,876, while natural gas costs may increase 24% to $709, according to the NEADA. Overall, the total cost of home heating, including natural gas, electricity, heating oil and propane, is estimated to jump from $127.9 billion to $149.9 billion this year. 9/27/22 Meeting People Where They're At: Corner Stores Become Mini Health Centers For almost 10 years The Food Trust's Healthy Corner Store Initiative (HCSI) and Heart Smarts Program has been working to transform corner stores, often disparaged as a nutritional wastelands, into community health hubs by combining training, equipment and marketing materials for owners with regular nutrition education and incentives for shoppers. Almost 3,400 participants took the nutrition lessons between August 2021 and June 2022. . . Almost $16,000 worth of coupons were redeemed last year at 30 corner stores, 28 of which are in Camden and the other two are in Trenton. 9/28/22 When You Can Pump Your Own Gas In New Jersey
Although there is a law dating back to the 1940s that doesn't allow you to pump your own gasoline into your car, there seemed to be hope things would change. The old Senate President Steve Sweeney wouldn't even bring a "trial choice" bill up for a vote. Then, last year we got a new Senate president, but sadly the same result. It's been a few months since the debate and conversation has come up, but no results. There is, however, an opportunity to pump your own, if you have a diesel vehicle. Somehow pumping diesel fuel is not as dangerous as gasoline. Or maybe it's that most vehicles that take diesel are trucks and most people who drive trucks are not going to put the pump back in the machine if they are approached. Either way, it illustrates the stupidity of the law that makes us the ONLY state in the nation that doesn't trust its own citizens to pump their own gas - ever. |
|
