Celebrating the end of slavery 156 years ago.

Rallying for reparations.

Legislation stalls.

A local Institute is taking matters into its own hands.

>> They stole us, they sold us, they owe us.

>> Governor Murphy and lawmakers create a clear path for approval in the statehouse.

Do not disturb.

Ocean City curfew restrictions aim to curb unruly behavior.

>> The last few weekends have been exactly the way people would expect.

Peaceful, family environment.

NJ Spotlight News begins right now.

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This is NJ Spotlight News.

>> Good evening and thank you for joining us.

Juneteenth celebrations are in full swing.

Residents are honoring profound achievements of African-Americans over the last 158 years.

The holiday is observed annually, remembering the day when a union army general told the last enslaved people in Texas they were liberated more than two years after the signing of the emancipation plot operation.

-- proclamation.

The day is typically marked with educational events.

Melissa is in work where organizers are saying their event is celebrating freedom but there is work to be done.

>> The organizers say having it here pays tribute to the women who helped free so many Americans.

While Juneteenth is a celebration, that's also a time to remember its significance.

>> We are celebrating freedom, but in addition to that, it's also a solemn day because of the fact people did not know they were free.

That's really a tragedy.

The way I see it, it's an opportunity to educate people and come together as a community and truly understand what systematic racism looks like in this country and how we are rising together.

We have drummers, dancers and music.

>> The People's organization for progress marking Juneteenth with a rally calling for reparations.

>> This is the day we feel is most appropriate to raise the issue of reparations, that the descendants of those who were enslaved should be compensated for the stolen labor of our ancestors during the.

Of enslavement.

>> The organization has been pushing for it for 41 years.

There is legislation pending in New Jersey and the federal level to create a task force to help determine what form reparations should take.

>> Compensation for stolen labor of millions of Africans who laid primitive accumulation of capital who built this country.

Enslaved people were worth more than all of the combined railroads, banks, there was more value in that human capital than all of those things combined.

We had the abolition of slavery although the Confederacy was defeated, white supremacy and racism was not defeated.

Racial inequality has been the order of the day since Jim Crow and abolition of legal segregation.

Jim Crow was abolished, legal segregation, but we still have the fact of segregation.

In fact, New Jersey is on the most racially segregated states in the nation.

It ranks sixth.

This is the result of enslavement, the type of segregation we had in the north because we had a northern version and the continued racial oppression black people faced up to the present.

>> Advocates say it is a needed step to help and the harm caused by slavery.

NJ Spotlight News.

>> With those efforts at a standstill, leaders of a prominent social justice organization are taking the reins, using historical significance to launch the New Jersey reparations counsel.

It's a first of its kind group tasked with studying and suggesting ways to repair the state's deep involvement with slavery and the ways it continues to impact black lives.

>> I can feel the spirit of my ancestors in the wind.

>> Advocates stood where slave boards shift with human cargo in the 1700s and they marks Juneteenth with a call for reparations.

To be sold into a system of slavery that endured for more than 200 years, a system that extracted free labor from enslaved people who helped to build New Jersey into the most prosperous state in the country today.

>> Ryan announced they are launching a reparations counsel to measure the impact and determine how to repair the damage to repay the generations who suffered.

We can draw a line from our history to the racial disparities black people in New Jersey face.

That is why we are not afraid to say the word reparations.

>> When you have a specific measurable harm and you can see the economic impact of that specific harm, why aren't we: The Quest for justice?

>> Cory Booker introduce the bill that may Juneteenth a national holiday.

He told the crowd reparations is a controversial topic.

Legislation has stalled and in Tranter -- Trenton it is stuck in committee.

>> I have often been asked that question.

Descendants are still with us.

Descendants are still here to reap the benefits.

>> She said it's critical to do research and preserve facts.

The Council will establish nine committees to establish the wealth gap, school segregation and more.

>> We want our kids to go to school where people teach the truth area we want a decent playground to play in.

We want to own homes but backyards and a right to go on vacation movie get tired.

We want to go to the doctor when we get sick and not choose between health care and a house.

>> Yards away, a marker explains how the slave population topped 11,400 and 1740, the Council will insist the history is told.

>> We have an opportunity to get it right and set a national blueprint.

>> Accountable studies issues for two years.

Public hearings will be broadcast by NJPBS.

The Council is promising bold recommendations.

>> There appears to be an agreement on a bill that property taxes for seniors.

A framework was reach this weekend on the tax-cut plan with Governor Murphy and legislative leaders ironing out the details.

According to unofficial, residence 65 years and older would get a 50% credit on property tax bills down from an additional proposal of $10,000.

The original plan had no income threshold.

The new deal applies to seniors making under $500,000 a year and includes money for senior renters who were originally excluded.

It boosts the anchor tax relief program by $250 for seniors but critics argue the bulk of this money will be going to wealthy homeowners.

Governor Murphy says he is willing to shut down the government if a deal is not reached by June 30, the state budget deadline.

A package overhauling the public records law is being criticized as an assault on transparency.

Joe Danielson is proposing new restrictions on the public records act that would limit access to government documents, bar people requesting records from challenging the requests in Superior Court, put limits on those who make frequent requests and shields documents related to public contracts.

Opponents say if passed, the new measure will keep the public in the dark.

She joins me now.

>> There are few bills I can think of in the last several years that have riled the public and advocates like this one.

What is your biggest concern with this package?

>> There are so many concerns, it's hard to know when to start.

I will say it cuts it in the sense in that the right to go to court are the two enforcement mechanisms that mean agencies need to comply.

I can fill you in on more details of what I mean.

>> Give us some examples.

>> Right now, if an agency denies your West, you can consult with an attorney, and because there is a mandatory fee shift, if you win in court the agency has to pay your bills, lawyers like me are willing to take your case and represent you , pay the filing fee and not charge you any legal fees in memory when, the agency will pay your fees.

We can go to two forms.

We can go to Superior Court and have the judge decide or you can go to the Government records Council.

I was go to Superior Court because it's better and faster.

The GRC takes two years.

It takes away the right to go to Superior Court.

>> I'm curious, the bill's sponsor is on record saying I have knocked on tens of thousands of doors and never once has anyone come to me with their concern about access to public records.

What does this ultimately mean for transparency and folks like us in the news media who need access to those records?

>> Maybe one reason why people are not complaining is he is speaking to the wrong people.

If he spoke to reporters and people tuned in, they do care.

>> Give us an example of how this may impact ordinary citizens, thinking back to pandemic, veterans homes, long-term care homes where a lot of what we found out about how the outbreak was handled would not have been known if not for open records.

>> Exactly.

One of my big clients is the North Jersey media group and we had to sue because the administration would not release records and emails relating to the nursing homes.

The newspaper did not have a budget to spend thousands of dollars litigating against the state, which has unlimited staff and resources to try and defeat the public record suit.

If you think about some of the biggest transparency wins we have had in the state, it's been contingency cases to gain access to use of force reports, the names of officers that used deadly force, to gain access to all sorts of records, --'s, body cams.

Those are things we had to fight for because the government will not release anything voluntarily.

>> Thank you so much.

I Hoboken pride event went off without a hitch this weekend despite calls for the gathering to be canceled.

Officials held a Rita thumb of banned books at the Hoboken library.

The events hosted a number of readers throughout the day starting with what it dubbed drag queen story hour.

That sparked a heated debate on social media with a Twitter account condemning the reading.

In a post reaching hundreds of thousands of followers, the mayor shot back accusing the group of spreading false information, calling the community -- city one community.

In our spotlight on business, this was the first holiday weekend for the new curfew and safety ordinances.

Put in place after a rowdy Memorial weekend where teens held pop-up parties on the beach and police say they responded to nearly 1000 incidents.

The new rules ban backpacks after 8:00 p.m.. Ted Goldberg checked in with local businesses to see if the new guidelines are taking a hit on tourism.

>> It seems like the new regulations have not scared away too many beachgoers.

>> The last few weekends have been exactly the way you would expect Ocean City to be.

>> And Councilman and small business owner says the city had no choice and how it had to react to the huge crowd of teenagers that cause chaos Memorial day weekend.

Since then, beaches close at eight and Boardwalk bathroom close at 10:00.

This past weekend, the city enacted ordinances and brought the curfew up to 11:00.

He says most people agree with the stance.

>> The response has been fabulous.

We're going to stay on top of it.

An 8:00 p.m. beach closure is not a forever thing.

>> These restrictions might not be in place next year and could be lifted later this summer.

He says a contributing factor are laws that restrict police officers from giving more than a written warning for underage possession.

>> When you have juveniles who used to fear the law, it would automatically stop them from doing something that would get them in trouble.

Now, because of the juvenile roof or Mac, it has restricted police officers to be able to do their job properly.

>> I think word spread about the liberties we were giving, and when it got out, more and more kids started showing up and unfortunately we have the rowdy routes.

>> Bridget Jacobson grew up in Ocean City.

>> I do not remember seeing large gatherings like that.

My first reaction was it was greasy and overwhelming.

>> She says the past few weekends have been less rambunctious and says it's a tribute to new regulations.

>> For some people, it might have been drastic but we had to convey a message that we were not going to tolerate this behavior anymore and down the road, those things we can look at whether bathrooms stay open, more lenient with backpacks.

A lot of parents carry the backpacks.

>> The police department says he responded to nearly 1000 incidents over Memorial day weekend but they declined our interview request.

Out-of-towners who came to the beach generally agree the new rules are a good thing.

>> I should not be shocked.

Anything can happen.

It makes sense.

>> Don't know if it was better or worse, maybe they could have slowly enforced it.

>> they are making sure the kids are being saved and the adults are being safe, then it's OK. >> Last week, the judiciary committee advanced a bill that would allow police officers to give hundred dollar fines for underage alcohol or counter this possession.

Other state lawmakers have drafted similar legislation that would bump up penalties from a written warning.

I am Ted Goldberg.

>> Wall Street is closed today.

Here's a look at the closing trading numbers from Friday.

Stocks slipped after closing out a big week.

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♪ >> Finally tonight, negotiations are ongoing between unionized staff and rockers at Rutgers New Jersey and Robert Wood Johnson medical schools.

Doctors are calling for better pay and more mental health coverage, citing the emotional toll of their jobs.

Bobby joins me with the latest.

Better pay has been part of a lot of the contract negotiations ongoing at rockers.

What specifically are residents looking for when it comes to mental health coverage?

>> Residents are focused on the sticking point with rockers when it comes to additional benefits.

Right now, a number of union members receive mental health care coverage through the state employee benefit plan, mostly through providers like Horizon Blue Cross, Blue Shield.

They are saying due to the emotional tolls that it it's not covering the cost.

They are asking the University pay into a union benefit plan at about $25 per resident, or month, to provide additional or supplemental coverage in addition to what they receive right now.

>> How much would that add up to the administration?

And where they stand on the request?

>> Per year, per resident, rockers is paying around $300 per resident into the plan, right now, a spokesperson said in a statement they are continuing to negotiate in good faith with the union, they did not give any specifics as to whether they will support this has negotiations are continuing and that demand is very high.

>> I'm curious.

Does this differ from what similar workers get at other health care facilities and hospitals?

>> As union members pointed to, this does not differ that much at all, it almost makes a competitive edge if they are able to get this, it could maybe attract more residents to these programs, other programs throughout the region provide this benefit that would help folks in serious times when they are making around $15 an hour.

>> Is there potential for this to peek like it did back in April when the contract negotiations started, there were a number of strikes at Rutgers University proper, could we see it get to that level where these medical workers are going on strike or picketing?

>> It has the potential, right now date were calling it a unity break, essentially not doing a total work stoppage but being outside and vocal, expressing demands, it remains to be seen whether it would get to the point of a complete strike but they are getting to the point where the negotiations have continued since last summer and no contract has been fulfilled.

There will be another hearing tomorrow between the sides and it remains to be seen whether a contract negotiation will come from this.

>> Thank you so much.

>> Support for the medical report is provided by Horizon Blue Cross Frew shield New Jersey.

>> That's going to do it for us tonight.

Download the podcast so you can listen every time.

For the entire news team, thank you for being with us.

Have a great evening, we will see you back here tomorrow.

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